Pediatric Dentistry Residency

Lurie Children's, formerly Children's Memorial Hospital, is the pediatric hospital member of the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. All residency appointments to graduate medical programs are made through the Office of Graduate Medical Education at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University. The resident in pediatric dentistry receives clinical and didactic training at Lurie Children's Hospital, a unique facility that offers a variety of clinical experiences for the student, including behavior management, hospital dentistry, general anesthesia, pediatric medicine, growth and development, orthodontic diagnosis and craniofacial anomalies.

Our postdoctoral program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, and is currently approved without reporting requirements. Our next site visit 2026.  

The Commission on Dental Accreditation will review complaints that relate to a program's compliance with the accreditation standards. The Commission is interested in the sustained quality and continued improvement of dental and dental-related education programs but does not intervene on behalf of individuals or act as a court of appeal for treatment received by patients or individuals in matters of admission, appointment, promotion or dismissal of faculty, staff or students.

​A copy of the appropriate accreditation standards and/or the Commission's policy and procedure for submission of complaints may be obtained by contacting the Commission at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678 or by calling 1.800.621.8099, extension 4653.

Our program currently accepts 2 residents per year.

1st year resident = PGY1…$63,406
2nd year resident = PGY2…$65,908

If residents do not have a full general license in Illinois, they are required to apply for temporary license. They are covered under the liability insurance umbrella of Lurie Children's Hospital.

The residency program includes two academic years of full-time formal training in pediatric dentistry. The residency program operates from July 1 through June 30 each year and there are no fixed quarters or semesters.

A certificate of specialty training in Pediatric Dentistry from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine is awarded upon successful completion of the program. A Lurie Children's Hospital Chief Resident certificate will also be awarded if the resident serves as chief resident.

Applications for residency positions are administered through ADEA PASS/MATCH. 
Annual application and transcript deadline for the class applying for admittance is October 1.

The curriculum combines basic science courses, interdisciplinary courses and seminars to provide special knowledge and skills beyond the DDS or DMD training.

• Clinical pediatric dental care including the diagnosis and treatment of the primary, mixed, and young permanent dentition.
• Treatment includes preventive care, pulp therapy, management of trauma, restorative dentistry, oral pathology, space supervision, and guidance of eruption and interceptive orthodontics.
• Behavior management incorporating non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic techniques for control of apprehension including use of nitrous oxide and mild to moderate sedation.
• Comprehensive dental care using general anesthesia.
• Comprehensive dental care for special needs patients.
• A one month rotation with the Anesthesia Department in first year.
• A two-week rotation in Emergency Medicine in second year.
• Weekly Hematology rotations throughout first year.
• Monthly rotation with the Lurie Children's Hospital Craniofacial Team in second year.
• Inpatient consultation and dental care to medically compromised children.

• Formal course in Head and Neck Anatomy for Surgeons through the Feinberg School of Medicine​.
• Regularly scheduled seminars on topics in Pediatric Dentistry.
• Instruction on growth and development through integrated diagnostic treatment planning, and orthodontic applications.
• Weekly Department of Surgery Grand Rounds.
• Exposure to practice management through comprehensive clinical management, scheduled seminars, and visits to private offices.
• Conferences and meetings​.

Completion of a research paper involving data collection and analysis using the elements of scientific method is required. The resident must:

• Initiate and complete a research paper.
• Use data collection and analysis.
• Use elements of scientific method.
• Report results in a scientific forum.
• Research time is provided based on the approval of a project by a faculty mentor and a request in writing to the program director.
• It is essential that a research project be identified as early as possible in the residency to maximize the available time to work on a project. Therefore scheduled quarterly conferences are held to discuss the progress of each research project.

Second year residents must prepare a digital poster to present at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentist's Annual Conference. All digital posters must be approved by the Program Director prior to submission. 

Prospective candidates must apply through ADEA PASS/MATCH. The ADAT is currently optional. Supplemental requirements are CV, 2x2 photo, and $50 check made out to Dr. Ray Jurado, 225 East Chicago Avenue, Box 75, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2605. CV and photo can be emailed to Kara Holden at kaholden@luriechildrens.org.

Ashlee Vorachek
Attending Physician, Dentistry
Program Director, Postdoctoral Program in Pediatric Dentistry
avorachek@luriechildrens.org

Kara Holden
Senior Administrative Assistant, Dentistry
kaholden@luriechildrens.org