Resident Education

Hands-on Experience
The diversity and volume of our patient population gives you hands-on experience at every level and each rotation. Residents provide the front line of patient care under the watchful and respectful supervision of the faculty. Residents write greater than 90 percent of inpatient orders at Nationwide Children's, and are relied on for their leadership, commitment and solid professional judgment. Children’s administration and Board of Trustees recognize that residents are integral to all aspects of patient care. You are involved in decision making at all levels and have ongoing, direct access to medical staff leadership, including the Chief Executive Officer.

Inpatient Teams Organized by Specialty
For decades, the Nationwide Children's Hospital pediatric residency program has organzied the inpatient teams, floors and rotations based on the specialty of the patients' illnesses. Our inpatient ward teams are divided into Hospital Pediatrics (General Peds), Infectious Disease, Pulmonary, Renal/Rheumatology/Endocrinology/Gastroenterology, Hematology/Oncology, and Cardiology/Neurology.   The advantages of having rotations focused on a specific specialty are many and include:

• The residents have the ability to immerse themselves into learning about a certain Pediatric specialty and focus rounds, inpatient and outpatient care, small group teaching and reading on that specific specialty during the rotation.
• Limits the number of faculty that residents need to consult to provide patient care. On many wards, a single attending is the only attending physician for all the patients on that team, which makes rounds, teaching and patient care family centered, efficient and focused.
• Exposes  the residents to many different pediatric careers and sub-specialties early in their residency so they begin the process of deciding on their own specific career path.
• Build an effective patient care team. Since the care is specialty-based, nurses, respiratory therapists, case managers and other health care team members are all specialists in care of patients with related kinds of illnesses, which optimizes care for those patients.
• Nationwide Children's Hospital is a community hospital and the only hospital that admits children in the metropolitan area of almost two million people. Therefore, many of the patients admitted have common community illnesses such as bronchiolitis, dehydration, asthma, seizures, and infections.
• Even though many in-patient teams are specialty based, residents who are interested in primary care will be exposed to the common problems in those sub-specialties and can develop a deeper understanding of the management issues for patients with sub-specialty illnesses and learn more from the experts in their field.

Workshops
Workshops and retreats are held for resident classes during specific times of residency training to focus that group of residents on topics that are pertinent to their education at that time, and to allow the residents to connect as a class. Current retreats/workshops include:

• Orientation — A five-day orientation helps first-year residents transition smoothly from medical school to the hands-on training of residency. Residents learn about the hospital system and what is expected of a first-year resident. Residents participate in team-building activities and meet peers and faculty at numerous social activities, including a welcoming social hour and a family picnic. Residents also complete certification in Procedural Skills and Pediatric Advanced Life Support.
• PL-1 Retreat — In late winter, a two-day overnight retreat is held off-site for first-year residents. This retreat focuses on stress reduction, team building and covers a variety of topics including personality types, teaching skills, communication skills and professionalism.
• PL-1 Supervisory Workshop — In late spring, a two-day workshop for first-year residents focuses on the upcoming challenges of being a supervisory resident, teacher and team leader, and includes a one-day pediatric  trauma course.
• Career Day and PL-2 Workshop — In the fall, a two-day career day and workshop exposes second-year residents to panel discussions about future career options and exposure to advocacy options and organized medicine groups. Sessions are also devoted to quality improvement and health care systems.
• PL-3 Workshop — In late summer, a one-day workshop for third-year residents focuses on information needed to transition into medical careers after residency. Discussions include information about licensure and credentialing, CME, billing and coding, and managed care.

Special Interest Groups
Groups interested in Academic Medicine, Community Pediatrics, Public Health and International Medicine meet quarterly. These informational sessions are open to all interested residents. Many people choose to attend two or more groups to aid in their education and future career decisions.

Two-Way Resident Communications
How does the residency program learn about resident interests, needs and concerns?

• House Staff Advisory Committee (HSAC) – An advisory board to the program director, this committee is composed of three residents from each class, elected each year by their peers. The HSAC represents the overall views of the residents and discusses issues that affect them in monthly meetings.
• Quarterly Resident Meetings – The program director meets with your residency class every quarter. There is usually no formal agenda – it is simply an open forum to voice your needs and questions.
• House Staff Business Meeting – On scheduled Thursdays at noon, residents gather for a one-hour business meeting chaired by the chief residents. This informal meeting is used to pass along a variety of information, including upcoming events, guest speakers, curriculum changes, job opportunities and social events.

Research Opportunities
Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus is home to one of the nation’s ten largest free-standing pediatric research facilities, making optional research opportunities for residents abundant. Nearly a third of our residents participate in bench and/or clinical research projects under the direction of faculty members eager to have resident involvement. Each June, The Research Institute highlights resident, fellow and student research during a two-day Research Forum.

Lectures
Nationwide Children's Hospital has a wide variety of lectures and training opportunities for our residents. View the Lecture Series Listings.

Evaluating Your Progress
Evaluations are essential feedback during your residency. Your performance is evaluated monthly by attending physicians, primary care and emergency department faculty, elective preceptors, medical students and peers. Twice a year, you will meet one-on-one with a program director to review your progress. During this time, your program director will assist you with your decision regarding your rotation selection for the upcoming academic year, as well as discuss and support your future career plans.