In an emotional ceremony at a beachside hotel in Florida, the first 10 graduates of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital residency program stepped into their futures.

After three years of learning and caring for patients in the newest Johns Hopkins hospital, the six women and four men who accepted diplomas in June have begun the next stages of their careers, some in hospitals and others in private practice. Two are moving to Baltimore for fellowships at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Three more are staying at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.

All take with them the knowledge they gained as pioneers.  “I tried to hold back tears,” said Raquel Hernandez, director of the office of medical education at Johns Hopkins All Children’s. “None of us knew what we were getting into. The courage and vision of the residents kept me believing we’re doing the right thing.”

Most hospitals rely on residents to handle the logistics of day-to-day patient care. But Johns Hopkins All Children’s, established in 1926, was already functioning smoothly as a freestanding children’s hospital. That meant Hernandez could create a program with more opportunities for residents to tailor and optimize their learning.  

Hernandez was steeped in the rigors and rituals of Johns Hopkins education, first as a medical student and then as a pediatric resident and fellow. In 2011, she moved from The Johns Hopkins Hospital to All Children’s Hospital as it began the five-year process of fully integrating with Johns Hopkins Medicine.

As she developed the residency program, Hernandez drew inspiration from the Aliki Initiative, a Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center curriculum that helps internal medicine trainees get to know patients through home visits and in-depth interactions with family members. 

Hernandez hopes the philosophy becomes a framework for others seeking to improve patient care and resident education. 

                                                             —Karen Nitkin

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