In addition to inpatient and outpatient clinical experiences, there are several conferences that are part of our residents' core curriculum:
Noon Conferences
A traditional didactic conference presented to house staff by faculty, which covers pediatric board topics and occurs 1-2 times weekly.
"Mega Noon" Conferences
"Mega Noons" are our version of the academic half-day. Residents have two-hour sessions twice monthly on average, and learners are split into intern and senior groups for level-specific content. Other lunch hour sessions are offered, including wellness meetings and self-directed learning sessions that residents can pursue individually or in groups.
Chief Rounds
The Chief Residents facilitate a daily case-based interactive conference similar to "Morning Report" at other institutions. Interesting case presentations, diagnostic dilemmas, and management issues are discussed by medical students and residents with Chief Residents and attendings.
Our Chief Residents have presented the innovative techniques used in these conferences at many national meetings.
Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds are weekly conferences attended by faculty, house staff, and pediatricians from the community. The format includes multidisciplinary case conferences and didactic presentations of current pediatric topics presented by experts in the field.
Journal Club
Journal club, a key piece of our longitudinal Evidence-Based Medicine curriculum, is a monthly small-group seminar devoted to the critical appraisal of articles from the current medical literature, led by a PL-2 or PL-3 resident. The articles for discussion are chosen by house staff and teaching points coached by faculty members, including an internationally recognized expert in Evidence-Based Medicine.
Senior Professional Development Conference
During the third year, categorical residents prepare for a senior professional development conference. This presentation is given on a select topic of their choice and is a one-hour, evidence-based "grand rounds'' style talk. Sessions are broadcast on Zoom and have CME accreditation through the hospital's CME office. Many presentations have gone on to be the subject of the graduate’s future research projects, publications, or national presentations or workshops.
Other Conferences and Programs
Numerous formal and informal educational opportunities exist for house staff via rounds, lectures, and conferences held daily throughout the hospital. Such opportunities include, but are not limited to, "attending rounds," "sub-specialty rounds," and "infectious disease grand rounds." The house staff is encouraged to attend as many conferences as possible to supplement their bedside learning.
Similar to the maintenance of certification programs, all residents are expected to participate in long-term preparation for the pediatric board exam by routinely completing board-style multiple choice questions, reading review articles, and attending the conferences listed above. Their progress in these areas is reviewed at biannual meetings with the program directors.