The Anesthesiology and Pain Management Residency Program prefers the following credentials:
Both MDs and DOs are accepted into our program. If you are a DO that meets all other requirements, we encourage you to apply through the ERAS. Please review requirements below in our Application section. The program uses only Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) to process and review applications from the candidate pool.
Residency Interview Days are Saturday, November 11, 2023 and Saturday, December 9, 2023.
It is my pleasure to introduce you to the Anesthesiology and Pain Management Residency Program at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, one of the oldest and continually accredited programs in the nation.
We offer a strictly four years categorical Anesthesiology program, that has recently received a ten-year approval cycle from the ACGME/Anesthesiology Residency Review Committee with zero citations! This is indeed a rare feat in graduate medical education anywhere in the U.S., something we are very proud of. The success of our program depends on recruiting residents and faculty of the highest caliber, who are committed to excellence in patient care and education, as well as a commitment to carry out the mission of Cook County Hospital, one of the oldest and best institutions that cares for all citizens regardless of their ability to pay.
Our residency program offers training to 36 outstanding residents: nine per academic year. We offer the clinical base year here on site, with rotations on Surgical and General Medicine services. Also, the year offers rotations in Emergency Medicine, Cardiology, Medical Critical Care, Surgical Critical Care, Medical Consult and Anesthesiology. The clinical Anesthesiology rotations take place primarily at John H. Stroger, Jr Hospital of Cook County, with two additional Pediatric Anesthesiology rotations and an advanced cardiology rotation at Advocate Christ Medical Center in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois, and a new rotation at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in downtown Chicago.
Our program offers exceptional training in all subspecialties of Anesthesiology, with outstanding training in regional anesthesia, trauma anesthesia, high risk OB, vascular, cardiac, pain, airway and neuroanesthesia. Our graduates have an outstanding record in achieving board certification as well as placement in highly desired fellowships, including pain, regional, pediatric and critical care programs. Many of our graduates accept academic positions throughout the nation.
We are very proud of our program and proud to care for the sickest and neediest of our citizens. I invite you to find out more about us and our program by contacting or visiting us in Chicago.
Piotr C. Al-Jindi, MD
Anesthesiology Residency Program Director
[email protected]
(312) 864-1900
Dear Applicants,
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the Anesthesiology Residency Program at the historic John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.
As Chief Residents, we are honored to represent a program deeply rooted in service, education, and clinical excellence. Cook County has a longstanding tradition of training compassionate, skilled, and adaptable anesthesiologists who are prepared to lead in any clinical setting. Our residents care for a diverse and complex patient population, gaining unmatched hands-on experience in a wide breadth of cases — from high-acuity trauma and obstetrics to advanced cardiac and regional anesthesia.
Beyond the operating room, what sets our program apart is its people. We are a tight-knit group of residents, attendings, nurses, and staff who support and uplift one another. The camaraderie here is real — built through shared challenges, hard-earned victories, and a shared commitment to caring for some of Chicago’s most vulnerable patients.
We’re proud of what we do, and we’re excited to share it with you. As you explore programs, we hope you’ll consider joining the Cook County Health family and becoming part of something truly meaningful.
Warmly,
Dr. Emil Baftirovski & Dr. Qabbani Hope
Chief Residents, 2025–2026
Anesthesiology Residency Program
John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County
Applicants with one of the following qualifications are eligible for appointment to the department’s program:
Applications are accepted from September 1st until the close of business November 30th.
The interview dates are filled on a first-response-first-confirmed basis. Electronic invitations are transmitted beginning in September for candidate interviews in November and December.
Our residents are selected through the National Residency Match Program (NRMP). Criteria for including applicants on the Rank Order List for the Match are:
We very much appreciate your interest in the Anesthesiology Residency Training Program at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital and wish you well.
These are in part based on the Residency Review Committee for Anesthesia requirements for all Anesthesia residencies, as well as American Board of Anesthesia (ABA) requirements for eligibility for the certification exam. Each rotation a resident will be assigned to a specific service. Residents assigned to a service have responsibilities and expectations as outlined in the Curriculum Manual. All residents completing the four-year program will be Board eligible.
A variety of educational activities occur weekly:
All didactic/academic time is protected time for our residents. Our residents are required to take and pass monthly topic-specific exams that are very similar to the actual board exam, in addition to the Anesthesia Knowledge Test (AKT) and Anesthesiology In-training Exam (ITE).
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