Students assigned to the inpatient block spend 4 weeks rotating through 3 different areas of the hospital. For 2 weeks, they help the resident/hospitalist team care for general and subspecialty pediatric patients.  For another week, they work in the newborn nursery, helping residents and a nursery attending care for healthy term newborns, and attending high-risk deliveries as part of the resuscitation team. They spend a final week in the pediatric emergency department, helping residents and attendings care for high and low acuity patients.

Students assigned to the outpatient block spend 2 weeks at our pediatric ambulatory care center helping residents and attendings with well-child and walk-in visits. They meet with a site preceptor weekly for educational guidance and enrichment. Most days begin with instructive sessions at the medical center, followed by work in the primary care clinic, where students perform complete histories and physical exams, and develop clear, well-formulated, age-appropriate treatment plans.

Patient privacy rules forbid students from documenting directly in electronic health records (EHR). Residents oversee students’ patient visits and EHR documentation and help them present patients directly to clinic attendings.

The pediatric surgery elective familiarizes students with differential diagnoses of neonatal surgical emergencies, and the medical and surgical management of congenital and acquired conditions, including malignant tumors and trauma. Students observe endoscopic, laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgical procedures. Under the constant supervision of the pediatric surgery resident and attending, they participate in all patient evaluations, attend ward rounds, teaching conferences, and consultations, and assist and observe in the operating rooms.

All morning conferences are mandatory. Students are expected to attend all teaching sessions in their assigned clinical areas, and to present a case or topic to fellow students, residents, and attendings at least once during their internship.