Thank you for your interest in the Anesthesiology and Pain Management Residency Program at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

  • The program uses only Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) to process and review applications from the candidate pool.
The program seeks applicants who demonstrate proven scholarship, a high level of preparedness, ability and aptitude. Communication skills, integrity, compassion, courage and stability are as important as enthusiasm for patient care, teaching and research. 
The Anesthesiology and Pain Management Residency Program prefers the following credentials: 
  • A score above 90th percentile on the USMLE Step I and II 
  • Demonstrated excellence in the basic sciences and an ability and aptitude in clinical medicine
  • Demonstrated interest in patient care, teaching, community service and research
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.
Residency Interview Days are Saturday, November 11, 2023 and Saturday, December 9, 2023.

Welcome From the Program Director

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
paljindi@cookcountyhhs.org
(312) 864-1900 

Welcome From the Chief Residents

As chief residents, we welcome your interest in the Anesthesiology Residency Program at  John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital, a facility filled with honor and tradition.

Located in the heart of the Illinois Medical District, the hospital is surrounded by a rich academic milieu and regularly accepts transfers of highly complex cases from the region, contributing to your clinical maturation. Cook County Hospital was home to the first trauma and burn center in the U.S. We carry on a tradition of excellence in both variety and acuity of cases including complex airways, unusual and fascinating pathophysiology, and of course a plethora of trauma from across the Chicagoland area. As was always the case, we treat any and all patients that come through our doors, regardless of their ability to pay. Despite the fast-paced and high-pressure nature of our work, we maintain the highest standards of education, remain at the forefront of technological innovation and enjoy a very collegial environment in a resident-friendly atmosphere.

In addition to clinical training, the program has a solid academic foundation, which continues to evolve under the guidance of highly interested faculty with a focus on the most up-to-date and evidence-based practices. Our board pass rate is excellent, due in no small part to the attentiveness and solicitude of our attendings. We frequently host guest speakers from institutions across the country whose expertise enriches and informs our practice.

In summary, this program allows you the opportunity to care for an underprivileged and complex, but highly appreciative patient population. The location, patients and trauma center present a vast array of clinical experiences that help build a solid background in anesthesiology. With us, you will gain excellent and well-rounded experience, preparing you for any practice setting or subspecialty fellowship training you choose.

Please do not hesitate to contact either of us for more information.

Sabrina Sam – sabrina.sam@cookcountyhhs.org

Yasser Youssef – yasser.youssef@cookcountyhhs.org

Application

Applicants with one of the following qualifications are eligible for appointment to the department’s program: 
  1. Graduates of medical schools in the U.S. and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). 
  2. Graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine in the U.S. accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). 
  3. Graduates of medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada who meet one of the following qualifications who: 
    • Have a valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) 
    • Have a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the U.S. licensing jurisdiction 
    • Graduated from medical schools outside the U.S. who have completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school. 
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: 

  1. Completed Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) 
  2. And by invitation only, personal interview with the department 

We very much appreciate your interest in the Anesthesiology Residency Training Program at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital and wish you well. 

Didactic Curriculum

A variety of educational activities occur weekly: 
  • Morning conferences are scheduled every morning from 6:00 AM until 6:30 AM and include mock orals, keyword lectures, PBLDs and review of board questions.  
  • On Thursdays we present our ground rounds, M & M sessions, academic assignments for our senior residents or lectures by our attendings and visiting professors, from 6:30 AM until 8:00 AM.  
  • Multi-disciplinary pain conferences occur each Friday at 1:30 PM.  
  • In addition, we offer Anesthesiology chapter reviews that are year specific twice a week, typically at 1:00 PM.  

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). 

Clinical Schedule

Residents must complete the necessary requirements for graduation from the program.
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. 
Clinical Base Year 
Residency starts with the clinical base year (CBY), or PGY-1 year, which teaches residents the fundamentals of internal medicine and surgical principals applicable to anesthesiology practice. CBY is divided into thirteen (13) rotations. All of the rotations are at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital and take place during the first year of the Continuum of Education in Anesthesiology. The rotations are arranged through the Program Director of Anesthesia in conjunction with the program directors of the participating departments. The anesthesiology program director oversees the entire year. Rotations include Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Cardiology, Emergency Medicine, General, Thoracic, and Vascular surgery rotations, Medical and Intensive Care, and Anesthesiology. Residents also rotate on medical consult service. The resident functions as an intern on these rotations and is expected to perform at the level of the sponsoring specialty intern. 
Clinical Anesthesia Year (CA-1 CA-2, CA-3) 
The Clinical Anesthesia Years are divided sequentially into Basic Anesthesia Training as described in the introductory section, Subspecialty Anesthesia Training, and Advanced Anesthesia Training. This represents a graded curriculum which increases in difficulty and progressively challenges the resident’s intellect and technical skills.  
The PGY-2 year, or Clinical Anesthesia 1 year, residents rotate on introductory general anesthesia, orthopedics and gynecology anesthesia rotation. In addition, they are introduced to preoperative anesthesia, recovery post anesthesia care unit and acute pain services. Basic training occupies most of the CA-1 year, but obviously, from a logical point of view, it overflows into the beginning of the CA-2 year. Similarly, the Subspecialty Training occupies most of the CA-2 year. Experience in the Advanced Anesthesia Training constitutes the CA-3 year. In keeping with the Continuum of Education outlined by the American Board of Anesthesiology, following satisfactory completion of the Clinical Base and the CA-1 and CA-2 years, the resident will in collaboration with the Program Director, proceed to Advanced Anesthesia Training, which constitutes the CA-3 year. 
The PGY-4 year, or Clinical Anesthesia 4 year, is devoted to acquiring advanced skills in subspecialty anesthesia. The year is designed in consultation with the resident regarding their future interest as well as need to fulfill ABA requirements. The senior resident also completes an advanced complex cardiac rotation, OR management rotation, and out of OR anesthesia. Senior residents are instructed on how to supervise and teach more junior residents and students. 
All residents participate in a curriculum specifically designed for them by level. As they progress, they continue to be immersed in a variety of rotations so that they can have all of the training necessary to become a well-rounded anesthesiologist upon completion of the 4 year Anesthesia residency program. Their needs and interest are all taken into account. Towards their PGY-4 year their individual interests become the concentration of their training, not only are they getting the education they need but are also able to explore specialties of their interest. 
Research and Offsite Rotations 
All residents are required to complete scholarly projects. All residents are required to present at least once at the Midwest Anesthesiology Resident Conference, which typically occurs during internship or PGY-2 year, although most residents often present every year. In addition, PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents often present at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and other national subspecialty conferences. The PGY-4 resident is required to present a major grand round lecture to the entire department of anesthesia. 
All PGY-3 residents will be required to complete advanced pediatrics anesthesia rotation at either Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Northwestern University or Advocate Christ Medical Center. The PGY-4 residents will have the opportunity to complete an elective advanced complex cardiothoracic anesthesiology rotation at Advocate Christ Medical Center. 

Resources & Links

Program Contact

Kaitlynn Delvalle
Program Coordinator
(312) 864-1900
Email

Piotr C. Al-Jindi, MD, Anesthesiology Program Director
312-864-1900
Email

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