Pediatrics Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University
The McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University pediatric residency program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago recruits residents with MD-PhD degrees or who have otherwise unique experiences that indicate a strong commitment to a career in research. The Pediatrics Physician-Scientist Training Program (PSTP) experience is designed to facilitate the development of academic physician-scientists through a blend of experiential learning, didactic sessions and invited speakers.
2024 Pre-Application Open House
We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Northwestern University Pediatrics PSTP at Lurie Children's 2024 pre-application open house. This optional event offers an opportunity for you to learn more about the exceptional strengths of our pediatrics PSTP and how we support our scholars throughout their pediatric residency training and beyond.
- Date: September 11
- Time: 5:00-6:00 pm CST
- Zoom: Contact Alison Bender for zoom link.
What to Expect:
- Meet Our Leadership: Hear from PSTP and Lurie Children's leadership, as well as junior faculty, who will discuss the benefits and strengths of our PSTP program. Learn about the guidance and support we offer our PSTP scholars, not only during residency, but also as they transition into their early faculty years.
- Explore Our Tracks: Discover the different tracks available for PSTP scholars, tailored to meet the diverse needs and aspirations of our scholars.
- Residency and Career Trajectory Insights: Learn about the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University pediatric residency program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Hear firsthand from current PSTP trainees about their experiences and the cutting-edge science they are conducting. We'll also showcase our mentor/mentee pairs and discuss how our organization supports fellows' growth and development.
- Get to Know Us: Get a feel for our institution, workplace culture, and why Chicago is an incredible place to live and work.
- Interactive Q&A Session: Engage with our faculty and current PSTP scholars to have your questions answered and gain insights into our PSTP experience.
This virtual open house is designed to provide you with all the information you need to understand what makes our PSTP unique and how it offers the flexibility and support to support your success and achieve your career goals.
Can't Attend Live? You can request a recording of the open house by emailing Alison Bender.
Program Overview
Understanding that residency is the beginning of a career transition that will terminate in independence, the Pediatrics PSTP at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine views the first day on campus as the beginning of a 7-to-10 year journey. The program integrates clinical training with advanced research to build the core foundation of a future physician-scientist. Leadership and management skills are also emphasized to help trainees prepare for the challenges of becoming an independent researcher. The program is crafted to nurture future leaders in pediatric medicine and scientific research by providing structured support, mentorship, and critical resources for academic growth.
Why Join the PSTP?
With a long career trajectory ahead, trainees require multiple support mechanisms to realize a transformative career in pediatric medicine. The PSTP is committed to helping trainees find their clinical passion and research home. Research occurs in multiple areas across Northwestern University's medical campus, and all avenues are available to trainees. Research at Lurie Children’s is conducted through Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, which is focused on improving child health, transforming pediatric medicine, and ensuring healthier futures through the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Faculty in all Northwestern University academic departments are available as mentors, and the PSTP plays a pivotal role in helping to navigate this complex research terrain.
- Research and discovery-oriented community: Be a member of a vibrant community focused on research and discovery as an integral part of the residency training.
- Mentorship for subspecialty training: Receive the essential mentoring needed to advance into subspecialty training.
- Establish your research career: Collaborate closely with a research mentor to share and generate data, leading to valuable publication opportunities.
- Enhance grant funding prospects: Gain comprehensive training, clinical experience, and credibility to bolster future grant funding applications.
- Exposure to advanced concepts in leadership and management: Leadership is a learned skill. Begin to harness your own, inherent leadership qualities to cultivate successful teams, communicate your research more effectively and build a sustainable research program.
Program Details
Applicants should apply to the Categorical Pediatrics or Child Neurology Training Programs of the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
Interviews are held virtually from October to December in conjunction with the Pediatric Residency Program. We anticipate a full day of combined pediatric residency program and PSTP interviews. Applicants will be contacted ahead of time to personalize their interview process. We hope to accommodate all applicants on one of the dates provided below.
- Wednesday, October 30, 2024
- Wednesday, November 13, 2024
- Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Acceptance into the program will be via the National Resident Matching Program and will be based on the candidate’s demonstrated commitment to and programmatic assessment for long-term success as a physician-scientist.
Northwestern University does not discriminate or permit discrimination by any member of its community against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age, disability, citizenship or veteran status in matters of admissions, employment, housing or services or in the educational programs or activities it operates.
Each participant in the PSTP will receive guidance from two members of the faculty. Upon joining the program, PSTP scholars are linked with a career mentor who serves as a sounding board for decisions involving program structure, choice of a research mentor, and long-term career issues. The research mentor is chosen after the scholar determines the ideal research environment for career development. This can occur at any time during the first several years in the program. Trainees may work with any research program at Feinberg School of Medicine.
During residency and fellowship training, scholars are supported with supplemental funds for books, journals, and travel to conferences. Additional support is available for some laboratory expenses.
In collaboration with the residency program director, scholars will design a residency and fellowship program track to fulfill their needs. The program may be one of the American Board of Pediatrics-approved alternative training pathways, which are supported in the Pediatrics PSTP. For example, scholars can accelerate their training by completing their residency in two years or spending concentrated elective time in their third residency year working in a lab.
Yearly benefits include:
- Year 1: Scholars are assigned a career mentor and will receive up to $4,000 for books and travel.
- Year 2: Scholars will receive up to $4,000 for books and travel.
- Year 3: As a resident, scholars will receive up to $4,000 for books and travel; if fast-tracking, they will receive clinical subspecialty training emphasis.
- Fellowship years (PGY-3 or -4, depending upon track): As a fellow, scholars will receive up to $4,000 for books and travel if training is primarily clinical, or up to $10,000 per year for additional expenses related to research if active in the laboratory.
- Potential research year: The department will consider the option for a fellow to spend a fourth year entirely in research.
The PSTP Career Enrichment Speaker Series provides physician-scientist scholars with valuable insights from leading experts in the field. Our distinguished speakers share their scientific research and how it integrates into and has shaped their career trajectories. You can attend these sessions either in person or virtually. For meeting details, please contact Alison Bender.
- PSTP Career Enrichment “K Awards" Session I: Presented by Patrick Seed, MD, PhD
Noon–1:00 p.m., September 16, 2024 - PSTP Career Enrichment Session with Guest Speaker Rebecca Ganetzky, MD
Noon–1:00 p.m., October 7, 2024 - PSTP Career Enrichment "K Awards" Session II: Presented by Patrick Seed, MD, PhD
Noon–1:00 p.m., October 21, 2024 - PSTP Career Enrichment Session with Guest Speaker Todd A. Florin, MD, MSCE
Noon–1:00 p.m., November 4, 2024 - PSTP Career Enrichment Job Search Panel Discussion with Lisa Akhtar, MD, PhD; Carolyn C. Foster, MD, MS; Kenneth Michelson, MD, MPH; Patrick Seed, MD, PhD
Noon–1:00 p.m., November 18, 2024 - PSTP Career Enrichment Elevator Pitches: Presented by Patrick Seed, MD, PhD
Noon–1:00 p.m., December 2, 2024- If you have an elevator pitch, please bring it to present to the group. Discussion on creating an elevator pitch will follow for those who don't yet have one.
- If you have an elevator pitch, please bring it to present to the group. Discussion on creating an elevator pitch will follow for those who don't yet have one.
- PSTP Career Enrichment Session with Guest Speaker Matthew Kelly, MD, MPH
Noon–1:00 p.m., December 16, 2024 - PSTP Career Enrichment Session: Peer2Peer Career Development to Become a Unique Independent Scientist, Presented by Patrick Seed, MD, PhD
Noon–1:00 p.m., January 6, 2025- For this PSTP Career Enrichment Session, please come with:
- Your Venn diagram
- Your CV/Biosketch (if you have one)
- A laptop/device for breakout groups.
- For this PSTP Career Enrichment Session, please come with:
- PSTP Career Enrichment Session: "Health@Home, A Scientific Career at the Intersection of Innovation and Healthcare Delivery" Presented by Carolyn C. Foster, MD, MS
Noon–1:00 p.m., January 27, 2025 - PSTP Career Enrichment Session "Promoting Lung Recovery as a Physician-Scientist" Presented by Benjamin D. Singer, MD
Noon–1:00 p.m., February 3, 2025 - PSTP Career Enrichment Session: "Rhabdomyosarcoma and Organization: Going Nuclear" Presented by Kyle L. MacQuarrie, MD, PhD
Noon–1:00 p.m., March 3, 2025 - PSTP Career Enrichment Session: “Micro- and Macro-Networks” Presented by Louis Dang, MD, PhD
Noon–1:00 p.m., March 17, 2025 - PSTP Career Enrichment: Dedicated time to review your Hogan assessment results
Noon–1:00 p.m., April 7, 2025 - PSTP Career Enrichment Session: Hogan Assessment Group Debrief
Noon–1:00 p.m., April 21, 2025 - PSTP Career Enrichment Session with Guest Speaker Alexander J. Kula, MD
Noon–1:00 p.m., May 5, 2025 - PSTP Career Enrichment Session: "Landing on Dystonia in Cerebral Palsy: The Joy of the Journey" Presented by Bhooma Aravamuthan, MD, Dphil
Noon–1:00 p.m., May 19, 2025
Program Faculty and Staff
Alison Bender, MA
Manager, Office of the President & Chief Research Officer, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute
Coordinator, Northwestern University Pediatrics Physician Scientist Training Program at Ann & Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Patrick C. Seed, MD, PhD, FAAP, FIDSA
President and Chief Research Officer, Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute; Children’s Research Fund Chair in Basic Science, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Director, Host-Microbial Interactions, Inflammation, and Immunity Program, Manne Research Institute; Professor of Pediatrics (Microbiology and Immunology), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Director, Northwestern University Pediatrics Physician Scientist Training Program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Divakar S. Mithal, MD, PhD
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Founders’ Board Chair in Neurocritical Care, Lurie Children’s; Assistant Professor (Neurology and Epilepsy), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Associate Director, Northwestern University Pediatrics Physician Scientist Training Program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Catherine D. Michelson, MD, MSSc
Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
Jennifer Trainor, MD
Associate Chair, Education
