UCONN - Pediatric Residency Program

The Division of General Pediatrics of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine is comprised of almost 30 faculty members located at three sites in the Hartford area. Institutions include: Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, and the Burgdorf -Fleet Community Health Center. The multi-site program offers a rich environment for collaboration in the areas of medical education and clinical research. Within the Division, special emphasis is placed on the provision of primary care services to largely underserved, urban populations. Examples of innovative initiatives include the Connecticut Childhood Injury Prevention Center, the Center for Children's Health and Development, and the Hartford Regional Lead Treatment Program.

The Fellowship in General Pediatrics of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine is designed to prepare physicians for academic careers in general pediatrics. The goal of this program is to provide fellows with the clinical, educational, and research skills necessary to meet the demands of a career in general academic pediatrics. Special emphasis is placed upon urban child health issues and serving the underserved.

Prerequisites
A minimum of three years of post-doctoral training in a general pediatric residency is required. Candidates are strongly encouraged to visit and interview with members of the faculty.

Curriculum
The fellowship curriculum is designed to encompass two or three years. Fellows opting to pursue the M.P.H. degree will be expected to complete three years of fellowship training. All fellows will be involved in clinical activities, a research program, seminars and courses, and structured extramural experiences.

Clinical program - Clinical activities may occupy up to 30 to 40 percent of a fellow's time over two to three years. The fellow will assume responsibility for a panel of patients within a continuity setting for one or two clinical sessions per week.

A variety of site options are available for this experience, including hospital-based clinics, neighborhood health centers, private practices, and HMOs. A member of the faculty will serve as clinical mentor for the fellow. The fellow may also opt to select a clinical area of special focus within general pediatrics, or within the related fields of developmental and behavioral pediatrics or adolescent medicine.

Clinical experiences will also provide the fellow with an opportunity to develop and refine teaching skills. Fellows will precept medical students and residents within continuity, acute care, and other ambulatory areas. Fellows will receive formal instruction in teaching skills and methodologies, including participation each year in a teaching skills workshop.

Formal courses and seminars - A weekly fellows' seminar will address a wide range of relevant issues. Examples of topics include:

- culturally-sensitive health care
- health care financing and medical economics
- the pediatrician as a social advocate
- research in the urban pediatric setting
- medical- legal issues in pediatric practice
- literature reviews and slide presentations
- quality assurance and improvement
- grant writing and funding

Fellows may audit courses offered by the Department of Community Medicine, depending on availability. Such course work would be related to the fellow's clinical and research interests. Examples include social foundations, environmental health, epidemiology, and biostatistics. Candidates for the M.P.H. degree would take additional courses during the second and third year of fellowship, with a concentration in one of several categorical fields. Additional courses may be taken in other schools and departments at the University (e.g. anthropology, family studies). In addition, all fellows will participate in a research methodology course offered by the Department of Pediatrics.

Research Program - All fellows are required to plan and implement, in collaboration with a faculty mentor, a project of original research. Fellows will be expected to perform a complete literature search on a research topic of their choice, devise an appropriate plan of research, and perform data collection and analysis. The fellow will select a member of the faculty to serve as research mentor.

Prior to graduation, the fellow will be required to present the research findings and prepare a manuscript based upon the results. Fellows will be expected to be active participants in the Division's regular General Pediatrics Research Group, Journal Club, and as previously noted, participate in the Department's research methodology course. Fellows are also expected to meet weekly or semi-weekly with their mentor to review their research program.

Extramural experiences - A variety of community-based experiences may be selected by the fellow. Elective experiences may include longitudinal participation within home visiting programs, school-based and school-linked clinics, shelter-based pediatric clinics, neighborhood health centers, and collaboration with social agencies such as the Department of Children and Families, Birth-to-Three, and the Department of Public Health and Addiction Services. Participation in the government liaison activities of the University of Connecticut School of Law's Center for Children's Advocacy is encouraged. The fellow may become a member of the Child Protection Team at their primary clinical site. Community-based research is also encouraged.

Other Features
The fellow will be provided with a complete listing of all members of the Division of General Pediatrics and their areas of clinical and research interests. Fellows will then select clinical and research mentors. Fellows will also identify one member of the Division to serve as their overall advisor and monitor the fellow's progress throughout training.

This fellowship has been developed in accordance with the document, "Educational Guidelines for Ambulatory/General Pediatrics Fellowship Training" prepared by the Education Committee of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association and published in December 1992. Although every effort will be made to ensure compliance with these guidelines, the fellow's specific needs and interests will be considered.

Stipends and Other Benefits
Stipends are determined annually and are commensurate with the fellow's level of training. The current stipend for the 2005-2006 academic year is $46,700 for fellows entering at the PL-4 level. Four weeks of vacation, in addition to six major holidays and extended Christmas and New Year's leave are provided. Fellows receive personal health insurance and family members may be added at the available group rate. Other benefits include liability coverage, long-term disability insurance, and life insurance. In addition to an educational stipend, limited funding is available to support select M.P.H. candidates.

A full listing of employment benefits maybe found at:
Capital Area Health Consortium - Summary of Benefits

Inquiries and applications, including three letters of support, should be addressed to:
Lee M. Pachter, D.O.
Head, Division of General Pediatrics
University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Mailing address:
Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center
Department of Pediatrics
114 Woodland Street
Hartford, CT 06105
(860) 714-4455