Pediatrics Clerkship | NYU Langone Health

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Pediatrics Training for Medical Students Pediatrics Clerkship

Pediatrics Clerkship

The Department of Pediatrics at NYU Langone offers two types of clerkships for medical students.

Core Pediatrics Clerkship

The core pediatrics clerkship is a six-week clinical experience designed to provide medical students with the knowledge and skills that are fundamental to caring for infants, children, and adolescents. Students gain an understanding of how pediatric patients are different from adults. Through interactive didactic sessions and clinical experiences, medical students learn about growth, development, preventive medicine, and the diagnosis and management of both acute and chronic pediatric illnesses.

The rotation is divided between inpatient and outpatient experiences. During the three-week inpatient rotation, students serve as an integral member of the interdisciplinary care teams while providing family-centered care to children. They rotate through the general pediatric and subspecialty units at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone or NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. Students learn about the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of a broad spectrum of pediatric conditions.

For one week, clerkship participants rotate in a low-risk nursery at either Bellevue or NYU Langone’s Tisch Hospital. They become proficient in the newborn exam and learn about well-newborn care and common problems specific to newborns. During this time, students are also assigned two emergency department shifts.

During the two-week outpatient rotation, students provide care to pediatric patients in primary care clinics at Bellevue Hospital Ambulatory Care Center and at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur, as well as at private practices affiliated with NYU Langone. They also have the opportunity to rotate in pediatric subspecialty clinics at Bellevue or at the Fink Children’s Ambulatory Care Center, part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital. Students learn about preventive healthcare and the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses typically cared for in the outpatient setting.

All students are assigned a faculty preceptor who meets weekly with students in a small group setting to help develop students’ core knowledge, clinical reasoning, and communication skills. Preceptors provide feedback during the middle and end of the clerkship.

Through a structured Wednesday afternoon didactic series, medical students attend interactive learning sessions covering a wide range of pediatric topics. Numerous opportunities for additional learning are available to students, including a half-day objective structured clinical examination and a pediatric simulation experience.

Advanced Pediatrics Clerkship

Medical students who have successfully completed the core pediatrics clerkship may participate in the advanced pediatrics clerkship. This intensive four-week rotation prepares you to excel as a resident. As acting interns, students receive the right balance of support and independence to grow and gain confidence in their abilities.

In this clerkship, participants focus on advanced pediatrics diagnosis and management under the guidance of a supervising resident, a faculty attending, and the clerkship director.

Under supervision, students manage up to five patients on the inpatient services at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital—34th Street or at Bellevue. Each week, they make didactic preceptor rounds with the clerkship director concentrating on critical thinking and management.

Students are assigned to the inpatient site Monday through Friday, from 7:00AM to 6:00PM. There are two on calls: Saturday or Sunday (7:00AM to 7:00PM) or late on Friday (until 12:00AM). Students receive their schedule from the chief resident before starting.

Clerkship Leadership

The core pediatrics clerkship is led by Cynthia J. Osman, MD, director; Chanda M. Bradshaw, MD, associate director; and Harris E. Burstin, MD, associate director. Dr. Burstin is also the director of the advanced pediatrics clerkship.

Visit Brightspace (Kerberos ID and password required) for more information, including an outline of the clerkship’s goals and objectives, as well as site assignments, site information, schedules, course materials, evaluation guidelines, and helpful links.