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Clerkship Program

Our goal is that all of you find your six weeks on pediatrics to be not only a worthwhile learning experience but an enjoyable experience as well.

You will be required to meet several expectations during your weeks on pediatrics. At times this will require a considerable amount of work. The pediatric clerkship is the culmination of improvements made over the past years through the input and feedback of pediatric faculty and pediatric house staff, as well as Med 3s such as you. I feel your efforts, therefore, will be well worth it—whether you choose pediatrics as your career or not.

The goals of the Department of Pediatrics for the education of third-year students include enabling the students to develop and implement knowledge about the process of growth and development and about common diseases and conditions of childhood. Goals also include enabling students to work with children and families together and developing an understanding of the importance of preventive medicine and how social and environmental factors affect young people. During the clerkship, the department intends to reinforce the principles of acquiring lifelong learning skills.

Attitude

After completing a six-week pediatric clerkship rotation, the student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate the development of humanistic attitudes in dealing with well, acutely ill and chronically ill patients, and to recognize the role of the child in the family unit;
  2. Assume responsibility for initial and follow-up care of the patient;
  3. Establish a pattern of continuous inquiry into the problems of human development, referring to basic texts and current literature; and
  4. Appreciate the role of established research and personal inquiry in advancing pediatric care.

Skills

After completing a six-week pediatric clerkship rotation, the student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate skills in interviewing and perform an age-oriented physical examination on children newborn to 21 years of age;
  2. Obtain and record a complete medical examination using the SOAP or other organized format; and
  3. Formulate a clinical assessment (diagnosis, problem list) and establish diagnostic and therapeutic plans for each problem on the list.

Cognition

After completing a six-week pediatric clerkship rotation, the student will be able to:

  1. Recognize the influence and impact of pathophysiological processes on the growth and development processes of children;
  2. Recognize the acutely ill child versus the mildly ill child and the significance of signs and symptoms at various ages;
  3. Recognize and describe common clinical illnesses of children;
  4. Learn basic principles of management of common pediatric problems;
  5. Understand the importance of preventive pediatrics such as nutrition, safety, immunizations and anticipatory guidance; and
  6. Gain insight into the role of the pediatrician in different practice settings.

Your activities on pediatrics will fall into three general areas: Reading, Lectures and Conferences, and Clinical Activities.