Lawndale Christian Health Center Program

Lawndale Christian Health Center offers a unique Family Medicine Residency (FMR) program founded on a faith-based mission dedicated to serving underserved communities in Chicago. The program aims to improve the health of marginalized populations and equip residents with the necessary skills to address health disparities.

Program Overview

The Lawndale FMR stands out for being independently sponsored by the Lawndale Christian Health Center. This structure prioritizes community-based care, focusing on high-need communities and vulnerable populations. Sponsored under the Teaching Health Center model, it emphasizes training residents in environments that mirror the communities they will serve post-training.

Curriculum Structure

The curriculum at Lawndale FMR is designed with flexibility and personalization at its core. Residents collaborate with the program director and faculty to create tailored training experiences that align with their personal values and professional aspirations.

Curriculum Pillars

• Personalized Curriculum: Residents craft their Individual Learning Plans (ILP), allowing them to focus on six or more self-designed electives, scholarly projects, and specialized areas of concentration such as Obstetrics, Global Health, or Addiction Medicine.
• Clinic First: The program emphasizes a “Clinic First” approach, prioritizing continuity clinic experiences for residents. The residents benefit from a 2:1 resident-preceptor ratio, enhancing their learning and clinical skills.
• Inpatient Teams: All inpatient training occurs at Mount Sinai Hospital and Saint Anthony Hospital, where residents provide care under the supervision of LCHC faculty.
• Innovative Didactics: Weekly didactic sessions promote engaging and dynamic formats, moving away from traditional lectures. These sessions focus on clinical cases and interactive workshops.
• Faith in Medicine: Faith is woven into the fabric of the program, encouraging residents to reflect on their spiritual journeys and integrate their faith into clinical practice. Support in this area includes structured readings and reflections.
• Community Health and Equity: Centuries of experience with health equity is emphasized across all rotations and activities in the program. Residents develop expertise in serving diverse populations.

Clinical Rotations

The residency includes a variety of clinical rotations, each lasting four weeks. The rotations encompass:

• Continuity Clinic
• Emergency Medicine
• Pediatric Inpatient and Outpatient Care
• Musculoskeletal Care
• Surgery
• Obstetrics
• Geriatrics
• Mobile Health and Addiction Medicine
• Behavioral Health
• Women's Health

Salary and Benefits

Residents at Lawndale FMR receive competitive annual salaries that progress each year of training:

• PGY-1: $64,297
• PGY-2: $66,818
• PGY-3: $69,438

Benefits are extensive, including:

• 20 days of Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Health, dental, and vision insurance options
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• $5,000 annual scholarship for educational development
• Stipend for moving and continuing medical education (CME)
• Reimbursement for licensing and examination fees

Resident Wellness

The program prioritizes wellness through various initiatives:

• Access to a fitness center and wellness programs.
• Confidential mental health services through internal and external providers.
• Wellness support activities such as “Wellness Wednesdays.”
• Opportunities for spiritual growth and community building.

Training Sites

Residents train at several key sites:

• Lawndale Christian Health Center: The main site for continuity clinic and residency operations.
• Mount Sinai Hospital: A Level 1 trauma center and primary site for inpatient rotations.
• Saint Anthony Hospital: Another critical hospitalization and training partner, focusing on a continuity of care model.

Visa Sponsorship

Currently, the program does not sponsor H1B or J-1 visas. However, it is open to international medical graduates (IMGs), especially those who demonstrate a commitment to serving underserved communities.

Application Requirements

Prospective applicants must typically have graduated within the last 2-3 years. The program does not enforce strict USMLE or COMLEX score requirements for admission and encourages applicants who may fall slightly outside the graduation timeline to reach out for consideration. Additionally, program signaling is utilized to gauge interest from candidates for interviews, reinforcing a holistic review of applications.