Program Overview
Educational Experiences
We have created a diverse, well-rounded learning environment to prepare our residents for superior patient care and the knowledge to manage their profession as pediatricians.
Crisis Management Program with Simulation Program
Noon Conference Curriculum
- Core Conference
Daily noon conferences provide the residents with a rolling, 18-month comprehensive core curriculum of pediatric topics as determined by the chief residents and program director. These are chosen from the ABP, PREP and ACGME core medical knowledge themes. Lectures are given by UofL faculty in the Department of Pediatrics.
- Business Side of Medicine
These monthly lectures cover topics such as contract negotiation, what to do if you’ve been subpoenaed, malpractice coverage, and creating your CV.
- Chairman's Conference
All pediatric faculty, residents and students are invited to attend this weekly conference where two presentations based on interesting or unusual cases are made by Pediatric and Med-Peds residents.
Each month, residents meet to discuss issues related to child advocacy within the framework of the resident-led child advocacy project, P.U.S.H. These meetings are a combination of project planning sessions as well as didactic sessions focusing on topics pertinent to child advocacy.
- Communication
On a monthly basis, residents meet to focus on communication as it relates to patients and their families as well as other healthcare professionals. With a goal of exceeding the ACGME's core competencies of Interpersonal and Communication Skills and Professionalism, the communication curriculum is delivered in a variety of formats during the monthly conference through a combination of workshops, video sessions and standard patient encounters over 18 months.
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Our Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) conference includes journal article review, didactic lectures and small group sessions led by EBM faculty comprised of physicians with public health and epidemiology training as well as a medical librarian.
- Morbidity and Mortality (M&M)
On the fourth Thursday of every month, faculty, residents and students attend this conference to discuss the most frequent medication errors from the previous month. Following the discussion, a pediatric or med-ped resident will present a case chosen by the Pediatric M&M Committee, which consists of four pediatric residents, a pediatric chief resident and a faculty member.
- Research Luncheon
This monthly meeting provides both residents and faculty a forum to present their research to the entire pediatric faculty. Residents who do a research elective are required to present at this conference if they are not presenting at a national meeting.
- Nelson’s Club
Based on resident feedback, we implemented a new approach to Board Study where the residents work through board review questions that pertain to a suggested reading assignment for each month. The conference is led by either a Chief Resident or a Program Director in addition to a guest faculty member from the “specialty of the month” who helps facilitate discussion and expand on the questions/explanations.
Intensive Board Review
Our Board Review Course takes place once a month from 6 - 7:30 p.m. (including dinner). Each month has a specified topic (e.g. pulmonology) and a chief resident, program director or associate program director and faculty member from the appropriate division attend to facilitate discussion. The residents are given 4-5 Pediatrics In Review articles to read on the monthly topic as specified in the Content Specifications and PREP Study Guide prior to their Board Review Session. During the Board Review Sessions, the residents work through PREP questions in a style similar to that of Nelson’s Club. Residents are required to attend a minimum number of these courses throughout the year depending on their In-training exam score. Additionally, we offer a winter mock Board exam for residents who would like to see how their knowledge is progressing.
Morning Report
This daily session offers a format for residents to discuss with the faculty newly admitted patients and follow-up of interesting and complex cases. It gives the residents a perspective on the variety of illnesses in the hospital each day and the opportunity to discuss in-depth specific educational topics.
Grand Rounds
This is a weekly, one-hour conference that is available to all pediatric faculty and residents. A wide variety of topics pertinent to general pediatrics are covered. These sessions are given by a combination of outside speakers and faculty within the department. At the end of the year, there is a Grand Rounds where the seniors present their Scholarly Project during a poster session.
Crisis Management Program with Simulation
Pediatric residents participate in 3-5 simulated crisis management scenarios per academic year as part of our Crisis Management Program with Simulation Program. We created 15 different emergent scenarios that require residents to demonstrate skills in airway management and intubation, cardiac arrest and CPR, arrhythmia management and defibrillation, shock management, seizure management, needle thoracostomy, and more. These sessions include an orientation, the session itself, and a debriefing period. Assessment of knowledge, patient care, systems based practice, communication and team dynamics are completed by the team about themselves and the experience. The faculty preceptors and nurses involved also complete evaluations that are available to the resident for review.
