Chief residents

The chief residents at Children's Memorial Hospital are dedicated solely to the education of residents and to the advancement of the program. They make time to help out with medical decision making on the wards, and also produce a weekly newsletter entitled “Take Five” which summarizes educational highlights from the week prior. Chief residents are first and foremost advocates for the residents and serve as their primary system of personal support and professional guidance.

Kavita S. Hodgkins, MD

• Hometown:  St. Charles, IL

• Undergrad:  Duke University

• Medical School:  Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons

• Career Plans:  Kidney Diseases Fellowship at Children's Memorial Hospital

I did a visiting elective at Children's Memorial Hospital as a fourth year student, and by the end of my four weeks, I knew that I wanted to be a resident here.  The academic rigor and compassionate patient care at Children’s was exactly what I was looking for in a training program. At the happy hour after my interview, it was obvious how excited the residents were to see each other and spend time together. After starting my residency here, I found that the collegial atmosphere between residents and attendings fostered amazing teaching and autonomy. The highlight of my day was always our morning report – it taught me how to think critically and express my ideas clearly. Plus, living in Chicago has been so much fun! I live in Old Town, less than two miles south of the hospital, and I love exploring all the city has to offer – great restaurants, live music, and of course, the beautiful lake front!

Ashwin Lal, MD

• Hometown: Beaumont, TX
• Undergrad: University of Virginia (Commerce: Finance)
• Med School: Boston University School of Medicine
• Career Plans: Pediatric Cardiology

As a fourth year medical student, I was looking for a program with a strong academic tradition in a big city with warm weather. Boy was I surprised when the Chicago winter rolled around! Luckily, I had already fallen in love with Children’s Memorial Hospital and the city of Chicago after my interview day. I was attracted to the program’s emphasis of establishing an academic and social balance. I began residency impressed with the lively, academic discussions amongst residents and attendings during our daily morning report.  During this conference, residents discuss and debate the differential diagnosis and workup of both common and rare disease processes. Upon completing residency, I reflected on the impressive community of motivated, intelligent and fun people I had encountered over the last three years. "Classmates" serve as life-long colleagues and role models to help one another grow, both inside and outside of the hospital. Finally, Chicago offers a beautiful backdrop with great museums, restaurants, outdoor activities and sports teams- nothing beats Wrigley Field in the summer time! Besides, the winter weather is a small price to pay for the unbeatable Chicago summer.

Natasha Verma, MD

• Hometown: Selma, CA
• Undergrad: Northwestern University (Psychology)
• Medical School: Northwestern University
• Career Plans: Pediatric Infectious Diseases

As a medical student at Northwestern, I loved my peds rotation at Children’s Memorial. The residents had a great camaraderie and the conferences (especially morning report!) were interesting and very interactive. I loved that the residents felt comfortable discussing cases with the attendings, and even challenging them at times! It was obvious that the residents were very competent and excellent pediatricians by the time they were third years.  Residency here has been a great experience, and I’ve had the chance to work closely with and learn from world-renowned pediatric specialists. The program is very supportive and listens to and advocates for its residents. Plus, Chicago is an awesome city with so much to do! I love running on the lake and going to street festivals and free outdoor concerts during the summer and great restaurants, museums and shows during the winter!