CHICAGO - a city I had not visited in over 15 years! My previous memories of Chicago were around the age of 8. We attended a cousin's wedding. We went to the American Girl Store. We explored the Navy Pier. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe. That was my elementary school Chicago experience.
Now in 2023, I traveled to Chicago for my first ever medical conference. I attended FMX which is also known as the "Family Medicine Experience". This is the largest family medicine conference of the year hosted by AAFP. This year it was hosted at the largest conference center in North America, McCormick Place in Downtown Chicago.
I cannot say enough how much I am pleased with my choice of Family Medicine as my speciality. These are my people. Always will be. There's something very fulfilling about being a primary care physician. Although I am only 4 months into my residency program, I feel the energy and excitement of this career.
Aside from continuing my education at high yield talks on hypertension, diabetes, sleep medicine, obesity, and cancer, I found it so inspiring to be surrounded by thousands of other family medicine physicians from all over the country. From first year residents to retired legends, there was so much passion and commitment to family medicine that surrounded me.
One of my favorite parts of the conference was the guest address by Olympic gold medalist Alison Felix. She told an incredible story about her journey to title wins and her pregnancy struggles with pre-eclampsia. She now passionately advocates for women and medical providers caring for pregnant persons in all stages of pregnancy. I was a little starstruck to be in her presence as I had watched her compete in the games many times in the past.
I am super thankful to my residency program for sending its interns to the FMX conference every year. I was able to travel to Chicago with five of my co-interns who have become dear friends in residency. It was nice to be on the same page about the things we wanted to do and see together in our free time. I wanted to highlight some of my favorite stops below.
Chicago Highlights:
Hotel
We stayed at the Fairmont in Millennium Park. It was the BEST location. We loved the ability to walk to everything we wanted to on the Magnificent Mile and River North. It was a little commute to the conference at McCormick place, but the nearest train stop is not far away. This location is also close in proximity to The Bean and Navy Pier.
Food
The Purple Pig is a high-end Mediterranean restaurant on Michigan Avenue. I called to make an early dinner reservation at 4:30PM. However, this was a very lucky reservation for me. They usually book out 6-8 weeks in advance. We sampled a medley of appetizers, vegetables, pastas, and meat dishes. The wine and cocktail selection was extensive. The tiramisu was also fantastic. The bill can get pricey pretty quickly here. Worth it for a special occasion or a night out for sure!
The Evie was my favorite meal of this trip. Also located on Michigan Avenue on the Magnificent Mile, this restaurant is a cute low-lit cocktail and sushi bar. I split a Thai salad and a sushi roll with my co-resident. We loved out combo, and it was the perfect amount of food for us. They also have excellent sandwiches and other dishes on the menu. Thanks to our program director for this great recommendation.
Nando's was a recommendation to us by a Chicago native. It is a fast casual South African cuisine famous for its chicken and peri-peri sauce. The small location I visited was decorated in vibrant colors and perfect for a quick lunch within a busy conference day. I had the halloumi and sweet potato pita, which hit the spot as a little snack for my afternoon.
Lou Malnati's was my pick for Chicago-Style deep dish pizza. I asked and researched all around for some recommendations. This pizza place was verified as the best by my cousin, my co-worker, and a group of wedding goers in the elevator on our way back to the hotel room for a late night bite. The butter crust was cooked to perfection, and the pizza was just deep enough to hold together well. Would gladly enjoy a slice of that again! **Caution that it can take up to 50 minutes to cook a pie for takeout because it is deep dish. Plan ahead for a delivery or pickup order.
The Starbucks Reserve Roastery is the largest Starbucks in the world. I am not the biggest Starbucks fan - mostly because their pastries are all pre-packaged - but this place was INCREDIBLE! It is five floors of coffee, souvenirs, cocktails, pastries, and food. Everything there is homemade. This included the ciabatta bread, tiramisu, brioche, croissants, tartes, and more! The smells of the coffee mixed with the smells of the freshly baked bread coming out of the oven was an incredible combination. I enjoyed the Caprese sandwich and a seasonal pumpkin latte! YUM! The line outside of the shop moved quickly and seating was first come and first serve. There was so many cute Chicago Starbucks memorabilia to purchase. Additionally, the rooftop area was a cute view of the street to enjoy some coffee! This place was worth the hype!
SightSeeing
The Chicago River Architecture Tour gives a great view of the city from the inside-out. I had never really appreciated the beauty and uniqueness of some of the buildings until this boat tour. The glass buildings reflecting on the water of the city gave a spectacular perspective. The tour I took left from River North and lasted about 75 minutes. It cost approximately $50 a person. The cloudiness skewed the views of some of the tallest towers but did not take away from the quality of the tour. Personally, I enjoyed the views of Chicago from the ground level.
Museum
The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is located about 20 minutes outside of Chicago by car or 10 minutes by train. It is a large museum with exhibits for visitors of all ages. I personally loved the Coal Miners exhibit which consisted a walking and riding tour. It highlighted the features and technology of the mines over time. As a West Virginian, I really appreciated the exhibit.
There is so much more to Chicago that I did not get to see. The city is rapidly expanding with tons of culture in the small neighborhoods that surround the city, like Hyde Park! Here's a list of things I'd love to go back again to see!
The Bean
Giordano's Chicago Style Pizza
The Field Museum
The Museum of Ice Cream
Nordstrom on the Magnificent Mile
Three Dots and a Dash
The Goddess and the Baker
The Art Institute of Chicago
Nutella Cafe
Chicago Theater
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