I am delighted to extend a warm welcome as you explore the excitement of the Pediatric Residency Program of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. We are very proud of our training program, which provides clinical and educational experiences that promote the development of knowledgeable, skilled, compassionate, and ethical pediatricians dedicated to the care of children.  

As you review our contemporary curriculum, please note that our training is carefully designed and regularly reviewed to ensure that it prepares our residents for entering the practice of general pediatrics or advanced fellowship training in a subspecialty area of pediatric medicine. Currently, about one half of our graduates pursue further pediatric postgraduate training, while one half enter a wide range of practice opportunities in Connecticut and beyond. Our curriculum and rotations are continually scrutinized to ensure their value and relevance.   Exciting changes incorporated within recent years include an emphasis on case-based teaching, the promotion of humanism in medicine, and a focus on continuity of care within our ambulatory pediatrics rotations. Both our faculty and residents are very pleased with the results of these changes. 

The most profound and exciting change within our Program occurred in April, 1996, with the opening of Connecticut Children's Medical Center, the state's first freestanding, comprehensive medical center dedicated solely to the care of children. The medical center was formed when faculty from the pediatric departments of the University of Connecticut Health Center, Hartford Hospital, and Newington Children's Hospital came together. The leadership of Connecticut Children's Medical Center and its Board of Directors have made a major commitment to education and research, as well as the clinical care of children, community service, and child advocacy. The new facility has proven to be an ideal environment for training the pediatric providers of today and tomorrow. 

The medical center provides a full continuum of care for children, including primary and preventive care, comprehensive inpatient and ambulatory services, and subspecialty and tertiary care. Special features include: 
 

• A 24-hour emergency department staffed by pediatric specialists and serving only children.
• The busiest Primary Care Center in the state.
• A full range of pediatric medical and surgical subspecialty services.
• A focus on the care of children with special healthcare needs.
• A children's cancer center.

While Connecticut Children's Medical Center is the flagship of our training program, we are also very proud of our faculty and educational experiences at our additional sites: St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center; the Bank of America/Burgdorf Health Center; and the University of Connecticut Health Center. Both the St. Francis and Bank of America/Burgdorf sites house residents' continuity practices, while the St. Francis site also provides important leadership in Adolescent Medicine and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The busy neonatal intensive care unit at the UConn Health Center is another vital educational resource. All of our sites are staffed by faculty from the UConn Department of Pediatrics, ensuring excellence in teaching and consistency of experiences throughout our regional system of care for children. 

Our Department has approximately 120 full-time faculty members who are committed to providing the highest quality education in an atmosphere that is remarkably supportive, compassionate, and collegial. Indeed, the relationship between our faculty and residents is a great strength of our program. Another great strength is our Program Director, Dr. Edwin Zalneraitis. Ed's remarkable energy, commitment, talents, and enthusiasm have led the program to academic excellence. We are also extremely fortunate that Dr. Robert Englander now serves as our Associate Program Director. Bob is a nationally-recognized authority on curriculum issues and in guiding our implementation of core competencies. 

We are very proud of our graduates and our program. We are committed to clinical service, education, research, and advocacy on behalf of the children and families whom we have the privilege to serve. We have created a program and training environment that supports the development of responsibility and a commitment to lifelong learning, while valuing hard work, honesty, openness, and humor. We are very pleased that you are interested in our program. 

Sincerely,  

Paul H. Dworkin, MD 
Professor and Chairman, Department of Pediatrics
University of Connecticut School of Medicine 
Physician-in-Chief
Connecticut Children's Medical Center