Pediatrics Residency Program

Mission Statement

The Memorial Health University Medical Center Pediatrics Residency Program’s mission is to develop the next generation of physicians and physician leaders. As a part of HCA Healthcare, we are driven by a single mission: Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.

This program is designed to offer residents a rewarding, educational environment where residents are provided individualized learning opportunities by faculty and staff who support and sustain one another throughout quality care delivery. Our faculty are committed to ensuring the residents' clinical experience and educational needs are fulfilled while expanding residents’ perspectives to be inclusive of cultures, values, and ideals.

Program Overview

The Pediatric Residency Program at the Memorial Health Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children's Hospital of Savannah provides a strong foundation in general pediatrics and community medicine.

Program highlights include:

• The only children’s hospital in southeast Georgia; it includes a Level 1 trauma center, pediatric intensive care unit, pediatric emergency department, and Level III neonatal intensive care nursery
• 73,000 outpatient visits per year, including outpatient/emergency department/subspecialist visits; 4,700 children's hospital admissions; and 2,900 deliveries
• Exposure to a vast array of diagnoses ranging from common conditions to the more rare and complex
• A large catchment area that provides exposure to both urban and rural patient populations
• A collegial and welcoming group of residents who support one another during residency
• Off-campus rotations within the Savannah community at both subspecialists' and general pediatricians' offices
• Strong training in patient safety and quality improvement through our systemwide graduate medical education initiatives
• Dedicated clinical faculty committed not only to medical education, but also to the community and children with special health needs
• A training area that effortlessly supports work-life balance with ready access to the beach, water sports, vibrant nightlife, and an ever-growing arts and culinary community

Call Schedule

On-Call and Night Shifts

Our pediatric residency program complies with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements for resident work hours. All call is in-house with varying responsibility, depending on the rotation and year of training.

On any night there is at least one intern and one senior resident (PGY2 or PGY3) in-house. Attending support is available from critical care, pediatric faculty, and subspecialty attendings.

During the first year, interns have seven weeks of night shift. The night shift intern admits patients to the pediatric ward for the general pediatric service and for subspecialists. The intern also responds to acute issues for pediatric ward patients. The intern has direct supervision from a third-year supervising night shift resident.

Upper level (PGY2 and PGY3) call is primarily night shift. Residents rotate on night shift in the pediatric intensive care unit for six weeks during PGY2 and rotate as the inpatient night shift supervisor for six weeks during PGY3.

The PGY2 night shift resident admits all patients to the pediatric intensive care unit and responds to acute issues in the unit.

The PGY3 night shift supervisor evaluates all patients admitted by the night shift intern and provides support and supervision. Night shift hours are 5:00pm – 6:30pm, Sunday through Thursday.

Upper-level residents take weekend call either

• Friday, 5:00pm – 6:30am and Sunday, 7:00am – 5:00pm
• Saturday, 6:30am, to Sunday, 7:00am

Upper levels have an average of 13 calls per year.

Salary

$950 for on‐call meals will be allotted to each resident.

New residents and fellows receive up to $500 for orientation (if it takes place before the official employment date).