Life as a Fellow in Child Abuse Pediatrics

The program consists of 13 four-week block rotations which predominate in clinical time at The Center for Family Safety and Healing with coverage of both the outpatient and inpatient services. In the first year, a gradual and progressive exposure to the inpatient consults occurs to provide the fellow with time and experience to develop competency and skills in evaluating maltreated children in the outpatient setting. As mastery of the outpatient care is being developed, greater responsibility and prioritization of inpatient consults will occur with eventual supervised independence with both outpatient and inpatient care.

For combined Pediatric Emergency Medicine/Child Abuse Pediatrics fellows, the fellowship will be structured with monthly rotations instead of blocks to be consistent with the Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship schedule.

Research Rotations

Research rotations are included to offer fellows concentrated time to develop and implement projects. Targeted research rotations are included to provide opportunity to prepare for national meetings, should the fellow’s research be accepted for presentation.

Electives

Electives in year one are required; electives in years two and three are flexible and are based upon the availability of the elective clinical site and fellow specific interests.

Required electives – Completed in Year One

  • Emergency Medicine elective was developed to provide the Child Abuse Pediatrics fellow with a concentrated experience in evaluating trauma. This rotation provides the fellow with an understanding of mechanisms of injury, common types of pediatric injury identified as accidental, as well as initial presentations of inflicted injury due to child maltreatment. This elective is traditionally scheduled during block 12 or 13 of year one.
  • Forensic Pathology elective was developed to provide the fellow with exposure to the coroner system and forensic autopsies. While this experience is not exclusive to pediatric autopsies, it provides the fellow with exposure to the forensic process of autopsies and offers a learning experience that can be translated and applied to the living patient. This elective is traditionally scheduled during the spring of year one. This is also required for Pediatric Emergency Medicine/Child Abuse Pediatrics fellows.

Optional Electives

The fellow has the opportunity to choose several optional electives in years two and three. For electives which have not been developed, the fellow has the opportunity to pursue other experiences, if approved by the program director and appropriate, core competency specific goals and objectives for the learning experience are met. Some examples are:

  • Metabolic Bone Clinic
  • Toxicology
  • Non-Accidental Traumatic Brain Injury (NATBI) Clinic
  • Radiology
  • Adolescent Medicine
  • Pediatric Burn Clinic
  • Trauma Focused Treatment
  • Other elective of fellow’s choice (must be approved by program director and must have written goals and objectives)