Summer
Graduation Banquet
Housestaff and faculty are invited to send off the graduating residents with a bang! During this banquet, the graduating residents are honored (and embarrassed a little) at their last official residency function in mid June. This banquet is always a lot of fun, but is a sad reminder of the parting of people who have become close friends.
Intern Welcome Dinner
All new interns and their families are invited to a local restaurant where they are welcomed by the Program Director, Department Chairman, Chief Residents, other members of the housestaff, and other members of the faculty. This also serves as a way for the intern class to meet one another so that they can organize impromptu meetings during the remainder of intern orientation.
Department of Pediatrics Picnic
Toward the end of June, the Department of Pediatrics invites all faculty and residents to have a picnic. Now organized around a Traveler’s game, we will rent out a grassy area behind right field to grill and eat and then reserve a section of seats for everyone to enjoy the game. Families are welcome and this is another chance for the new intern class to meet the people they will be working with for the remainder of the year.
Intern Survival Party
The new 3rd year residents throw a party over the 4th of July to celebrate the intern class’s completion of their first year (and the start of the 3rd year class’s last!). All housestaff are invited as are families.
Wild River Country & Magic Springs
During the later part of the summer Children’s Hospital hosts weekends for employees (residents and their families included) at both Wild River Country (local water park) & Magic Springs (local amusement park). Residents have traditionally made a day out of each of these fun events and had a blast!
PIG Golf Tournament
Late in the summer or early in the fall the pediatric interest group from UAMS sponsors a golf tournament. In the past faculty have sponsored several resident teams so often it amounts to free golf! This is usually an all day event and has been both traditional and miniature golf. It always includes a barbeque, and this past year an attending dunking booth was added!
Fall
Tailgate Party
Each year the Razorbacks have 1-2 games in Little Rock. Residents get together around the stadium during those games to experience tailgating SEC style!
Intern Retreat
Starting Wednesday night and lasting through Friday afternoon, the Chief Residents, Program Director, and Program Coordinator will take the entire intern class to a 4 H camp outside of Little Rock to participate in team building events with plenty of free time to have fun! During these two days in September, upper level residents, fellows, and attendings cover the intern class’s responsibilities at the hospital.
State Fair
All the fried food you can eat is available at the state fair every October! Residents meet up at the hospital at least once during the fair and carpool out to the fair to eat all the fried foods they can. Hopefully all that food stays down during the rides!
The Mud Run
Each year the residents get a group together to run in the mud at Little Rock’s Mud Run! It can get quite messy; a hose is usually required at the end of the run!
Halloween Party
Every year a resident hosts a Halloween party at their house. Families come early and the party usually lasts late! Costumes are of course a prerequisite and are often quite different from those worn in the hospital during the day! Groups of residents have been known to visit the Chairman’s house for trick or treating!
Winter
Chili Cook-off
Every winter an attending will host a chili cook-off at their house. Three attendings function as judges and residents and other faculty members will bring their chili creations to be sampled by everyone. Families are welcome and depending on the weather outdoor activities are used to burn off all the chili. At the end of the day a champion is crowned and gets to spend the remainder of the year bringing chili to the hospital on cold winter days!
Department of Pediatrics Christmas Party
The yearly Department Christmas party has grown over the last several years now having cocktails and a band or DJ. This is a good chance to see the attendings let their hair down!
Secret Santa
At the December Housestaff meeting residents open gifts from their “secret Santa” (chosen the previous month) in front of the rest of the housestaff. The gifts tend to be quite humorous, and Santa’s cheeks aren’t the only ones that are red by the end of the day!
Progressive Christmas Party
This party train starts at one attendings house with appetizers, moves to another with entrees, and finishes at a third with drinks and deserts! The party usually lasts well into the night and is attended by both residents and attendings.
Spring
Crawfish Boil
Our large group of residents & attendings from Louisiana have insisted on adding a yearly crawfish boil to our schedule of events. As the temperature warms up we get together one weekend for a spicy, good time. Families are invited as are amateur musicians!??
Dancing with the Attendings
Based off of the television show, the inaugural 2008 event was quite a hit. The event pairs a resident and an attending in a competition complete with judges. The purpose of this event is to raise money for resident trips and projects, but fun is had by all. Even those who don’t dance well enough to be judged can hang around the dance floor for some more anonymous fun after the champion is crowned!
Float Trip
As our many rivers peak in volume in the late spring, the residents organize a trip to take to the water! While some opt for a quick 45 minute trip down to the more tame Ouachita or Caddo Rivers, others will opt for a weekend trip up to the Buffalo, Mulberry, or Spring Rivers for a slightly more exciting ride!
Second Year Retreat
Due to popular demand after our intern retreat, we added a yearly Second Year Retreat in 2008. Held in May, this 24 to 36 hour retreat is geared toward getting ready for a career in pediatrics but of course still has plenty of time for fun!
All Year Round
Intramural Sports
Our Fitness Center arranges quite a variety of intramural sporting activities for ACH Employees and residents. They include racquetball, basketball, volleyball, wallyball, kick ball, indoor soccer, wiffle ball, among others. Residents are big participators in this event and our teams have done quite well this year!
Trivia Night
As a standing outing, our residents get together at a local establishment to play interactive trivia games and have fun!
Impromptu Get-togethers
Most of our resident get-togethers aren’t planned!
