Pediatric Residency
Welcome Letter from the Program Director
Welcome to the Children's of Mississippi Pediatric Residency Program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center! We are so glad you are here and taking the time to explore what makes our program truly special. Choosing a residency is one of the most important decisions of your medical career, and we want you to know that at UMMC, you will be supported, challenged, and inspired every step of the way. Our pediatric residency program strives to provide outstanding patient care, curriculum, and mentorship for our residents.
Since 1956, UMMC has proudly housed Mississippi's only pediatric residency program within its only dedicated children's hospital. Over the decades, we have grown into a vibrant, close-knit training community. Today, our program is home to 49 pediatric residents, including categorical pediatric residents and pediatric neurology residents, and 23 combined medicine/pediatrics residents. We offer pediatric fellowships in cardiology, critical care, emergency medicine, hematology-oncology, neonatology, child neurology, and rheumatology, with additional fellowships in pediatric allergy-immunology and hospice and palliative care available through their respective departments. Our reach extends well beyond the Jackson metropolitan area, with clinics and facilities stretching from the Gulf Coast in the south to Tupelo in the northeast, meaning our residents gain experience serving the full breadth of Mississippi's communities.
Our main campus in Jackson is anchored by the Blair E. Batson Tower, the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower, and the Colonel Harland Sanders Emergency Department, all working in close partnership with the Winfred L. Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants. Our pediatric emergency department sees 42,000 to 45,000 visits annually, with over 1,000 pediatric trauma activations each year, and a 23% admission rate that exceeds the national average. Training here means learning to prioritize both common and rare differential diagnoses, care for the sickest patients, and manage high patient volumes with confidence. General pediatric ambulatory care is just a few miles away at the Batson Kids Clinic, and the Alyce G. Clarke Center for Medically Fragile Children, our 20-bed pediatric skilled nursing facility, provides long-term care for children with complex medical needs. As the state's only dedicated children's hospital system, we care for a wonderfully diverse patient population with an exceptional range of conditions, giving our residents a true, full-spectrum pediatric experience.
Our Department of Pediatrics includes more than 170 pediatricians across 18-plus divisions, 15 of which are subspecialties. Children's of Mississippi also offers surgical specialties supported by over 40 faculty physicians. Every one of our Children's of Mississippi providers is deeply committed to resident education — you will learn alongside faculty who genuinely love teaching and who are invested in your growth as both a clinician and a person.
At Children's of Mississippi, we believe that great training goes beyond medical knowledge. We are dedicated to preparing you not only for the clinical demands of a career in pediatrics, but also for a lifetime of professional fulfillment and personal well-being. We want you to leave our program feeling confident, resilient, and ready for whatever path you choose.
We hope this gives you a sense of who we are and what we value. We would love for you to experience our one-of-a-kind program in person. We have a feeling you will feel right at home.
Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Dr. Hood's Faculty Profile and Bio
@UMMCPediatrics | 
@UMMCPedRes | Newsletter | Children's of Mississippi
Associate Program Directors
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Palliative Medicine
krichter@umc.edu
Faculty Profile
Professor, Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Assistant Dean, Office of Admissions, School of Medicine
kschneider@umc.edu
Faculty Profile