In addition to the required clinical rotations, the Pediatric Residency’s curriculum includes individualized tracks and additional educational opportunities tailored to the resident’s educational and career goals.
Clinical Concentrations
Residents select individualized clinical concentrations based on their career interests and professional development goals. These are selected at the beginning of the second year and include:
- Primary care pediatrics.
- Hospital medicine.
- Critical care medicine.
- Neonatology.
- Subspecialty fellowship.
Programs
Residents can participate in additional educational programs that suit their interests.
Advocacy
Located in the capital of Texas, the program is uniquely suited to provide residents opportunities to develop their interest in advocacy, particularly legislative advocacy. Led by the Dell Medical School Department of Pediatrics Vice Chair of Advocacy and the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas Advocacy Committee, as well as several faculty, residents have developed tangible advocacy skills resulting in the development of podcasts, educational material and opinion pieces. Residents also participate in the annual Texas Pediatric Society Advocacy Day at the Capitol and can obtain grant funding to implement advocacy projects, strengthen advocacy skills and enhance community partnerships in advocacy.
Global Health Program
Through the Dell Medical School Global Health Program, selected third-year residents participate in a global health elective at a selected clinical site supervised by faculty members. Opportunities include a Spanish immersion elective in Puebla, Mexico, and a global health experience in Kenya.
Foundations in Care Transformation
All residents complete a Foundations in Care Transformation training, which emphasizes value-based care, quality improvement, health equity, leadership and other key competencies in health systems science. The foundational training is part of Dell Med’s signature graduate medical education curriculum, Advancing Care Transformation.
Professional Development
Didactics
Residents have half-day lectures every month that cover topics including cardiology, PICU, dermatology, endocrinology, metabolics/genetics and surgical subspecialties. Residents are excused from all clinical duties during these lectures. Additionally, rotation-specific curricula include an inpatient medicine lecture series, teaching on rounds and rotation-specific modules.
Simulation Curriculum
Residents are provided a robust simulation curriculum during their ambulatory clinic weeks. The simulation sessions are multi-disciplinary and led by faculty from hospital medicine, critical care, neonatology and the emergency department. Skills workshops are also provided.
Residents as Teachers
Residents benefit from a longitudinal curriculum aimed at improving and developing their skills as teachers. Residents will give formal presentations and learn techniques for delivery of information.
Research & Quality Improvement
Formal quality improvement training is given to all residents. Residents participate in a research or quality improvement project as part of their training, supervised by a faculty member. Residents also receive support to present their work at regional or national meetings.