To recognize PRIDE Month, we highlight a member of NASPGHAN who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Peter T. Osgood, MD (he/him), is a pediatric gastroenterologist in Chicago, IL. He specializes in gastrointestinal motility disorders and has joined or started numerous interdisciplinary programs to help children and adolescents across this spectrum of disease. Dr. Osgood attended medical school in Syracuse, NY, at Upstate Medical University, completed residency at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, PA, and completed Pediatric GI fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX. After all this, he completed a hybrid training year in GI Motility at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where he has continued his practice. Dr. Osgood is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and is grateful for his husband, the supportive medical community working alongside him, as well as the diverse group of patients and families he gets to care for in Chicago.
Current position and institution: Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Attending Physician, Neurointestinal and Motility Program, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Favorite GI disease: While I enjoy all motility disorders, I hone most of my practice toward esophageal atresia (EA) and gastric dysmotility. EA offers unique challenges related to esophageal structure, scarring, esophageal and gastric dysmotility, and mucosal disease. I appreciate that I get to care for EA patients from infancy to young adulthood and that their care involves a mix of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (like dilatations), medical therapy, and oversight of nutrition and growth. Gastric dysmotility also spans a wide spectrum disease ranging from chronic functional pain or nausea to complex feeding difficulties and, again, allows me to utilize various diagnostics and procedural interventions, medications, and mind-body therapies alongside our team’s GI Pain Psychologist. Some of my most rewarding work is with my patients with complex healthcare needs. These children often struggle to tolerate sufficient enteral feeding due to their anatomic variants or neurologic status. Their care is sometimes very challenging but it is amazing when we can successfully navigate their disorders and make clear improvements to their nutritional status and quality of life.
Hobbies: My favorite activities include running and traveling. While I enjoy cooking, I am not very creative on this front so prefer to dine out for my best food experiences. Lastly, tolerating Chicago winters means you must embrace Chicago spring, summer, and fall so I take every opportunity to walk around my city, walk the dog up and down the lakefront, to go to the beach, and to relax in our garden.
Favorite Vacation Spot: I enjoy the National Parks and try to scratch a few off my list each year. I love seeing the diversity of geography and wildlife around the U.S. and love experiencing a dark night sky. Further, I find it incredibly peaceful when my cell phone loses reception and I just get to be present in the moment.
Favorite Activist: Historically, I look up to James Baldwin for his work in promoting racial, queer, and socioeconomic equality and justice. More recently, I have admired Dante Stewart for his writing and social activism promoting racial, political, and economic justice, especially in the wake of George Floyd, mass shootings, and major political policy shifts.
Book You Recommend: Since high school, I have resonated with the message of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and I keep a very ragged copy of this given to me by my late English teacher. Since my early adult years, I have most enjoyed “The Life of Pi” for its incredible imagery.
Best Career Advice You’ve Received: Say “yes” enough to be a good team player and to take on patients and projects that are meaningful and fulfilling to you. But also know when to say “no.”
