Author – Tim Fernandez PGY2
Why I love My Neighborhood: South Loop is located just South of the City-Center, along the lakefront. I like to think of South Loop as an ideal blend of what makes Chicago great. We’re adjacent to green space, wonderful restaurants, and a stone’s throw from the Lake Front Trail. It is a rapidly changing area, new restaurants and coffee shops seem to be popping up on every corner. Many faculty members and residents also call this neighborhood home, which makes an impromptu dinner or Trivia Night a common occurrence.
Photo 1: The Lake Front Trail: 18.5 miles of the most picturesque trail that Chicago has to offer. Rent a divvy bike or dust off your roller blades and cruise to Hyde Park to get breakfast at Obama-favorite Valois Cafeteria, or head north to one of Chicago’s many beaches. With COVID, exercise space is at a premium, and I feel very fortunate to have this trail just a short walk from my door.
Photo 2: Fred Anderson Dog Park, located on 18th and Wabash – named after the saxophonist and father of experimental jazz in Chicago. If you’re bringing your fur-child to residency, or plan to expand the family, South Loop is an ideal locale. On any given Sunday you can find this park teeming with Corgis, Aussies, and Doodles of all shapes and sizes.
#TheACMCDifference Advocate Christ came on my radar as an MS3, from a mentor who trained in Chicago who lauded the acuity, volume, and the culture of the program. The first thing I noticed as a rotator was the mutual respect shared between residents, attendings and staff, and how this fostered a collegial and lighthearted atmosphere in the charting room. As someone who wanted to wanted to hit the ground running in residency, it was impressive to see junior residents take the lead in the care of critically-ill patients and perform emergent procedures, which was made possible by 1:1 pairing with Attendings. I walked away from my month knowing that I would be well-prepared to practice in any setting after 3 years at Christ.
ACMC Emergency Medicine 