Curriculum

 Morning Report and Lecture Series

Our program has a dedicated 75 minute daily morning report and lecture that is attended by all residents.  This lecture series provides CME for faculty.

Required Rotations

PL-1:  During this year, residents are given primary patient care responsibility under direct supervision of senior residents and staff.  The emphasis is on primary care of pediatric patients from newborns to adolescents. Interns spend two months on the inpatient ward, 2 months in the neonatal intensive care unit, and 3 months in the general pediatric clinic.  One month rotations are completed on the adolescent medicine service, the mother infant care unit, and in the emergency room at Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC.  To complete your training as a military medical officer, additional rotations are scheduled in orthopedics and in the hospital emergency department.  

PL-2:  The second year is designed to introduce the resident to more sub-specialized patient care and to learn how to supervise junior residents on the ward and in the nursery.  Rotations are offered in developmental medicine, community pediatrics, hematology-oncology, pediatric critical care, ambulatory medicine, and in 2-3 electives.

 PL-3:  In the third year, residents gain skills as teaching chiefs on the inpatient services and in the clinics. Rotations in subspecialty electives, a community based primary care clinic and the pediatric ICU at Children's National Medical Center are offered.

Electives

Electives in every pediatric subspecialty are offered, as well as electives in anesthesia, dermatology, allergy/immunology and research.

Research Methods

The NCA has a strong active research community in pediatric basic science and clinical research.  Primers on conducting pediatric research are incorporated into the morning lecture series.  A constantly updated online database of projects and mentors is available.  There are several active protocols initiated by our residents, and our residents, fellows, faculty and medical students annually submit over 50% of abstracts for the Uniformed Services Pediatric Seminar Scientific Awards competition.

Policy & Curriculum Meeting

Representatives from each resident class form the Policy & Curriculum Committee which meets quarterly .  The program has a strong legacy of valuing and implementing resident ideas and suggestions into residency policy and into the educational curriculum.

Military Unique Curriculum

All residents receive training and exposure to operational medicine and pediatrics.  Interns attend C4, the Combat Casualty Care Course.  All residents take the Military Medical Humanitarian Assistance Course, where they learn the knowledge and skills to perform basic epidemiological monitoring, administer oral rehydration solution, assess nutritional status and treat infectious disease in a humanitarian disaster. Operational medical topics such as sports injuries, eye injuries, dive medicine, flight medicine and field dermatologic conditions are offered during seminars and during morning report.

Child Protection Course

Third year residents attend the week-long FAST course in San Antonio in August each year.  This supplements the week-long experience they receive in the Armed Forces Child Protection Center at NNMC during their residency.

Resident Retreat / Program Retreat

The yearly resident retreat occurs in September.  The residents use the retreat to foster team-building and to work together to improve the program.  Faculty, staff, residents and nurses gather each year in June to re-assess the delivery of military pediatric care and pediatric resident education in the National Capital Area.

Performance & Quality Improvement

In fitting with the ACGME's Core Competencies, residents take-on Problem-Based Learning & Improvement (PBLI) projects as part of their Continuity Clinics, learning the basics of PI/QI and applying them to self-selected primary care topic. Additionally, residents participate in the monthly Performance Improvement meeting at WRAMC.

Multidisciplinary Care Meeting

Residents participate in the weekly multidisciplinary care meetings while on the inpatient ward rotations.  These meeting involve social workers, nurses, care managers, nutritionists, case managers and physicians.  Their goal is to provide and plan for optimal care and services for our special needs patients as they transition towards discharge.

Pediatric Medical Simulation

Our hospitals boast one of the most extensive medical simulation facilities in the United States.  Our residents use the USUHS Simulation Center to practice procedures, interview and examine mock patients and perform simulated telephone triage.  An additional facility dedicated to simulation of newborn delivery and premature infant care is available at the National Naval Medical Center.

Advanced Life Support Courses

All interns become qualified in PALS and NRP as well as ACLS and ATLS.  APLS is also offered during residency.  Residents become NRP instructors by the time of graduation, and all residents are offered the opportunity to become PALS instructors. 

Senior Rounds

Third-year residents participate in monthly sessions with the Chief Resident to discuss a challenging case in depth.

Staff Coffee

Faculty brief each other in their area of expertise during these monthly sessions held concurrently with the residents’ housestaff meeting. 

Research Conference

The monthly research conference is held prior to Grand Rounds and highlights an area of active research within the Departments.

Combat Casualty Care Course

All pediatric interns spend a week in Camp Bullis, Texas to learn the practice of combat casualty care.

Grand Rounds

The Department of Pediatrics of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences sponsors Grand Rounds, a twice-monthly invited lecture given by pediatricians who are leaders in their fields.

Education Meeting

Third year residents participate in the Education meeting, where their input is valued in the academic and clinical evaluation of interns and second year residents.

Residents as Teachers

The residency and the Departments have a long tradition of teaching pediatric medicine to medical students, and the Departments are known for their innovation and expertise in pediatric medical education.  Residents receive formal and informal instruction on the art of educating medical students and other learners.