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Pediatrics Clerkship

Pediatrics is a six-week clerkship during which students develop clinical skills to manage healthy and ill infants, children, and adolescents in collaboration with their families. Clinical experiences occur in the general pediatric wards, pediatric emergency department, newborn nursery, and ambulatory settings.

Clerkship Objectives

Professionalism (PR)

  1. Demonstrates professionalism and a humanistic approach in all activities. (PR1)
  2. Respects and safeguards patient confidentiality. (PR2)
  3. Demonstrates reliability and timeliness in arriving to and completing all in-person and on-line course requirements, including medical documentation. (PR5)

Patient Care and Procedural Skills (PC)

  1. Demonstrates the ability to gather a patient history from the patient and family. (PC1)
  2. Identifies normal and abnormal pediatric physical exam and development. (PC2)
  3. Recognizes a pediatric patient in need of urgent or emergent care. (PC3)
  4. Develops differential diagnoses. (PC4)
  5. Develops an assessment and diagnostic plan and interprets results. (PC5)
  6. Develops a therapeutic plan. (PC6)
  7. Demonstrates a patient- and family-centered approach appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the patient. (PC8)

Medical Knowledge (MK)

  1. Explains the etiology and pathophysiology of common pediatric diseases and conditions. (MK1)
  2. Applies basic and clinical science knowledge to common pediatric diseases and conditions. (MK2)

Interpersonal and Communication Skills (IC)

  1. Collaborates and communicates effectively and respectfully with patients and families. (IC1)
  2. Collaborates and communicates effectively and respectfully with clinicians and medical staff. (IC2)
  3. Counsels patients and families appropriately and effectively on prevention, safety, and health promotion. (IC3)

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PL)

  1. Seeks and is receptive to feedback, self-reflect on performance, and implements learning and improvement goals. (PL1)
  2. Demonstrates knowledge of evidence-based medicine by exhibiting skills in locating, assessing, and critically appraising medical literature and its application. (PL2)

Systems-Based Practice (SP)

  1. Explains how preventive measures (e.g., immunization schedules, indications, contraindications), health behaviors and social determinants affect disease, injury and health in individual pediatric patients and across populations. (SP1)

REQUIRED CLINICAL ENCOUNTERS

Diagnosis
Participate in the care of patients with the following diagnoses:		 Outpatient or
Inpatient
Health Supervision: newborn (0-1 months) O
Health Supervision: infant (1-2 months) O
Health Supervision: toddler/preschool (12-60 months) O
Health Supervision: school-aged (5-12 years) O
Health Supervision: adolescent (13-19 years) O
Behavioral Issues (e.g., temper tantrums, school problems) O,I
CNS Issue (e.g., headache, seizures, pain, head injury, ataxia) O,I
Chronic medical issue (e.g., seizures, cerebral palsy, sleep apnea, atopic process, sickle cell, HIV, asthma, diabetes) O,I
Dermatological issue (e.g., rash, acne, thrush, birthmark, abrasions) O,I
Fever O,I
GI Issue (e.g., gastroenteritis, abdominal pain, reflux) O,I
Growth issue (e.g., poor growth, overweight, small for gest age) O,I
Developmental issue (e.g., milestones, delays in skill attainment), including an assessment of development (gross, motor, fine motor, social, language) O,I
Emergent issue (shock, DKA, Brief Resolved Unexplained Event (BRUE), status asthmaticus, meningitis, croup, abuse) O,I
Jaundice/increased bilirubin O,I
Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (e.g., bronchiolitis, pneumonia) O,I
Upper Respiratory Infection (e.g., viral, sore throat, sinusitis, otitis) O,I
Nutrition (e.g., breastfeeding, vitamins, calcium)

O,I
Procedures and Skills Outpatient or
Inpatient
Participate in preparing and ordering a prescription in the EHR (pending physician approval) O,I
Perform a fluid needs calculation I
Perform an interpretation of a pediatric Xray O,I
Perform an interpretation of a urinalysis I
Participate in taking a rectal temperature O,I
Perform an interpretation of growth parameters (height, weight, head circumference) O,I
Perform a head circumference measurement (occipital frontal circumference) O,I
Perform an interpretation of body mass index (BMI) O,I
Participate in a handoff I
Participate in a vision screening in a child O,I
Participate in identifying a proper schedule and technique for administration of immunizations to a pediatric patient O
Observe the administration of immunizations
 O
Participate in a Ballard Assessment I
Participate in providing counseling to an adolescent on smoking, drug use, sexual activity, and associated infections
 O,I
Participate in counseling a parent on child safety (e.g., car seats, injury prevention, and poisoning prevention)
 O,I
Participate in anticipatory guidance given to a new parent O,I