Our Mission

To provide excellent family centered healthcare to children in an academic environment that exceeds the expectations of those we serve and educate.

Our Focus

To prepare residents for a lifetime of quality practice either in primary care pediatrics or in the subspecialty of their choosing. During the course of the program, residents assume increasing responsibility for patient care as they expand their medical knowledge and acquire further clinical expertise. Emphasis is placed on providing a balanced training program that prepares residents for the pediatric certifying examination and independent medical practice in today's rapidly changing healthcare environment. Our residency program offers experience in all facets of pediatric care from the most complex intensive care to the ambulatory practice of general pediatrics.

residents class of 2022

The Nicklaus Children's Hospital Pediatric Residency Program is designed in accordance with the American Board of Pediatrics requirement of three core years in general pediatrics and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Our ABP & AOBP board passing rate

This program is robust in educational activities designed to emphasize high-yield pediatric board exam topics. These include morning report discussions, noon core curriculum lectures, interactive board review sessions, self-directed learning tools such as the AAP Prep Online questions, and MedStudy board preparation books, video library, and flash cards. Additionally, the PGY-3 residents are required to attend the Nicklaus Children's Hospital Annual Pediatric Board Review Course. This comprehensive multi-day review course is designed for pediatricians who are preparing for the American Board of Pediatrics certification or recertification examination.

These efforts have greatly contributed to the strong scores received by Nicklaus Children's Hospital residents on the American Board of Pediatrics In-training Examinations and the high program board passing rates. Our program has an impressive board-passing rate of 88% which is a three-year average inclusive of the ABP and AOBP Initial Certification Exams. Nationally the board pass rate is currently at 80%.

88%25 passing rate

Your path to success begins here.

Fellowship placement chart
Click image to enlarge.

The Pediatric Residency Program is extremely proud of our residents' academic accomplishments. Among these achievements, we recognize our residents' history of successful placements in many of our nation's top fellowship training programs. Over the years, our residents have gone on to pursue fellowships in numerous pediatric subspecialty areas as depicted here and have become leaders in their fields.

Nicklaus also offers fellowships in various pediatric specialties.

View Our Fellowship Programs View 2010-2023 Fellowship Placement Chart View the Class of 2023 Post Graduation Placement

Our FIU Affiliation

fiu logo.

The Nicklaus Children's Hospital Pediatric Residency Program is affiliated with the Florida International University (FIU) Hebert Wertheim College of Medicine. The FIU Department of Pediatrics is based at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, under the leadership of Dr. Jefry Biehler, Chairman of the FIU Department of Pediatrics.

Clinical Competency Committee (CCC)

members of the comittee photograhed during an eventIn accordance with the ACGME requirements, each training program is expected to form a Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) to formally review each resident on a semiannual basis. The program director appoints the CCC. The CCC must have at least three program core faculty (excluding the program director) who have the opportunity to observe and evaluate the residents. The CCC meets semiannually to review and discuss each individual residents’ performance data and make a consensus decision on the progress of each resident by applying assessment data to the pediatric milestones. The CCC serves as an early warning system/early identification if a resident fails to progress in the educational program and make recommendations to the program director for resident progress including promotion, remediation, and dismissal. The program director or associate program director meets with each resident semi-annually to review the CCC report. To learn more about the CCC click here.

Below are the faculty members who serve on the CCC committee (in addition to the Program Director, Associate Program Directors and Chief Residents) for the Pediatric Residency Program:

  • Haneen Abdella, MD
  • Lauren Chiriboga, MD
  • Melissa Clemente, MD
  • Christie De la Vega, MD
  • Magaly Diaz-Barbosa, MD
  • Veronica Etinger, MD
  • Victoria Fierro, MD
  • Beatriz Franyie Ladd, MD
  • Marla Friedman-Cotzen, MD
  • Andrea Granados, MD
  • Ryan Halickman, MD
  • Sophia Hassor-Rivero, MD
  • Michael Leoncio, DO
  • Adolfo Llanos, MD
  • Fernando Llopiz, MD
  • David Lowe, MD
  • Annette Medina, MD
  • Juan Carlos Meneses-Paz, MD
  • Maria Milla, MD
  • Luis Felipe Miranda, MD
  • Alisa Muniz-Crim, MD
  • Pedro Pagan, MD
  • Athena Pefkarou, MD
  • Anamaria Pulido, MD
  • Gloria Riefkohl, MD
  • Carolina Sanchez-Vega, MD
  • Prithvi Sendi, MD
  • Oranit Shaked, MD
  • Bala Totapally, MD
  • Jose Vargas, MD