Specialties & ConditionsGeneral Pediatric Surgery Medical Education
Medical Education in Pediatric Surgery
Fellowships
The Division of General Pediatric Surgery offers a surgery fellowship in partnership with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Review the Feinberg School’s information to learn how to apply.
Training the Pediatric Surgeons of Tomorrow
Lurie Children’s offers the country’s second oldest pediatric surgery training program. In addition to training pediatric surgery’s future leaders in our fellowship program, we provide pediatric training for general surgery residents from a number of programs throughout the city.
Pediatric surgeons from around the world have benefitted from our surgical simulation training, which uses 3-D printed models and simulated procedures to teach advanced surgical techniques.
A Legacy of Discovery
Perhaps the clearest illustration of how basic discoveries in the lab can lead to life-altering treatments comes from our very own Orvar Swenson, MD. In the 1940s, Dr. Swenson discovered the cause behind an often-fatal condition called Hirschsprung’s disease, marked by a malfunctioning colon. Swenson found that the condition stemmed from lack of nerve cells that would normally “tell” the colon to contract. Using this newfound knowledge, in 1948 Dr. Swenson performed a surgical procedure known as a “pull through,” which removed “diseased” portions of the colon and restored its function. That discovery has saved countless children’s lives all over the world. Dr. Swenson served as our chief of surgery from 1960 through 1973.
LEARN MORE About the Orvar Swenson Lectureship
Luck–Raffensperger Lectureship
Established in 2011, this lectureship hosts distinguished surgeons from around the world to share their expertise and advance the field of pediatric surgery. We honor Susan R. Luck, MD, and John G. Raffensperger, MD, pioneering leaders whose careers were defined by clinical excellence, innovation and an unwavering commitment to education and mentorship. Through their shared vision and generous philanthropy, Drs. Luck and Raffensperger endowed this lectureship, ensuring their legacy continues to shape pediatric surgical care for generations to come.
Dr. Luck was a trailblazer, starting with graduation from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1967 as one of only four women in her class. She became the first female surgery fellow at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Lurie Children’s) and later the first woman in the cardiac surgery fellowship program at Loyola University Medical Center. Dr. Luck was also the first female Professor of Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and only the second woman inducted into the Chicago Surgical Society. When Dr. Luck joined Dr. Raffensperger at Children’s Memorial, they were the only full-time pediatric surgeons serving the Chicagoland area.
Dr. Raffensperger served as Director of Pediatric Surgery at Children’s Memorial beginning in 1970, eventually becoming Chief of Pediatric Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief until 1993. He trained 26 surgeons as Program Director of the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program and Professor of Surgery in partnership with Northwestern, where he later served as Professor Emeritus of Surgery. He and Dr. Luck were prolific contributors to the field, publishing hundreds of papers and advancing surgical knowledge through textbook authorship. When Dr. Raffensperger wasn’t at the hospital, his passion was sailing.
Former Raffensperger Guest Lecturers
- 2026: Marybeth Browne, MD, MS
- 2025: Lorraine Kelley-Quon, MD, MS
- 2024: Elizabeth A. Beierle, MD
- 2023: Gail Besner, MD
- 2022: Roshni Dasgupta, MD
- 2021: Barbara Gaines, MD
- 2020: Cynthia Downard, MD
- 2019: Tracy Grikscheit, MD
- 2018: Erika Newman, MD
- 2017: Marjorie Arca, MD
- 2016: Holly Hedrick, MD
- 2015: Jessica Kandel, MD
- 2014: Mary Fallat, MD
- 2013: Mary Brandt, MD
- 2012: Diana Farmer, MD
- 2011: Lawrence Moss, MD