Christine C. Cheston, MD

Clinical Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Christine Cheston, MD is the Karp Family Professor and Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics in Hospital and Newborn Medicine at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, the Program Director of the Boston Combined Residency Program (BCRP) at Boston Medical Center (BMC), and the Medical Director of the Newborn Nursery at BMC. Dr. Cheston completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia, and her medical training at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency in the Urban Health and Advocacy Track of the BCRP and, as a senior resident, received the Harvard Medical Student Teaching Award. She graduated as Chief Resident at Boston Medical Center prior to joining the faculty. In 2022, she became one of the inaugural graduates of the Clinician Educator Leadership Program at BU and, in 2024, was selected for the Boston University Mid-Career Faculty Leadership Program.

Dr. Cheston has published important work on the role of social media in medical education, value-based health care in inpatient pediatrics, novel educational curricula focused on quality improvement and working with patients who prefer a language other than English, and advancing antiracism and equity both in medical education and clinical care. She has had early success as a QI leader, most notably with a medical interpreter project, which succeeded in incorporating in-person interpreters into family-centered rounds with non-English speaking families. She is passionate about formulating innovative educational strategies that teach residents how quality improvement solutions can address problems of health inequity to address structural determinants of health and that advance understanding of the intersection of systemic racism, bias, and pediatrics. Dr. Cheston is interested in studying best practices for incorporating antiracism into medical training for future pediatricians, enhancing equity using holistic evaluation in recruitment of a diverse pediatric workforce, and improving the learning climate for trainees from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine.

Publications

  • Published 4/16/2025

    Lederer SR, Bressler JL, Cheston CC. Characterizing Second Look Behaviors and Attitudes of Pediatric Residency Applicants. Acad Pediatr. 2025 Apr 16; 102832. PMID: 40250706.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/18/2025

    Douglas KE, Fox MT, O'Meara D, Dodderer J, Demers LB, Cheston C. Assessment of a Video Training Module on Effective Communication with Interpreters. J Immigr Minor Health. 2025 Jun; 27(3):458-464. PMID: 40100531.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/10/2024

    Douglas KE, Fox MT, Cheston CC, Behara ML, Schoppel KA. Improving Interpreter Access in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Quality Improvement Initiative. Pediatr Qual Saf. 2024; 9(4):e748. PMID: 38993271.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/26/2023

    Alarcon LN, Ewen AM, Acuña-Martinez E, Cheston CC. Improving Communication with Patients with Limited English Proficiency: Non-English Language Proficiency Assessment for Clinicians. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2024 Jan; 50(1):83-86. PMID: 37730484.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/9/2023

    Cheston CC, Luercio M, Streater B, Karim S, Sectish T, Michelson CD. A Bias Response Committee to Improve the Experience of Diverse Pediatric Residents. Acad Pediatr. 2023; 23(8):1500-1501. PMID: 37302702.

    Read at: PubMed

Education

  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD
  • University of Virginia, BA