Pediatric Residency Program

Clinical Experience

Postgraduate Year 1

The intern year at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein (CHAM) emphasizes inpatient clinical experience. Under the guidance of senior residents and attending physicians, interns serve as the primary clinicians for their patients. Inpatient units are organized by age group or subspecialty, providing interns with a rich and diverse learning environment to manage a wide range of common and complex pediatric conditions across different developmental stages. 

In addition to inpatient responsibilities, interns participate in outpatient experiences, including a month dedicated to Behavior & Development and 1–2 months of electives, allowing interns to explore subspecialties of interest. A multi-subspecialty elective month exposes interns to all pediatric subspecialties early in their training. Continuity clinic experiences occur during Y- and Z-blocks, helping interns maintain ongoing care for their assigned patients. 

Interns also rotate through the Newborn Nursery (NBN) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Jack D. Weiler Hospital on the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Campus. These rotations provide hands-on experience with neonatal resuscitation, deliveries, and management of both healthy newborns and common NICU conditions.     

Beyond clinical skills, interns begin to develop as educators, mentoring third- and fourth-year medical students and contributing to their learning. 

Postgraduate Year 2

Building on the foundation from intern year, the PGY-2 year emphasizes the development of independent clinical decision-making, team leadership, and teaching skills. PGY-2 residents serve as supervising residents on inpatient units, leading rounds and guiding interns and medical students in patient care. Inpatient experiences include General Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Adolescent Medicine, and subspecialty teams in Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Surgical Subspecialties, Renal, and Renal/Liver Transplant. PGY-2 residents also gain experience in the Pediatric Critical Care Unit (PCCU), managing critically ill patients. 

A significant component of the PGY-2 year is expanded elective time, allowing residents to explore interests in pediatric subspecialties, general pediatrics, private practice, and research. Residents also complete an Adolescent Medicine rotation during their second or third year and gain child psychiatry exposure through a two-week Mental Health elective. Continuity clinic experiences continue during Y- and Z-blocks, enabling residents to maintain ongoing care for patients they first saw during PGY-1. 

All PGY-2 residents complete a two-week Full Time Clinic rotation, providing focused exposure to general pediatrics in the ambulatory setting and further strengthening outpatient care skills.

NB: cycles are a 4-week period (cycle 3) and blocks are a 2-week period (block 3A and 3B)  

Postgraduate Year 3

In their senior year, residents focus on refining teaching and mentorship skills through supervisory roles on both the inpatient floors and in the intensive care units. A dedicated Managing Senior rotation provides third-year residents with additional opportunities to strengthen these skills. Senior residents oversee patient care on the general inpatient floors as well as on the hematology/oncology, cardiology, and nephrology subspecialty teams, covering both day and night responsibilities.

Third-year residents also participate in a Community Health rotation, gaining insight into the social, economic, and environmental factors that influence patient health and learning about community resources that support families. The senior year continues to include elective time, including a 4-week Call-free elective, allowing residents to pursue diverse interests such as global health experiences, research, or preparation for careers in hospital-based or private practice medicine. 

Electives

At CHAM, we are fortunate to offer exposure to the full spectrum of pediatric subspecialties. Residents with interests outside of the standard electives are encouraged to discuss their goals with us. We are open to creating individualized elective plans to accommodate their unique interests and career aspirations.

XYZ Curriculum

As of July 2025, CHAM has implemented an X+Y+Z curriculum, with each block lasting two weeks. This structure is designed to optimize resident learning, patient care continuity, and wellness by clearly separating inpatient, ambulatory, and flexible rotations.

Our new structured block system ensures residents gain comprehensive, high-quality clinical and educational experiences while maintaining wellness and continuity across inpatient and outpatient settings.

Sample: