Timeframe
- 2-weeks General Pediatric Outpatient
- 1-week General Pediatric Inpatient
- 1-week Newborn Nursery
- 1-week Pediatric Subspecialty
Clerkship Administration
Interim Clerkship Director: Erika McLean, MD, erika.mclean@carle.com
Assistant Clerkship Director: Ian Justement, MD, ian.justement@carle.com
Engineering Partner: Sara Pedron Haba, PhD, spedron@illinois.edu
Clerkship Coordinator: Amy Cain, amycain@illinois.edu
Clerkship Introduction
The pediatric clerkship experience introduces the student to the field of pediatrics by dividing time between outpatient pediatric offices, subspecialty offices, inpatient pediatric units and the newborn nursery. The emphasis is on general well and sick care of infants, children, and adolescents that will provide a foundation for all medical students in the third year. The clerkship focuses on normal growth and development, the principles of health supervision as well as recognition of common health problems, as well as the impact of disease and treatment on the developing child and family. Additionally, it brings awareness to the impact of the household and childhood trauma on long term health and wellbeing.
Medical students rotating in the clerkship are an integral part of the medical team and are encouraged to take ownership of their patients. In addition to learning well-child care and pathologic states in infants and children, students learn to perform and write histories and physical examinations, including their own assessment and plan. Students are expected to take part in all aspects of their patients’ care and to read daily about their patients’ problems.
Students are encouraged to read the current online literature, such as UptoDate, and use Aquifer cases in order to understand normal childhood growth and development, as well as common pediatric disease pathologies and therapeutics.
The Carle Illinois Educational Program Objectives (EPOs) consist of competencies and measurable objectives that the college deems essential for graduation. These are applicable to all rotations. The full text of Carle Illinois EPOs can be accessed here. Or copy and paste the following link: https://medicine.illinois.edu/academics/curriculum/core-competencies-and-objectives
In conclusion, the pediatric faculty strives for a clinical teaching climate that is stimulating and comfortable, one that allows students not only to demonstrate strengths but also identify areas in need of development and improvement. The Clerkship Director and Assistant Director’s doors are always open for feedback, and students are encouraged to contact us with concerns.
Erika McLean, MD, Clerkship Director
Ian Justement, MD, Asst Clerkship Director
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Pediatric Clerkship Goals (see Syllabus for EPOs)
Additional Clerkship Requirements
Attendance and Responsibilities
Important Dates to Remember
Assessment and Evaluation
Function under stress
Additional dress code requirements
Note: List of required DOS and required Aquifer cases are to be found under their own heading on the Canvas page.
Pediatric Clerkship Goals:
This clerkship introduces students to the discipline of Pediatrics. It is a 5-week experience during which students will acquire clinical skills, knowledge, and professional behaviors to care for children safely and compassionately. The goals for this clerkship are as follows:
- Demonstrate communication skills with patients and families that convey respect, integrity, flexibility, sensitivity, and compassion while avoiding use of medical jargon.
- Present a complete, well-organized verbal and written summary of the patient’s history and physical examination findings, including an assessment and plan modifying the presentation to fit the time constraints and educational goals of the situation.
- Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills that facilitate empathic relationships and effective collaborations with families, children and adolescents, and other health care professionals and teams.
- Describe how to modify the interview depending on the age of the child, with attention to the following age groups: newborn, toddler/preschooler, and school-age child, adolescent, including when to address questions to child versus parent.
- Adapt history taking from parents, children and adolescents in more complex situations (e.g. adolescent psychosocial interview, more demanding parent), collecting complete and accurate information and focusing appropriately.
- Organize a case presentation to accurately reflect the reason for the evaluation, the chronology of the history, the details of physical findings, the differential diagnosis, and the suggested initial evaluation. Include age specific information and precise description of physical findings. Justify the thought process that led to the diagnostic and therapeutic plan.
- Draft clinical findings and independent clinical thinking in the form of written notes.
COURSE CONTENT: See Syllabus
Additional Clerkship Requirements: In addition to attending clinical rotations, all students are required to complete the following non-graded departmental tasks in order to successfully complete the clerkship: (see descriptions below and in syllabus)
- Case and Procedure Logging
- History and Physical Presentation
- Peer Presentation
- Aquifer cases
- Eight Direct Observation of Skills (DOS)
- Practice NBME Test
- Mid-clerkship Review
- Engineering Partner Meeting
- Students must have no unexcused absences
- Students must have no professionalism issues
Note: DOS and Aquifer cases are to be found under their own heading on the Canvas page.
Students are specifically encouraged to work cooperatively and professionally not only with the attending physicians, but also with nurses, social workers and the entire health care staff to identify and meet the needs of the patients and their families.
Attendance and Responsibilities
In addition to Carle Illinois Medical School standard absence policy students are required to comply with the following:
- If you are sick or have other duties/appointments for which you would like to be excused, you must notify your Clerkship Directors, Clerkship Coordinator, and the attending you are working with as early as possible.
- Any planned absence, students are required to notify the Clerkship Director prior to the start of the clerkship
- However, there is no guarantee planned absence request will always be honored
- Approval of any planned absence request is subject to discretion of the Clerkship Director
- Also, make sure you submit your excused request online as per policy
Important Dates to Remember: All times are in CST
Week One
- Orientation – In person, Monday at 8am of week # 1 at Forum
- Review of Pediatric Devices – In person, Tuesday at 2pm, NT8 Conference room outside of Pediatrics Unit
- Lecture by Dr Malcolm Hill – 1st Wednesday, 12-1 pm: link
- Engineering: Problem Identification: Discuss observations – identification of problem you encountered during your clinical work. Identify and understsand methods/tools to help link clinical needs, design requirements, concepts, and solution development.
- IDEA Engineering Course – Every Friday afternoon, 12-5 pm, weeks # 1-4
Week Two
- Video lecture 2nd Wednesday 12-1 pm: Child Abuse lecture by Dr Brent Riefsteck, Child Abuse Specialist
- Engineering: Needs screening: Assignment – About 200 words identifying different areas of innovation, develop needs statement: problem – population – outcome. Brainstorming, ideas, Pros and cons for different solutions.
- IDEA Engineering Course – Every Friday afternoon, 12-5 pm, weeks # 1-4
Week Three
- NBME Practice Exam – 3rd Monday, afternoon
- Completion of 16 Aquifer cases, minimum – 3rd Wednesday, 8 am
- H&P Presentation – 3rd Wednesday, 12-1 pm
- Mid-Clerkship evaluation – 3rd Wednesday, 1-4 pm
- Engineering: Solution: Assignment – about 300 words of more in depth concepts: look for background information, identify technical and non-technical risks for each of the concepts.
- IDEA Engineering Course – Every Friday afternoon, 12-5 pm, weeks # 1-4
Week Four
- Clinical Presentation/Peer Teaching – 4th Wednesday, 12-1 pm
- Engineering: Presentation: for small group feedback of your final project to influde: Observation, needs statement, evaluation of solutions, background, sketch of the implementation (business market, IP, etc.) No meeting at 3pm
- IDEA Engineering Course – Every Friday afternoon, 12-5 pm, weeks # 1-4
Week Five
- Zoom meeting with Dr McLean, 5th Wednesday, 12-1 pm
- Completion of all 32 Aquifer cases, 5th Wednesday, 5 pm
- Reading Day – 5th Thursday
- Shelf Exam – 5th Friday
- OSCE – End of week #5 (Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday) on blocks 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B
Assessment and Evaluation
Unless otherwise stated, all required assignments and clerkship requirements must be completed and available for review by 5:00pm CST the Sunday following the shelf exam. Assignments and clerkship requirements submitted after 5:00pm CST will not be accepted.
Methods
- Formative feedback and Mid-clerkship Review: Feedback will be provided to the students by Attendings and Nurse Practitioners throughout the rotation. The purpose of the feedback is to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
- Mid-clerkship evaluation: Mid-clerkship formative feedback for each student is required and is to be completed by the Clerkship Director or a designated faculty member. The mid-clerkship formative feedback form is distributed via e-Value.
- Direct Observation of Skills (DOS):Each assessment is a defined skill that can be observed, and the DOS smartphone app has a prompt to assess the learner’s ability to independently complete the skill and provide formative feedback. If students are having any difficulty arranging faculty observation of a required DOS, they should please alert their Clerkship Director early so they can help ensure that they have the appropriate opportunity to demonstrate their skills.
- Practice Exam: Students will have the opportunity to take a practice shelf exam after the midpoint of the clerkship. See schedule for details.
- Summative assessment and feedback:
- Global Clinical Evaluation: Attendings, Nurse Practitioners and PAs will submit a global clinical evaluation through One45.
- Final NBME Shelf Exam: Given on the last day of clerkship
- Additional Requirements:
- Case and Procedure Logs: See syllabusClerkship History and Physical Write-Up: Students will submit on Canvas one required History and Physical Write-Up. This will be presented the 3rd Wednesday of the clerkship at noon, and it is required to be uploaded to Canvas by 12am CST on the 3rd Wednesday of the clerkship. The written portion will be graded utilizing the rubric on Canvas, by the Clerkship or Assistant Clerkship director or by an assigned faculty member and it will count for 20 points. Aquifer Cases: Students are required to complete a minimum of 10 Aquifer cases by the 3rd Wednesday of the clerkship at 8 am CST for a total of 20 points. They must then complete the remaining 10 (for a total of 20 during the entire clerkship) Aquifer cases by the 5th Wednesday at 5 pm CST. The second 10 will not be for a grade, however, if they are not completed by the required time, the student will not be eligible for “Honors” designation. Peer Presentation: Students are required to select a relevant, clinical topic within the realm of pediatrics. They will then research their chosen topic and present it to their fellow students. The presentation will occur on the 4th Wednesday of the clerkship at 12 pm and will be under the direct supervision of a faculty member(s). The presentation must be succinct, taking no longer than 10 minutes, but must also be complete with the relevant evidence-based and up-to-date information. Students must have either a short electronic presentation, printed handout, or pamphlet that contains the information they are presenting. This will count for a 20 point grade. Real-time feedback will be provided by faculty in attendance.
- Attendance of all Didactics/Video/Zoom lectures
(See Syllabus for Clerkship Grade Summary)
Function under stress
Students must maintain professional composure and exhibit good personal clinical judgment in stressful situations.
Additional Dress Code Requirements: In addition to CIMED Dress Code Policy:
Students must display an appropriate professional appearance and be appropriately groomed. Since different colors of scrubs in the hospital indicate different roles, (such as black scrubs for respiratory therapists), to avoid confusion, students must wear their white coat over their scrubs so that they can be properly identified as students. Your ID badge must be worn at all times.
Scrubs with white coats are acceptable in the Inpatient Unit, Newborn Nursery, NICU and PICU. Professional clothing (no jeans, no spandex) is required in the outpatient and sub-specialty clinics, also with white coat over clothing in all locations. Close-toed shoes must also be worn in all locations, open-toed shoes are not permitted. Long hair should be pulled back or at a length where it does not touch the patient. Fake nails are not permitted.
