Giving: Easing Barriers for Pediatricians

Easing Barriers for Pediatricians

Ray Sato, ‘90 MD, creates scholarship to combat shortage of pediatric practitioners. 

By Lauren Robinson 

When neonatologist Ray Sato, ‘90 MD, looks back on his career, he traces its roots to Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Northwestern is where my base is,” Sato said. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity—it was the start of a very gratifying and wonderful career.”  

Sato entered medical school through the Honors Program in Medical Education (HPME), which enabled him to complete two years of undergraduate education on the Northwestern University Evanston campus before continuing with four years of medical training in Chicago. His first exposure to pediatrics came as a third-year medical student through the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Memorial Hospital, now known as Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “I thought it was the most incredible environment—with such tiny patients and the technology used to keep them alive,” he said. 

That experience sparked a lifelong passion. After completing a pediatrics residency at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a neonatology fellowship at Stanford University, Sato, who is a native of Seattle, returned to the Pacific Northwest in 1996 where he spent 30 years caring for fragile newborns at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. 

“One thing about neonatology is that patients can be in the hospital for months,” Sato said. “You develop relationships with families, share their highs and lows. Sometimes there are amazing outcomes, sometimes very tragic ones—but that’s part of the field.” 

Now, as he winds down his clinical work, Sato and his wife, Traci, are investing in the next generation. In 2025, the couple endowed the Dr. Ray and Traci Sato Pediatric Scholarship, which will support Feinberg students committed to pediatric medicine.  

“The Department of Pediatrics is profoundly grateful for the Sato scholarship, which comes during an inflection point for the field,” said Sandra M. Sanguino, MD, MPH, senior associate dean for Medical Education and associate professor of Pediatrics and Medical Education. “Current estimates predict that by 2032 there will be a major shortage in general pediatrics as well as in many pediatric subspecialties,” she noted. 

 The field of pediatrics is in crisis. There’s maybe no field in more need—especially subspecialties that require additional training beyond residency.

Ray Sato, ‘90 MD

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) data show that, in recent years, the field has experienced declining interest and workforce shortages. In 2024, the AAP reported 252 unfilled pediatric residencies, an increase of 164 over the previous year. Also in 2024, pediatric fellowship programs filled only 77.5 percent of certified positions, with some subspecialties—like pediatric nephrology and child abuse pediatrics—filling less than half of their available slots. 

 “The field of pediatrics is in crisis,” Sato explained. “There’s maybe no field in more need—especially subspecialties that require additional training beyond residency.” 

“One of the deterrents to pursuing a career in pediatrics is the substantial debt students accumulate during medical school, combined with the lower compensation in pediatrics compared to other specialties,” Sanguino said. “Our hope is that by reducing this barrier, more students will experience the joy and fulfillment that a career in pediatrics can bring.” 

Sato hopes the scholarship will ease those barriers. “I just want to make it easier for someone who’s already decided to enter the field to take care of children,” he said. “Whether that’s as a general pediatrician or a subspecialist, kids deserve better than to be at the end of the line.” 

In 2025, the Satos were able to meet Jessica Metelski, MD, the first recipient of the scholarship, at the medical school’s annual Commitment to Scholarships luncheon. Metelski graduated in May 2025 and is now a pediatrics resident at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. 

“It was truly an honor to receive the Sato Scholarship, and I am deeply grateful for the Sato family’s generosity in establishing this award to support medical students pursuing careers in pediatrics,” Metelski said. “It was also a joy to meet Dr. Sato—his passion for child health was palpable and made me even more excited to begin my pediatrics residency.” 

As he reflected on his own path, Sato offered simple advice to aspiring pediatricians: “Follow your heart. You have to love what you do in order to do it well. I just want to make sure we minimize the barriers for people to follow their heart.”

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine hopes to one day provide more scholarship support to more students but must quadruple the current endowment to reach all enrollees. Additionally, fundraising in support of scholarships has become a competitive necessity, as other top institutions also aim to provide financial assistance to all students. Many other Feinberg donors, like the Prokops, have been generous in supporting scholarships through outright gifts, through their estate plans, or both.