Pediatrics
Carolinas Medical Center Pediatric Residency Program
Comprehensive training in general pediatrics and a wide range of subspecialties in a child-friendly, family-centered environment. Residents train at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital, the largest and most comprehensive children’s hospital in the region — offering unmatched exposure to diverse patients and complex cases.
Foundational Rotations
- Adolescent Medicine
- Child Development/Behavior
- Inpatient Care
- Outpatient Clinic Care
- Neonatal Intensive Care
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Pediatric Surgery
- Term Nursery Care
Get a Glimpse
An Inside Look at the Pediatrics Residency Program
Opportunity, Community and Diversity: A Perspective from Our Faculty
Solid Pediatric Training and Supportive Collaboration: A Resident’s View
Where You Will Train
Levine Children’s Hospital
From routine care to the most complex procedures, residents gain exceptional training and mentorship at
Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital. Our hospital is nationally recognized for excellence and offers advanced expertise across a wide spectrum of pediatric specialties.
As the largest children’s hospital between Atlanta and Washington, DC, we offer:
- First neonatal care program in North Carolina to earn the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission.
- Specialized pediatric intensive care units for critical care, cardiovascular and neonatology.
- Pediatric transplant program with expertise in heart, kidney, liver, and blood & marrow transplants.
- Region’s only pediatric heart surgery program, pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit and interventional catheterization program.
- Southeast’s most advanced child neurology care, including the only dedicated Level III pediatric EMU in North Carolina.
- Dedicated pediatric emergency department and the region’s only Level 1 pediatric trauma center.
- Region’s only emergency department with 24/7 pediatric orthopedic call coverage.
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Pediatric Inpatient Services
Located adjacent to the main campus of Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Levine Children's Hospital serves as both a primary and secondary source of care for children across Charlotte. It also functions as a regional tertiary referral center for the greater Charlotte metropolitan area — home to more than 1 million people — and provides advanced pediatric services to families across multiple counties in both North and South Carolina.
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Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
The Ricky Hendrick Center for Intensive Care admits approximately 700 patients each year and serves as a cornerstone of our pediatric critical care training. The unit is staffed by nine pediatric intensivists, together with a pediatric PL-2 or PL-3 resident and a third-year emergency medicine resident. On average, PL-3 residents take in-house call every eighth night, gaining invaluable hands-on experience managing critically ill children.
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Newborn Services
Each year, there are more than 7,000 deliveries at Carolinas Medical Center. Infants are cared for in the tower newborn nursery, where our pediatric residents manage the care of approximately 2,500 newborns annually under the direct supervision of experienced general pediatric faculty.
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Pediatric Clinics
Atrium Health Myers Park, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center, is conveniently located within walking distance of Levine Children's Hospital. Subspecialty clinics are held in the mornings and resident continuity clinics in the afternoons, while general pediatrics clinic runs concurrently throughout the day. Each year, the general pediatric and subspecialty clinics together serve approximately 23,000 children.
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Pediatric Primary Care Network
When residents choose Atrium Health Levine Children’s for their training, they gain access to an entire network of care — including neighborhood pediatric offices, urgent care centers, hospital programs, award-winning specialty services, and an emergency department dedicated solely to children.
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What Residents are Saying About the Pediatrics Program
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When I began my search for a pediatric residency program, I knew I wanted a program that would provide me the opportunity to see a mixture of acute intensive care and complex patients while also exposing me to bread and butter general pediatrics. I also wanted to go to a place where I could form open and warm relationships with not only my co-residents but also my attendings and program leadership—relationships that felt like a home away from home and a family. Most importantly, I desired a program that would help me build and hone my clinical skills while also celebrating my individuality and encouraging me to use those qualities to be the best physician and advocate for my patients that I could be. I thought all of that would be impossible to find until I discovered the hidden gem that is the Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center Pediatric Residency Program, where I have found that and so much more—a unique treasure in one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities in the South.Talior Martin, 2025-2026 Chief Resident University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of South Carolina -
Even through a virtual platform, I could tell how special Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center was. The sense of companionship between both residents and attendings was authentic and only exceeded my expectations after joining the program. I feel truly valued and known as an individual. I couldn’t ask for a better work family or environment to learn in.Taylor Allen, 2024-2025 Chief Resident University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Undergraduate: University of South Carolina -
I had the opportunity to complete an acting internship (AI) at Carolinas Medical Center during my 4th year of medical school, and it immediately felt like my home away from home. I knew CMC would prepare me to care for medically complex patients while also allowing me to master the basics of pediatric medicine. It was incredibly important to me to be within a supportive learning environment, and I could not have made a better choice than CMC. I am so fortunate to be completing my residency at a program where my wellness and my goals in medicine are prioritized, and my co-residents feel like family.Olivia Henderson, PGY2 Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Undergraduate: Miami University
Meet the Program Director
At Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), we seek residents who are passionate about becoming inclusive physicians within an urban practice environment.
Our program is based at a free-standing, quaternary-care children’s hospital that is both built and supported by our community, and rooted in a close-knit, supportive residency family.
Our goal is to help residents grow into excellent pediatricians. With ten pediatric subspecialties ranked nationally,
our trainees learn from some of the best clinicians in the field. Additionally, Charlotte—the largest city in the Carolinas—
is a vibrant, welcoming place to live and work.
Courtney Brantley, MD, FAAP
Welcome from the Program Director
Pediatric Hospitalist, Levine Children’s Hospital
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Program Director, Pediatric Residency Program
Atrium Health / Levine Children’s
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H. Stacy Nicholson, MDPresident, Atrium Health Levine Children’s and Chairman, Department of Pediatrics
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Sydney Primis, MDAssociate Program Director
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Lee Morris, MDAssociate Program Director
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Ronald Sutsko, DOAssociate Program Director
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Steven Hannigan, MDAssociate Program Director
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Talior Martin, MDChief Resident 2025-2026
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Brock Meeker, MDChief Resident 2025-2026
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Grant PallesenResidency Coordinator
With a nationally and internationally renowned team of physicians in pediatrics who serve as faculty, our residents benefit from an exceptional breadth of experience and knowledge throughout the program. See the full list of physicians and their specialties here.
Program Curriculum
Residents receive training to become well-rounded general pediatricians who are fully prepared to enter a subspecialty fellowship or practice setting of their choice. Our curriculum provides a balanced set of experiences at each level of training, aligned with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Residency Review Committee for Pediatrics, and designed to develop expertise in all six of the ACGME core competencies.
Flexible tracks allow for individualized experiences across a wide variety of interests, including ambulatory care, inpatient/acute care, and subspecialty pediatrics. In addition, residents may participate in immersive experiences in Advocacy or Global Health.
Learn MoreAnnual Residency Experience
PL-1
Lays the foundation for a career in pediatric medicine. Core inpatient and outpatient rotations—with exposure to patients from premature neonates to late adolescence across many subspecialties—provide the groundwork for developing expertise.
PL-2
Returns to core rotations in a supervisory role. Assumes progressive responsibility while advancing skills in triage, management, and decision-making.
PL-3
Serves as the supervisory resident across rotations and in the PICU. Continues to refine assessment and teaching skills across the spectrum of pediatric practice.
Residents will have a variety of experiences during their clinical rotations in the program.
Learn moreIn addition to the many educational and career benefits of the Pediatrics program, residents will receive financial benefits as well.
Learn moreResearch Leadership and Impact
Under the direction of Christine B. Turley, MD, FAAP, Professor and Vice Chair for Research, Atrium Health Levine Children’s continues to advance its mission of improving the health and future of all children through research. In 2024, the Research Excellence in Advancing Children’s Health (REACH) team supported 225 clinical studies and trials, produced 274 publications and presentations, and engaged 100 pediatric providers and investigators.
Learn More – 2024 Research Annual ReportHonors and Awards
Levine Children’s Hospital has been named a Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report for 15 consecutive years, most recently in 10 specialties.
Learn MoreApplication Criteria
If you would like to apply for our residency program, we only accept standard electronic applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
International graduates must have graduated from medical school within 3 years of starting residency along with the following requirements:
- 3 letters of recommendation are required. A chairman's letter is not required.
- Must have passed USMLE or COMLEX exams.
- Must be ECFMG certified at the time of application.
- US clinical experience is required from an ACGME-approved program.
- Observerships are not offered.
- Only J-1 Visas will be sponsored.