Residents and doctors in a pediatric exam

Pediatric Residency Program–Spokane

WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s community-based pediatric residency program prepares highly skilled and well-rounded pediatricians to care for children in the Inland Northwest. With training facilities in the Spokane area, our residency program offers an unparalleled diversity of patient populations and clinical care.

Residents train in a pediatric medical home model with longitudinal experiences in Spokane. This immersive model provides residents with the community knowledge needed to better sustain and improve the health care of children and underserved populations.

Mission

To develop highly competent Pediatricians with a focus on community. The smaller size of the pediatric residency fosters a personal experience and emphasizes education.

Vision

Healthy children build healthy communities and a healthier future.

We Train Pediatricians To:

  • Provide compassionate care to children in their communities
  • Advocate for children and support for underserved populations
  • Approach health care with a focus on family, safety, accessibility, and quality of care

So, you have made the decision to enter a career in pediatrics and now are challenged with the decision of where to do your residency. There are obvious differences in programs like location and size and there are subtle differences such as variations in curriculum. Residents in the WSU Pediatrics Residency will work with patients presenting with a wide range of pathology. The program has made a dedication to education and although we expect the residents to work hard, the program is not service driven. We acknowledge that residents will have different career paths and it is our belief that regardless of career choices, residents will succeed best when they are trained first to be a well-rounded pediatrician. To achieve this, residents will use an individualized learning plan and foundational requirements to tailor their experience. Our program is unique in that although we have a traditional block schedule, we have incorporated shorter recurring longitudinal rotations to allow residents to focus on their inpatient experiences without the stress of continuity clinic. These recurring rotations also provide experiences and resources that are better appreciated when slowly incorporated into the resident education. We also support active learning leading to better retention and therefore residents will work with faculty on their own education as well as that of colleagues and students.

So why would you want to do your residency in Spokane?
For a relatively small city, Spokane provides amazing health care particularly in pediatrics. Our children’s hospital is truly a Tertiary care center, Level 2 trauma center, and Level 4 NICU. All the residency programs in Spokane are relatively small and there are no medical fellowships. This makes Spokane an ideal place to train as there is ample exposure to patients and residents have direct connection with attendings throughout their training. Of note, although this is a new program The physicians in Spokane are excellent teachers. Graduate medical education is not new to Spokane and the pediatric faculty have been teaching medical students and residents for decades. They are now very enthusiastic about having residents in their own discipline.

Christian Rocholl, MD

Program Director
pedsspokane.medicine@wsu.edu
PROFILE

Christian Rocholl

Program Highlights

  • High faculty-to-resident ratio with an emphasis on Individualized training opportunities
  • Primary training at a children’s hospital supporting children and families in the Inland Northwest
  • Experienced faculty in over 28 pediatric subspecialties

Program Size

6 Residents Per Year
18 Total Residents
Nurse in Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital Fish Bridge

Training Facilities

In partnership with Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and the Spokane medical community, we offer individualized, community-based training to prepare residents for careers in pediatrics, specialized fellowship training, and eligibility for the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). Throughout the program, residents will have the opportunity to train at multiple medical facilities throughout the Spokane region.

ACGME Accreditation

The Pediatrics Residency Program – Spokane is fully accredited by the ACGME in good standing with an accreditation and recognition status of Initial Accreditation.