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Medical Student Education

Clerkship

For medical students at our Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the clerkship year starts in the spring of Year 2. All students participate in a six-week pediatrics clerkship, and most come to Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein (CHAM) for this experience. The clerkship provides students with the opportunity to accumulate knowledge, develop skills and gain experience in well-child care and evaluating pediatric medical problems.

OVERALL GOALS FOR THE PEDIATRICS CLERKSHIP

The goal of the pediatric clerkship is to provide second-year students with:

  • An appreciation of pediatrics’ concern with the process of growth and development from birth to adulthood, and the fact that this process occurs in a predictable pattern that is unique to each child and evolves within the context of their family and their social determinants of health
  • An introduction to a systematic approach to medical and structural problem identification, clinical reasoning and decision making with respect to children’s health and illness
  • Recognition of the unique pediatrician–patient–family relationship, which requires a wide range of skills, including the ability to:
    • Provide all levels of medical care
    • Provide anticipatory guidance and counseling to promote wellness of both the child and the family
    • Facilitate the family’s ability to use the healthcare system and their own resources appropriately
    • Counsel families on basic areas of functioning (e.g. sleep, nutrition, behavior, school, etc.) in relation to developmental stages, family dynamics, changing circumstances and crises
    • Advocate for families within and outside of the healthcare system and work collaboratively with them and others on their behalf

Clinical experiences during pediatric clerkship training are very diverse and include inpatient, outpatient, emergency, newborn and subspecialty medicine. These are enriched with a variety of student didactics, such as:

  • Problem-based learning sessions
  • Case presentation conferences
  • ED conferences
  • Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP) clinical problem set reviews
  • Inpatient conferences
  • A formative simulation or Observed Structured Clinical Exercise (OSCE) day

In addition, students attend departmental and house staff conferences, lectures and grand rounds. Students learn to take responsibility for patient care in all clinical venues, under supervision, and participate in multidisciplinary teams, interacting with the pediatric house staff, faculty, nurses, social workers, community health workers, pharmacists, and therapists. Students may also attend family meetings and multidisciplinary case conferences to discuss patient care from a variety of perspectives.

The clerkship in pediatrics has been the highest-rated student clerkship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine for many years. In the most recent student evaluation report, CHAM received an overall positive learning experience rating of 96 percent.

PEDIATRICS CLERKSHIP CORE OBJECTIVES

By the end of this clerkship, students will be able to:

  • Recognize the range of physiologic and/or developmental changes that may occur across the lifespan
  • Describe the clinical presentation and basic management principles of common acute and/or chronic medical conditions encountered in a patient on the pediatrics clerkship
  • Obtain an accurate patient history, using effective communication skills informed by structural and cultural humility relevant to the encounter
  • Conduct a competent physical examination relevant to the encounter
  • Utilize clinical reasoning to formulate the most likely and structurally competent differential diagnosis
  • Select and interpret appropriate, high-value diagnostic tests
  • Formulate a patient-centered and evidence-based treatment plan (including healthcare maintenance, if applicable) that integrates bio-psychosocial considerations
  • Discuss the indications and complications of common procedures
  • Formulate and deliver appropriate case presentations relevant to the setting
  • Document clinically accurate information in a patient-centered, well-organized written note relevant to the encounter
  • Demonstrate effective (clear, compassionate, respectful and non-judgmental) verbal communication skills with patients, families, peers and members of the care team, informed by structural and cultural humility
  • Work collaboratively with all members of the care team and/or community partners
  • Incorporate professional and ethical practice into your performance on the clerkship and the care of your patients
  • Serve as an advocate for patients
  • Demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, including critical reading of the medical literature, identifying and utilizing high-quality sources of information, and seeking and incorporating feedback

PEDIATRICS CLERKSHIP SPECIFIC AIMS

  • Distinguish between a well-appearing child and one who requires immediate attention.
  • Differentiate the medical, emotional, and social needs of children/adolescents.
  • Recognize the common pediatric problems that require hospitalization.
  • Formulate the recommended pediatric clinical preventive services in a patient-centered manner.
  • Evaluate the common problems found in children/adolescents in inpatient and outpatient settings.
  • Recognize normal childhood growth and developmental milestones.
  • Perform a normal newborn examination.
  • Illustrate the role that pediatricians and other health professionals play as advocates for children/adolescents and their families.