The Department of Pediatrics is deeply committed to the education of medical students in the care of children. We offer a wide variety of educational opportunities to the students to explore the many realms of Pediatrics. The core medical student education in Pediatrics is provided in the third year of medical school in the form of the Pediatric Clerkship. During this eight week rotation, students spend four weeks on inpatient at Children's Medical Center of Dallas broken down in two weeks on a general pediatric service and two weeks on a sub-specialty service. The students spend the other four weeks on outpatient which consists of one week in the Newborn Nursery at Parkland, one week in a private practitioner’s office, and two weeks in ambulatory pediatrics. During these two weeks, MS3s spend their mornings in Medical Student Clinic and afternoons in the various Pediatric sub-specialty clinics at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. For a more complete description of the Pediatric Clerkship as well as student schedules, please refer to: www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept137886/files/138912.html.
The goals for the Pediatric Clerkship include:
- Acquisition of basic knowledge of growth and development (physical, physiologic and psychosocial) and of its clinical application from birth through adolescence.
- Development of communication skills that will facilitate the clinical interaction with children, adolescents and their families and thus ensure that complete, accurate data are obtained.
- Development of competency in the physical examination of infants, children and adolescents.
- Acquisition of the knowledge necessary for the diagnosis and initial management of common acute and chronic illnesses.
- Development of clinical problem-solving skills.
- An understanding of the influence of family, community and society on the child in health and disease.
- Development of strategies for health promotion as well as disease and injury prevention.
- Development of the attitudes and professional behaviors appropriate for clinical practice.
- An understanding of the approach of pediatricians to the health care of children and adolescents.
In addition, students may explore more deeply the vast educational opportunities available the Department of Pediatrics in the form of elective/selective rotations which include;
Please contact us if we can assist you with any additional information regarding our medical student programs or if you are interested in our visiting student program.
