Contact Information
Interested? So are we, in you...
Please contact us in one of the following ways:
Kimberly Longstreet
Pediatric Residency Coordinator
Phone: 1-800-800-4044
or 1-616-391-3670
Email:
kimberly.longstreet@devoschildrens.org 
Alicia Halstead
Assistant Residency Coordinator
Phone: 1-616-391-9377
Email:
alicia.halstead@devoschildrens.org
We look forward to hearing from you!
GRMERC Eligibility & Selection Policy
Resident Comments
"A wonderful combination of 'community' and 'university'-we see a tremendous amount of pathology, but also great 'bread and butter' pediatrics. I think this program provides excellent preparation for general peds and for fellowships."
"High quality education-grads did well on Boards and were able to get highly-competitive fellowships."
"Community setting-this is the way I saw myself practicing (i.e. not involved with a big university hospital). I wanted to train in the type of environment I would practice in."
"Reasonable expectations and understanding that family is important. I had no difficulties starting my family; in fact, everyone was very supportive."
"Just large enough to have a variety of subspecialties and just small enough that you never get overlooked or lost in a sea of residents. Where else can you call your attendings by their first names?!"
"Attendings who are approachable and eager to teach-even in the wee hours of the morning."
"Very thorough education combined with a non-threatening, friendly environment."
"Kind residents who are truly happy-residents staff admissions with interns and help teach and quickly assist with any on-call questions."
"An excellent book budget-better than other programs where I had interviewed (to be used for anything to enhance education-palm pilots, books, equipment, software)."
"Call schedule is manageable. We try to have 2 weekends off/month."
"A great town-not a big city but not a small town. Excellent opportunities for work for spouses and a great place to raise kids."
"Awesome relationships with attendings-very personal, friendly, rewarding."
"Very thorough education combined with a non-threatening, friendly environment."
"DVCH is a full-service peds hospital with every opportunity for specialist training."
"I came to DVCH from California simply for the education. During my interview process, I was so impressed with the hospital, clinics, and attention from attendings. It was obvious the program was organized and geared toward education."
"Our hospital serves a large community and has affiliation with MSU. It offers all the subspecialties which allows our residents to practice and participate in a wide variety of medicine while still receiving close support and teaching from attendings."
"Program offers classes on loan repayment, contracts, and the business side of medicine, too!"
Opportunities
Medical students are an important facet of education at the GRMERC-MSU Pediatric Residency Program at DeVos Children's Hospital. As one of the six Michigan State University-College of Human Medicine Community Campuses, Grand Rapids is the largest of these campuses, helping to educate up to 60 medical students each year. From a pediatric standpoint, the Grand Rapids campus is the only one to have its pediatric clerkship based out of a children's hospital.
While here, students can expect to have a broad learning experience both in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Third year students rotate through an eight week clerkship experience which is coordinated by Karen Vanderlaan, a community and hospital-based general pediatrician. This rotation includes:
- 4 weeks of inpatient pediatrics at DeVos Children's Hospital as an integral part of the pediatric team-attending educational rounds, admitting patients, and helping to coordinate care
- 2 weeks of outpatient pediatrics at the DeVos Children's Hospital Pediatric Clinic which includes newborn exams and examination of well and sick children in the outpatient setting.
- 1 week of specialty pediatrics (typically in pediatric hematology/oncology or endocrinology)
- 1 week of outpatient pediatrics spent at the office of a community pediatrician.
Students are evaluated based on oral and written examinations as well as clinical skills by an evaluation process used system-wide by MSU-CHM.
Fourth year students, from MSU or from other medical schools across the country, also have ample opportunity to further their education and skills in pediatrics. Opportunities are available for sub-internships on the pediatric ward, PICU, and NICU as well as for elective experiences in a wide-array of pediatric subspecialties, including pediatric endocrinology, pediatric neurology, Child Protection Team, and pediatric pulmonology. In addition, we are happy to work with any medical student to develop an individualized curriculum that best suits his/her personal interests in pediatrics.
Our pediatric residency also aims to support interest in pediatrics from a broader perspective. We provide discussions over dinner through the Pediatric Interest Group about pediatric practice and lifestyle. Our members also serve on the MERC Housestaff Council, which, is currently working with medical students to help enhance medical student-resident relations and teaching opportunities.
If you have an interest in visiting or learning more about clerkship and elective opportunities at DeVos Children's Hospital, please contact Andrea Berry, Visiting Student Programs for the Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center for Health Professions:
Andrea Berry
Phone: 616-732-6205
E-mail: andrea_berry@grmerc.net
Grand Rapids is a great place to live and learn! Our emphasis is on working together and learning from each other and even our patients, the kids. Come see what medical education was meant to be!!