Office of Medical Education

The eight-week Pediatrics Clerkship experience introduces the student to a unique, complex, and challenging field of medicine.  It emphasizes those aspects of general pediatrics important for all medical students and will provide a foundation for those students who elect to further study the health care of infants, children, and adolescents.  Students have the opportunity to participate in the clinical activities of both general and subspecialty pediatric services, but the emphasis in all services is placed on basic issues and common illnesses.  Approximately 50 percent of the student's time is spent in outpatient settings.

The clerkship focuses on human-development biology and emphasizes the impact of family, community, and society on child health and well being.  It also focuses on the impact of disease and its treatment on the developing human and emphasizes growth and development, principles of health supervision, and recognition of common health problems.  The role of the pediatrician in the prevention of disease and injury and the importance of collaboration between the pediatrician and other health professionals is stressed.  Pediatrics shares with other third year clerkships the common responsibility to teach the knowledge, skills, and attitudes basic to the development of a competent general physician.

Goals:

The goals of the core curriculum in Pediatrics are to foster:

• acquisition of basic knowledge of growth and development (physical, physiologic, and psychological) and of its clinical application from birth through adolescence;
• development of communication skills that will facilitate the clinical interaction with children, adolescents, and their families, and thus ensure that complete, accurate data are obtained;
• development of competency in the physical examination of infants, children, and adolescents;
• development of clinical problem-solving skills;
• an understanding of the influence of family, community, and society on the child in health and disease;
• development of strategies for health promtion as well as disease and injury prevention;
• development of the atitudes and professional behaviors appropriate for clinical practice; and
  
• an understanding of the approach of pediatricians to the health care of children and adolescents.

• Clinical performance (outpatient, inpatient, and newborn nursery) - 33%
• Pediatric Exam of the National Board of Medical Examiners - 33%
• Completion and performance of Clipp cases and accompanying questions - 33%