About Our Program

Located on Detroit’s east side, Henry Ford St. John Children’s Hospital is an officially designated children’s hospital within Henry Ford St. John Hospital. Our location gives residents the opportunity to train in a community-based hospital while caring for a remarkably broad and diverse pediatric population. Henry Ford St. John Hospital is a 714-bed hospital and regional referral center, with a Level I Adult Trauma Center and a wide range of adult and pediatric services on the same campus.

Our residents care for children with a wide range of common pediatric conditions as well as complex and critically ill patients. The hospital's pediatric services include a 40-bed inpatient unit, a dedicated pediatric emergency department, PICU, and 35-bed Level III NICU that serves as a major referral center for critically ill newborns in southeast Michigan. We are proud to serve as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center and are home to a newly renovated pediatric emergency department which sees approximately 22,000 children each year.

Training at Henry Ford St. John Children's Hospital means caring for the children and families of Detroit and the greater metropolitan community. Our patient population brings tremendous diversity in diagnoses, backgrounds, and levels of medical complexity. Residents develop the ability to manage both common pediatric problems and patients requiring more advanced evaluation and care. That breadth is one of the defining features of our training experience.

Our curriculum is built around a strong balance of clinical responsibility, structured education, and progressive autonomy. Residents receive substantial experience in inpatient pediatrics, ambulatory pediatrics, newborn medicine, pediatric emergency medicine, NICU, PICU, adolescent medicine, developmental and behavioral pediatrics, and pediatric subspecialties. Elective time allows residents to individualize their training based on their interests and career goals.

Home to a state-of-the-art simulation center, we offer a robust pediatric and NICU simulation curriculum designed to help residents develop clinical skills, confidence, and effective team communication in a safe, supportive learning environment. Through realistic, case-based scenarios, residents have the opportunity to practice the management of high-acuity and time-sensitive situations—including pediatric emergencies, neonatal resuscitation, and critical clinical deterioration.

We are equally committed to the educational experience outside of direct patient care. Our goal is not simply to teach residents how to manage today's patients, but to develop thoughtful, capable pediatricians with the clinical judgment, communication skills, and knowledge base to continue learning throughout their careers.

Detroit itself is an important part of the experience. Residents train in a city with a rich history, a diverse population, and an evolving cultural and medical community. From Belle Isle and the Detroit Riverfront to professional sports, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and a vibrant restaurant and entertainment scene, the city offers plenty to explore outside the hospital.

Most importantly, we are a program that invests in our residents. We strive to create a culture that is supportive and collegial while maintaining high expectations for clinical growth and professionalism. Our residents work closely with faculty throughout training, assume increasing responsibility as they progress, and are encouraged to develop their individual interests and career goals. Whether a resident ultimately pursues general pediatrics, hospital medicine, or fellowship training, we aim to provide the strong pediatric foundation upon which that career can be built.