Letter from the Program Director

Thank you for visiting our website and having interest in our Internal Medicine Residency program at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. Our program is dedicated to the success of each one of our residents. As one of the largest Accountable Care Organization in the country, we readily provide our residents with an outstanding clinical experience. We also provide a comprehensive educational program with numerous opportunities to participate in clinical research. As the only dually accredited (ACGME and AOA) Internal Medicine Program in Illinois, we can offer dual credit to qualifying residents.  Next year under the Single Accreditation System for ACGME we will be applying for osteopathic emphasis.   We are fortunate to offer our residents a truly unique ambulatory experience at a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

As a Level 1 Trauma Center in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, we serve a diverse patient population, and our residents manage a broad spectrum of conditions, both in the hospital and in the clinic. The residents develop long lasting relationships with their patients and with our dedicated faculty members. Our focus is to prepare our graduates with a strong traditional internal medicine foundation for a future career as a general internist or medical specialist. We have accredited fellowships in Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Hematology/Oncology.

As a proud graduate of the Advocate Lutheran General Internal Medicine Residency program, I was well prepared to practice as a primary care provider in our academic institution. Our supportive and congenial atmosphere fosters a healthy clinical learning environment. The residents teach medical students, lead conferences, participate in hospital-wide committees and serve the underserved. I hope you’ll find this website helpful as you begin the application process. Please contact me if you have further questions or require additional information about our unique program.

Jill Patton, DO
Interim Chair and Program Director

Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award

Dr. Jill Patton was honored as one to the 2017 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award Honorees.  This award is given by ACGME to director who innovative was to teach residents and provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impulse to care for others in this environment. “Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher” Parker J. Palmer The Courage to Teach.

This is what a Nominating Resident had to say about Dr. Patton

“I have learned through my medical training that a patient's priority lies in how much you, as a physician, care about them rather than how much medical knowledge you demonstrate. Dr. Patton illustrated this concept from day one of our residency training. Not only did she demonstrate the highest level of care and sincerity towards her patients but she showed us how much she cared about her residents by allowing us all to feel like part of a huge family. She has strengthened our voice and constantly supported the needs of each resident. Dr. Patton is always readily available, which was proven by the countless calls my fellow colleagues and I have made to her during overnight calls when she happily provided us guidance regarding patient care. Furthermore, she not only supported us but appreciated us for the initiative we took in seeking out solutions.”

Biographical sketch

• Medical school: Michigan State University Osteopathic Medical School, Class of 1994
• Internship and residency: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Osteopathic Internship 1994-1995
• Residency: Lutheran General Hospital 1995-1998
• Chief Resident: Lutheran General Hospital 1998-1999
• Fellowship: American College of Physicians and American College of Osteopathic Internist 2010
• Current Position: Internal Medicine Chair and Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency, Lutheran General Hospital, August 2013