Exterior of the Helen DeVos Children's HospitalSpectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine logo

Welcome and thank you for your interest in the Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital/Michigan State University Pediatrics Residency! Located in one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest, we are nationally ranked in multiple pediatric sub-specialties by U.S. News and World Report and offer a complete educational and clinical experience in our state-of-the-art, free-standing, children’s hospital.

We hope the following information is useful to you. Thank you again for considering us for your residency training and please feel free to contact us with questions.

From the Program Directors

“What do you want to be known for when you leave residency?” When we ask our graduates this question, the resounding answer includes: "Excellent inpatient care, compassionate and teamwork." As program directors for the Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital/Michigan State University Pediatrics Residency, we share these values with our graduates, and it is our goal to create a learning environment that cultivates your career goals.

When you join this program, you join a team that works to foster a community that is inclusive and innovative in order to impact the health of all the children we care for both now and in the future.

Inclusive

We serve our diverse local community effectively with the support of the institution's diversity, equity & inclusion team and our pediatric diversity and inclusion committee. Our goal is to create a supportive learning environment that's open and affirming to all team members, ensuring the best care to our pediatric patients. Through educational events, advocacy projects and intentional recruiting, inclusivity is a top priority.

Inclusivity also means listening to the needs of each resident so we can support you and your unique professional goals. Attendings and residents work side-by-side and intentionally call each other by first name. By doing so, we strive to know you as individuals and work to minimize traditional hierarchy. We work to truly have an open-door policy that responds to issues impacting your learning environment. We do not shy away from discussing difficult topics such as burnout, compassion fatigue, professional development, coaching, growth mindset and resilience.

Scholarly and advocacy activity is individualized and supported by mentors from a community of 300 pediatric physicians representing over 50 subspecialties. You will have the opportunity to join one of five curriculum tracks that support educational goals. In the third year, every resident has a half-day a week to explore your career interests.

Innovative

Along with robust fulfillment of board requirements and board preparation, we provide a curriculum for pediatricians to serve as leaders within their communities well into the future. We begin intern education with immersion and advocacy – a month long rotation that places general pediatrics at the start of your education. This is followed by higher acuity complex care rotations in your second year along with unique leadership electives in your third year that will prepare you for the next phase of practice.

Along the way, you will have the opportunity to earn a certificate in lifestyle medicine or global health. You may even elect to become a health equity scholar or a culinary medicine scholar. If none of these align with your passions, you will also have an opportunity to participate in unique elective experiences such as resident-as-teacher, complex care, rehabilitation medicine, research, community hospitalist and business of medicine. Each elective allows you to explore the aspects of pediatric medicine that may not necessarily be tested by the boards but also critical to your success.

Impact

None of this would matter if we did not accomplish our ultimate goal: impacting the health of all the children we serve. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital strives to advocate for every child and has been recognized as a tertiary and quaternary referral destination serving all of West Michigan, including the upper peninsula. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has earned U.S. News & World Report rankings for providing excellent pediatric care for many years running. With the region’s largest neonatal ICU, a neurologic and cardiac ICU, an award-winning cardiology program, personalized genomics, wireless EEG monitoring systems, an efficient emergency department and growing pediatric fellowship programs, the hospital provides cutting edge care to children from around the state, region, nation and world. We are supported by research facilities including Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and the Van Andel Institute. As leaders in the community, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has innovative partnerships with our local rehabilitative hospital and psychiatric hospital to provide comprehensive inclusive care for the children in our community.

In addition to excellent medical care, we work to impact our community in additional ways through legislative advocacy, topical advocacy day, volunteer projects and community outreach.

Inclusive. Innovative. Impactful. This is our mission. This work is possible due to the amazing teamwork and compassion within our program. When we ask residents why they came here to train, they list everything above along with the beautiful facilities and vibrant and accessible community of Grand Rapids. Most importantly, they all unanimously say, ”It is the people!”

In line with our Association of Pediatric Programs across the country, we will continue to host virtual interviews in this upcoming season to promote inclusivity and accessibility. We look forward to meeting you in the upcoming recruitment season. See you soon!

Sincerely,
Harlori, Vanessa, Justin, Miranda, Kira, ShaMelle, Jason, and Jill

Group photo of the Pediatric Chief Residents
Group shot of the Pediatric Residency Program Directors and Assistant Program Directors.

Welcome From the Chiefs

Welcome to the Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital/Michigan State University Pediatrics Residency Program! We are excited for your consideration and cannot wait to share HERE why we are an excellent choice for your residency training and a perfect fit for you.

From left to right: Heather Gladfelter, MD; Sophia Khalil, MD; Maeve Bartiss, MD

Education

Program aims

  1. Impact the health of children in the community through innovative opportunities including advocacy, future-minded primary care education and exposure to a wide variety of pediatric subspecialties
  2. To recruit and train an inclusive workforce that represents the community in which we work
  3. Create a supportive learning environment that promotes individual career needs and individualized scholarly pursuits
  4. Foster a culture of wellness, lifelong learning and safety in order to impact the health of patients, families and the community

Our hospital

Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital (part of Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals) is a state-of-art, free-standing children's hospital and Level I trauma center. The Gerber Foundation Neonatal Center at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is Michigan's largest neonatal center and the fifth largest in the nation with more than 1,300 babies admitted annually.

Like most pediatrics facilities, we practice a family-centered rounding style. Our continuity clinic experience is unique in that we have the option of spending one half-day per week of the third year in a clinical setting of your choosing, whether a private practice primary care clinic, a community clinic, a subspecialty clinic, or even a hospitalist or critical care role. At Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, we truly care about individualizing your education to help you reach your professional goals. As such, we offer several curriculum tracks.

Electives

Within each track, multiple electives can be selected based on your interests and goals. Here is a sampling of the electives we offer:

  • Advanced Emergency Medicine
  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Anesthesiology
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship Program
  • Bone Marrow Transplant
  • Burn
  • Business of Medicine
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Cardiology
  • Center for Child Protection (CCP)
  • Culinary Medicine
  • Dermatology
  • Education Leadership
  • Endocrinology
  • ENT
  • Gastroenterology
  • Global Health
  • Healthy Weight Center
  • Hospitalist
  • Medical Examiner

Didactics

Our faculty is dedicated to your learning whether in a clinical setting or through our various didactics.

  • Medical Genetics
  • Nephrology
  • Neurology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopedics
  • Palliative Care
  • Pathology
  • PM&R
  • Primary Care Experience (PCE)
  • Psychiarty
  • Pulmonology
  • Quality Improvement
  • Radiology
  • Research
  • Rheumatology
  • Sedation
  • Sports Medicine
  • Surgery
  • Toxicology
  • Urology
Residents going through multi-disciplinary case conference
MondayMorning report
TuesdayGrand Rounds or Morbidity and Mortality Conference
WednesdayMulti-Disciplinary Case Conference led by an intern with small group discussion of differential and workup plans with input from various subspecialists depending on the case
ThursdayProtected didactics 1200-1600 consisting of board review Q&As, mock codes, journal clubs, and an 18-month lecture series given by sub-specialty faculty based on Nelson’s with a focus on ABP general pediatrics learning objectives.
FridayMorning report, Psychiatry Rounds, QI/Safety Rounds, or the ever popular Infectious Disease Bug Bowl

Research

Three photos of pediatrics residents presenting their research at conferences.

Scholarly activity at Spectrum Health spans the continuum of medicine and includes translational research, medical education, quality and safety, and advocacy projects and initiatives. Our faculty members are experts in their fields, with a vast array of scholarly interests, and are excellent research mentors for our residents. Each year, residents present their research at a variety of local, regional, and national conferences.

Conferences

  • Academic Pediatric Association Region V Conference
  • American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • American Thoracic Society
  • Adolescent Health Initiative
  • Association of Pediatric Program Directors
  • Endocrine Society
  • Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
  • North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
  • Pediatric Academic Society
  • Pediatric Endocrine Society
  • Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine
  • Society of Hospitalist Medicine
  • The Generalists in Medical Education

Journals

  • Academic Medicine
  • Blood Advances
  • BMC Health Services Research
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Genetic Medicine
  • International Journal of Cancer
  • JAMA Pediatrics
  • Journal of Adolescent Health
  • Journal of Clinical Immunology
  • Journal of Medical Internet Research
  • Journal of Pediatrics
  • Journal of Pediatric Infectious Disease Society
  • Kidney International
  • Medical Education
  • NeoReviews
  • Obesity
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatric Annals
  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine 
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Physiologic Genomics

Resident life

Clinic immersion and advocacy

Three pictures of groups of residents at various events.

All pediatric interns complete a clinic immersion rotation in their first or second block. During this month, interns have daily morning clinics with a gradual increase in patient load. In the afternoons, they visit various community programs and advocacy groups to better understand what resources are available locally for our patients. Pictured here are interns on a wellness walk, a group preparing food at a culinary medicine class, and the intern day of service at Habitat for Humanity.

Application requirements

Applications and the following documents are accepted only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). We require:

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Recent clinical experience within the United States
  • Applicants must have graduated medical school within the last three years
  • All candidates must possess U.S. work authorization or be eligible for J-1 status
  • Step 2 exam results are encouraged, but not required prior to your interview. Results for Step 2 CK exam must be available to be considered for ranking.

For more information on our program, please contact our program coordinators.

Group shot of the Pediatric Residency Program Coordinators

Pictured: Maggie Ritter, Becky Moberly, Saron Mogos and Julie Beute
Pediatric Residency Program Coordinators

Salary and benefits

All visiting medical student applications must be submitted through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities program. The Spectrum Health course catalog for rotation opportunities starting in July for the next academic year will be posted in March. Applications will be accepted starting April 1.

Spectrum Health provides a comprehensive and very competitive benefits package for our residents, staff and their families. In addition, our program provides educational monies to support your ongoing education. Download our salary and benefits document to learn more.

Program Director

Kira Sieplinga, MD
Kira Sieplinga, MD

Pediatrics

  • Residency: Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Kira Sieplinga, MD
Kira Sieplinga, MD

Pediatrics

  • Residency: Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Core Faculty

Aileen M. Aldrich, MD
Aileen M. Aldrich, MD

Pediatric Infectious Disease

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: University of Nebraska
Harlori K. Bains, MD
Harlori K. Bains, MD

Child Neurology

  • Residency: Phoenix Children's Hospital
  • Fellowship: St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center - Phoenix
Brittany N. Barber Garcia, PhD
Brittany N. Barber Garcia, PhD

Pediatric Psychology

  • PhD Program: Marquette University
  • Fellowship: Children's Hospital of Boston
Meghan R. Behrmann, MD
Meghan R. Behrmann, MD

Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: Seattle Children's Hospital
Aileen M. Aldrich, MD
Aileen M. Aldrich, MD

Pediatric Infectious Disease

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: University of Nebraska
Harlori K. Bains, MD
Harlori K. Bains, MD

Child Neurology

  • Residency: Phoenix Children's Hospital
  • Fellowship: St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center - Phoenix
Brittany N. Barber Garcia, PhD
Brittany N. Barber Garcia, PhD

Pediatric Psychology

  • PhD Program: Marquette University
  • Fellowship: Children's Hospital of Boston
Meghan R. Behrmann, MD
Meghan R. Behrmann, MD

Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: Seattle Children's Hospital
Ben Braun, MD
Ben Braun, MD

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

  • Residency: University of Tennessee - Memphis
  • Fellowship: Nationwide Children's Hospital
Jillian Bybee, MD
Jillian Bybee, MD

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

  • Residency: Phoenix Children's Hospital
  • Fellowship: Northwestern University
Vanessa Cardenas Soto, MD
Vanessa Cardenas Soto, MD

Pediatric Gastroenterology

  • Residency: University of Michigan
  • Fellowship: University of Michigan
Ryan F. Cox, MD
Ryan F. Cox, MD

Pediatric Gastroenterology

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: Nationwide Children's Hospital
Jennifer Curtis, DO
Jennifer Curtis, DO

Pediatric Palliative Care

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
Jon R. Felt, MD
Jon R. Felt, MD

Pediatric Emergency Medicine

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: Children's Hospital of Michigan - DMC/Wayne State University
Jill Golden, MD
Jill Golden, MD

Pediatrics

  • Residency: University of South Carolina
Julie Gunderson, DO
Julie Gunderson, DO

Pediatric Hospitalist

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
Miranda Hillard, MD
Miranda Hillard, MD

Pediatrics

  • Residency: Children's Hospital of Michigan - DMC/Wayne Sate University
Christel Keefe, MD
Christel Keefe, MD

Pediatric Endocrinology

  • Residency: Cincinnati Children's Hospital
  • Fellowship Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Theodore E. Kelbel
Theodore E. Kelbel

Allergy/Immunology

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Center
Elizabeth Kessler, MD
Elizabeth Kessler, MD

Pediatric Rheumatology

  • Residency: Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Fellowship: Medical College of Wisconsin
Daliya Khuon, MD
Daliya Khuon, MD

Pediatric Infectious Disease

  • Residency: University of Tennessee - Memphis
  • Fellowship: University of Tennessee - Memphis
Robert Langen, MD
Robert Langen, MD

Neonatology

  • Residency: University of California - San Francisco
  • Fellowship: University of Utah
Lisa M. Lowery, MD
Lisa M. Lowery, MD

Adolescent Medicine

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Educational Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: Johns Hopkins University
Yvonne Rekeny, MD
Yvonne Rekeny, MD

Child Abuse Core Faculty

  • Residency: University of Kentucky
Laurie Seaver, MD
Laurie Seaver, MD

Medical Genetics

  • Residency: University of Arizona - Tucson
  • Fellowship: University of Arizona - Tucson
Stanley C. Sedore, MD, PhD
Stanley C. Sedore, MD, PhD

Pediatric Cardiology

  • Residency: Yale University
  • Fellowship: Yale University
Candace Smith-King, MD
Candace Smith-King, MD

Pediatrics, DIO

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
Sharon Smith, MD
Sharon Smith, MD

Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

  • Residency: University of Michigan
  • Fellowship: University of Michigan
William B. Stratbucker, MD
William B. Stratbucker, MD

Pediatrics

  • Residency: Creighton University
David Synhorst, MD
David Synhorst, MD

Pediatric Hospitalist

  • Residency: Spectrum Health/Michigan State University/Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
  • Fellowship: Children's Mercy Hospital - Kansas City
Jason P. Thomas, MD
Jason P. Thomas, MD

Pediatric Nephrology

  • Residency: Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/MSU
  • Fellowship: Nationwide Children's Hospital
Justin Triemstra, MD
Justin Triemstra, MD

Adolescent Medicine

  • Residency: University of Chicago

Learn more about our faculty at www.phd.msu.edu.

Class of 2026

Abdullah Abu-Aqoulah, MBBS
Abdullah Abu-Aqoulah, MBBS

Jordan University of Science and Technology

Samuel Adams, MD
Samuel Adams, MD

Washington State University Elson S Floyd College of Medicine

Tariq Almanaseer, MBBS
Tariq Almanaseer, MBBS

Mu'Tah University

Anthony Bernicchi, MD
Anthony Bernicchi, MD

Creighton University School of Medicine

Abdullah Abu-Aqoulah, MBBS
Abdullah Abu-Aqoulah, MBBS

Jordan University of Science and Technology

Samuel Adams, MD
Samuel Adams, MD

Washington State University Elson S Floyd College of Medicine

Tariq Almanaseer, MBBS
Tariq Almanaseer, MBBS

Mu'Tah University

Anthony Bernicchi, MD
Anthony Bernicchi, MD

Creighton University School of Medicine

Meghan Berry, DO
Meghan Berry, DO

Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Annalise Bowen, MD
Annalise Bowen, MD

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Megan Brackmann, MD
Megan Brackmann, MD

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Andrew Droste, MD
Andrew Droste, MD

Ross University School of Medicine

Kyle Austin Garcia, MD
Kyle Austin Garcia, MD

Wayne State University School of Medicine

*Child Neurology Track

Alexis George, MD
Alexis George, MD

Indiana University School of Medicine

Mary Grinstead, MD
Mary Grinstead, MD

Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Anna Lively, MD
Anna Lively, MD

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L Foster School of Medicine

Jordan Marquez, DO
Jordan Marquez, DO

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn Campus

Mai Phuong Nguyen Dang, DO
Mai Phuong Nguyen Dang, DO

Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine-California

Mikayla Patel, MD
Mikayla Patel, MD

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Liliet Pertierra, DO
Liliet Pertierra, DO

Nova Southeastern University Dr Kiran C Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

Katherine Peterson, MD
Katherine Peterson, MD

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Emily Rupe, MD
Emily Rupe, MD

University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita

Ashlyn Sovereen, MD
Ashlyn Sovereen, MD

Wayne State University School of Medicine

John Stathakios, MD
John Stathakios, MD

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Wendi Wang, DO
Wendi Wang, DO

Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

*Child Neurology Track

Felicia White, MD
Felicia White, MD

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Class of 2025

Spencer Adams, MD
Spencer Adams, MD

University of Central Florida

Emily Borgemenke, DO
Emily Borgemenke, DO

University of Pikeville

Jenna Braun, MD
Jenna Braun, MD

Wright State University

Caroline Buckley, MD
Caroline Buckley, MD

Western Michigan University

Spencer Adams, MD
Spencer Adams, MD

University of Central Florida

Emily Borgemenke, DO
Emily Borgemenke, DO

University of Pikeville

Jenna Braun, MD
Jenna Braun, MD

Wright State University

Caroline Buckley, MD
Caroline Buckley, MD

Western Michigan University

Maria Correa Roldan, MD
Maria Correa Roldan, MD

Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud (Ces)

Kristen Erwin, DO
Kristen Erwin, DO

Edward Via College

Swetha Gogu, DO
Swetha Gogu, DO

Kansas City University

Tamara Gonzalez Copo, MD
Tamara Gonzalez Copo, MD

San Juan Batista School of Medicine

Michael Kennett, MD
Michael Kennett, MD

Ohio State University

Connor Kuipers, MD
Connor Kuipers, MD

George Washington University

Meghan Lemmen, MD
Meghan Lemmen, MD

University of Louisville

Lyn Mattathil, MD
Lyn Mattathil, MD

Albany Medical College

Geralyn Moody, MD
Geralyn Moody, MD

Michigan State University

Julia O‘Donoghue, MD
Julia O‘Donoghue, MD

University of Massachusetts

Ann Renner, MD
Ann Renner, MD

University of North Dakota

Sejad Skokic, MD
Sejad Skokic, MD

Michigan State University

Miranda Stein, MD
Miranda Stein, MD

University of Utah

Amanda Stevens, DO
Amanda Stevens, DO

Michigan State University

Yael Straus, MD
Yael Straus, MD

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Kaitlin Zorich, DO
Kaitlin Zorich, DO

University of North Texas

Class of 2024

Grant Adams, MD
Grant Adams, MD

Indiana University

Jolysa Bosco, DO
Jolysa Bosco, DO

Rocky Vista University

David Calafiore, MD
David Calafiore, MD

Ohio State University

Sammy Dia, MD
Sammy Dia, MD

Wayne State University

Grant Adams, MD
Grant Adams, MD

Indiana University

Jolysa Bosco, DO
Jolysa Bosco, DO

Rocky Vista University

David Calafiore, MD
David Calafiore, MD

Ohio State University

Sammy Dia, MD
Sammy Dia, MD

Wayne State University

Jared Doezema, MD
Jared Doezema, MD

Medical College of Wisconsin

Haley Ehrle, MD
Haley Ehrle, MD

University of Wisconsin

Leo Fawaz, MD
Leo Fawaz, MD

Oakland University

Connor Kriz, MD
Connor Kriz, MD

Chicago Medical School—Rosalind Franklin University

Cameron McKenney, DO
Cameron McKenney, DO

Michigan State University

Bridget Moore, MD
Bridget Moore, MD

University of Vermont

Cheryl Mukosiku, MD
Cheryl Mukosiku, MD

St. George’s University

Cassandra Oberndorf, DO
Cassandra Oberndorf, DO

Nova Southeastern University

Natalie Payne, MD
Natalie Payne, MD

Michigan State University

Natalia Perecki, MD
Natalia Perecki, MD

Wayne State University

Monica Sinkovich, DO
Monica Sinkovich, DO

Liberty University

Stephen Trombley, MD
Stephen Trombley, MD

Michigan State University

Marie Tysman, MD
Marie Tysman, MD

Western Michigan University

Christina Varghese, MD
Christina Varghese, MD

University of Toledo

Maria Voydanoff, MD
Maria Voydanoff, MD

Michigan State University

Bixi Zeng, MD, Ph.D.
Bixi Zeng, MD, Ph.D.

Michigan State University

Chief Residents

Maeve Bartiss, MD
Maeve Bartiss, MD

East Carolina University

Heather Gladfelter, MD
Heather Gladfelter, MD

Saint Louis University

Sophia Khalil, MD
Sophia Khalil, MD

Oakland University

Maeve Bartiss, MD
Maeve Bartiss, MD

East Carolina University

Heather Gladfelter, MD
Heather Gladfelter, MD

Saint Louis University

Sophia Khalil, MD
Sophia Khalil, MD

Oakland University

Pediatrics residency bios

Resident group photo

Ready to Apply?

Review the “Application Requirements” tab on the program page to learn more about the application process.