Categorical Pediatric Curriculum
The Pediatric Residency Program at The University of Tennessee prepares physicians for the practice of specialized or general pediatrics or the world of pediatric research and academics.
The curriculum offers a balanced program of experiences at each level of training with increasing levels of responsibility.
A well-rounded and comprehensive pediatric education, along with high-quality health care for area children, are the goals of the Pediatric Residency Program. To ensure that the best educational program is provided for all residents, the program's curriculum, requirements and activities are continually reevaluated by the Committee on Resident Education (CORE). This committee is composed of 12 full-time faculty members, two pediatricians in private practice in the community, a representative from the fellowship programs, the current and upcoming Chief Residents and elected resident representatives from each pediatric and medpeds class.
The CORE is responsible for all aspects of the residency program. The committee works closely with the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, who is also the Residency Program Director, and with the Vice Chair of the Department, who is also the Vice President for Medical Affairs at Le Bonheur.
Orientation
The Department of Pediatrics welcomes new house officers with a two day orientation and two day PALS training in June each year. This orientation precedes the annual start date of July 1. In addition to allowing the residents to meet each other before starting their clinical responsibilities, the orientation includes the two-day Pediatric Advanced Life Support Course and acquaints residents with the hospitals and services, giving them the administrative details necessary to assume responsibility for patient care.
The PL-1 Year
| Rotation | Location | Description | Schedule | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inpatient Pediatrics | Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital | PL-l's serve on one of Le Bonheur's four inpatient teams supervised by second, third, and fourth year residents. | Average 6 night shifts per month | 6 months |
| Outpatient Pediatrics | LBCMC Physician Office Building | Residents spend each day in Le Bonheur Urgent Care Clinic or Outpatient Center. | 15 Urgent Care shifts and 2 QI clinic shifts/ vacation | 2 months |
| Neonatal Intensive Care | Newborn Center at the Regional Medical Center | The PL-1 resident manages term and preterm infants as part of the NICU team which is also composed of a PL-2's and MP-3's, and supervised by a PL-3. The residents attend high-risk deliveries performed by the UT Obstetrics Department. | 4 nights a month | 1 month |
| Pediatric Infectious Disease | Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital | Working with a ID Fellow and Attending, you care for patients admitted to the ID service | Day shifts only | 1 month |
| Pediatric Emergency Medicine | Le Bonheur Emergency Department | PL-1's see patients in Le Bonheur's Emergency Department, in shifts no longer than 12 hours each. The Emergency Department is staffed 24 hours a day by an attending physician from the Pediatric Emergency Department faculty. | Approximately 16 ER shifts | 1 month |
| Elective (1) | Various | Depending upon each resident's interest, a rotation is chosen from the required core electives. | Day shifts only | 1 month |
The PL-2 Year
PL-2s begin to gain supervisory experience and to focus on the care of critically ill patients. They also begin caring for oncology patients. There are three weeks of vacation during the PL-2 year, plus six days over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. PL-2 residents always have at least one day in seven off which is not a post-call day. The year is spent in ten areas:
| Rotation | Location | Description | Call | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inpatient Pediatrics Supervisor | Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital | PL-2's co-supervise one of the patient care teams at Le Bonheur with a PL-3. | Every 5th night | 1 month |
| Well Baby Nursery | The Birthplace at the Regional Medical Center | PL-2's perform newborn physical exams, assist on circumcisions, and conduct discharge conferences with mothers. | 2-3 calls per month | 1 month |
| Pediatric Intensive Care | PICU at Le Bonheur | The two months in the ICU provide thorough exposure to the critical care of infants and children. Critical Care fellows and attending physicians supervise PL-2s. Le Bonheur's ICU is used for post-operative patients in all surgical disciplines, for trauma patients and for critically ill medical patients. | Night shifts (14 hour shift 4p - 6a) for 5 days + 2 weekend calls | 2 months |
| Neonatal Intensive Care | Newborn Center at the Regional Medical Center and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital | The role of the PL-2 is the same during the first year, except that the PL-2s benefit from having had one year of experience. Also, half of the month is spent in the NICU at each hospital. | Every 4th night | 1 month |
| Pediatric Hematology/Oncology | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | One month is spent on the leukemia service with 3 weeks of inpatients and one week in the outpatient clinics. One month is spent on the solid tumor service. Three weeks of that rotation are inpatient and one week of outpatient. | Night shifts (14 hour shift 4p - 6a) for 5 days + 2 weekend calls | 2 months |
| Electives (3) | Various | Depending upon each resident's interest, rotations are chosen from the required or non-required electives. | 1 - 2 Calls per month | 3 month |
| Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics | Boling Center and other various clinics | Residents explore in-depth the evaluation and management of developmental disabilities in children and adolescents. This rotation is designed to provide residents with a thorough knowledge of the resources available to help these children and their families. Residents attend specialized clinics in developmental pediatrics as well as facilities in Memphis dedicated to helping these children. | 1 - 2 Calls per month | 1 month |
| Adolescent Medicine | Various Clinics | PL-1's participate in the following clinics: sports medicine, endocrinology and diabetes, gynecology and family planning, sexually transmitted diseases, After Cancer Treatment Clinic (St. Jude), and normal adolescent care. | 1 - 2 Calls per month | 1 month |
The PL-3 Year
Senior residents supervise PL-1s and PL-2s for four months of the third year. Senior residents supervise all admissions and direct all Harvey Team calls when on call. There are three weeks of vacation during the PL-3 year, plus six days over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. In addition, one week is allowed for attending a conference. The year is spent in six areas:
| Rotation | Location | Description | Call | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inpatient Pediatrics Supervisor | Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital | PGY3's supervise the inpatient teams at Le Bonheur. Residents teach medical students and PL-1’s and coordinate the teaching and patient care aspects of the service with attending physicians. | Every 5th night | 3 months |
| Outpatient Pediatrics Supervisor | ULPS Pediatrics Clinic | Residents spend each day in the Pediatric Clinic. | Home call 6-7 nights 2 | 2 months |
| Community Pediatrics | Various Clinics and advocacy groups | The PL-3 resident participates in the community-based clinics and programs, juvenile court, child abuse advocacy groups. | 1 - 2 Calls Per Month | 1 month |
| Neonatal Intensive Care Supervisor | Newborn Center at the Regional Medical Center | PL-3’s perform their required supervisory role in an intensive care unit during this month. | Every 4th night | 1 month |
| Pediatric Emergency Medicine | Le Bonheur Emergency Department | Further experience in the management of emergency patients is provided. During the second and last month of the PL-3 year, the resident will tailor their month with non-acute ED, main ED, orthopaedics or conscious sedation. | None | 2 months |
| Electives (3) | Various | Depending upon each resident's interest, rotations are chosen from the required or non-required electives. | 1 - 2 Calls per month | 3 months |
