Pediatric Clerkship Goals and Objectives

The goals of the Pediatric Clerkship Rotation at the GWU School of Medicine are to help the third-year medical students to:

1. Acquire a working knowledge of normal and abnormal growth and development;
2. Recognize, understand the pathophysiology of, diagnose, and treat the common disorders of infancy, childhood and adolescence
3. Develop an understanding of children’s and families’ perspectives of being cared for within our healthcare system through observation, inquiry, and reflection.

After completing an 8-week pediatric clerkship rotation, the student will be able to:

Attitudes:

1. Demonstrate the development of humanistic attitudes in dealing with well, acutely ill and chronically ill patient.
2. Assume responsibility for the initial and follow up care of the patient and recognize the role of the child in the family unit.
3. Establish a pattern of continuous inquiry into the problems of human development, referring to basic texts and current literature.
4. Reinforce the role of established research and personal inquiry in advancing pediatric care.

Skills:

1. Perform effective age-oriented interviews and physical examinations on newborns, children, and adolescents.
2. Obtain and record a complete medical examination using the S O A P or other organized format.
3. Formulate a clinical assessment (diagnosis, problem list) and establish diagnostic and therapeutic plans for each problem on the list.
4. Present information orally using "problem representation" and an ordered, logical sequence and including pertinent positives and negatives.
5. Identify learning objectives through the experience by recognizing gaps in knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Cognition:

1. Recognize the influence and impact of pathophysiological processes on the growth and development processes of children.
2. Recognize the significance of signs and symptoms at various ages and classify children as well, mildly ill, or acutely ill.
3. Identify common illnesses of children.
4. Understand the important of preventive pediatrics; describe how nutrition, environmental influences, safety, immunizations, and anticipatory guidance improve child health.
5. Explain how community resources affect child health.
6. Contrast the field of pediatrics with other medical specialties, specifying its advantages and disadvantages as a career choice.