Enrichment Opportunities & Special Programs
Morning Report
Morning report utilizes case presentations for current patients as a springboard for lively discussions of differential diagnoses, best evaluation strategies, and therapeutic options. The presenting residents provide appropriate literature to supplement the discussions. Morning report occurs five days a week and is led by an attending physician.
Board Review Series and Didactic Group Discussions
Following Morning Report, there are faculty-led discussions on different topics in a program designed to be comprehensive and practical. Emphasis is placed on topics that contain specialized information for the clinically astute pediatrician.
In addition, protected educational time is offered each block for board review sessions, which are also faculty-led. Bi-monthly in-service tests are given as part of a coordinated curriculum encompassing all areas of pediatric care.
Pediatric Inpatient, Emergency and Neonatal Mock Codes
Unscheduled mock codes simulate real-life experiences with life-threatening emergencies to improve critical care skills. Nurses and respiratory therapists also participate in this activity.
Interdepartmental Conferences
Throughout the year, the department collaborates with obstetrics and gynecology, radiology, and emergency medicine departments to organize these weekly conferences.
Grand Rounds
Grand Rounds are held weekly. Faculty, residents, students, and staff members attend state-of-the-art presentations given by NewYork-Presbyterian faculty members or visiting faculty. These presentations address hot topics such as new clinical advances, research contributions, updated clinical reviews, or issues pertinent to the current healthcare environment.
Journal Club
The practice of evidence-based medicine requires an integration of individual clinical expertise with the best available clinical evidence from systematic research. The ability to read, understand, and critically appraise research evidence is a core skill for clinical problem-solving. The monthly journal clubs are designed to develop these skills and are supervised by the research coordinator.
Additional Workshops
In addition to the regularly scheduled morning and noon conferences, many other opportunities and special workshops are available. Communication with patients and families is enhanced with teaching through our “breaking bad news” workshop and regularly scheduled psychosocial sessions. As a part of the procedure’s curriculum, instruction in areas such as neonatal resuscitation, chest tube placement, umbilical line placement, intraosseous placement, pelvic examination, and infection control measures are given. All residents become certified in basic cardiac life support (BCLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), and neonatal resuscitation program (NRP).
Research and Quality Improvement
Our Department of Pediatrics offers a thriving research program supervised by Chairman Pramod Narula, M.D., and supported by Carolyn Salafia, M.D., Ph.D., and a dedicated research coordinator. Residents have dedicated research and quality improvement rotations during which they are taught to formulate research and quality improvement projects, gather and analyze data, and produce abstracts, posters, case reports, and manuscripts.
Each resident chooses a minimum of one research project and one quality improvement project during their first year, and many go on to publish in peer-reviewed pediatric journals and present at local, national, and international conferences.
Mentorship
Mentorship is a hallmark of our pediatric residency program. During their first months of training, each intern chooses a faculty member to be their mentor. Mentors meet with their residents monthly throughout the three years of residency, focusing on academic activities, research and QI, board preparedness, career goals, fellowship and job applications, and any personal concerns. The mentorship program is considered one of our greatest strengths.
Residents as Teachers
Weill Cornell Medicine students rotate through all areas of our Pediatrics Department. Residents play a vital role in teaching these students, who evaluate the residents through an anonymous evaluation form completed at the end of each student’s rotation. Residents are educated in organization and leadership skills, adult learning styles, teaching methods, and how to give effective feedback during specific “Resident as Teacher” workshops.
Resident Wellness
As a small and compassionate training program, we take resident wellness seriously. We strictly adhere to the resident work hours outlined by the ACGME. In addition, we have a dedicated clinical psychologist who meets with all new interns and is available to all pediatric residents for formal and informal psychological support.
Holiday celebrations, spontaneous get-togethers, and a formal end-of-the-year graduation party offer residents ample opportunities to celebrate their hard work and achievements.
Evaluations
Throughout their rotations, residents are given constructive feedback by attending physicians. At the conclusion of each rotation, residents are given detailed evaluations by their attending physicians. In addition, every six months, residents are discussed by the CCC Committee, and an individual meeting is held with the program director. They are evaluated on a yearly basis by 360 Peer Review and by Nurses.
Educational Resources
Residents have access to an excellent library, computers, and up-to-date pediatric journals. Residents are also given online access to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Residents receive a substantial CME allowance each year to purchase books, journals, conference registration fees, and other educational material.
Park Slope
NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital is located in the heart of the lovely and vibrant Park Slope, one of the most sought-after locations in New York City. Tourists come to visit the nearby Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Brooklyn Museum, and Brooklyn Academy of Music. Picnics, barbecues, jogging paths, baseball fields, pop-up yoga classes, a world-class ice-skating rink, and free concerts by internationally renowned musicians are all enjoyed in Prospect Park, just two blocks from the medical center. World-class restaurants, a wide range of markets and grocery stores, independent clothing and accessory boutiques, health clubs and spas are just steps from the hospital. And for those searching for even more cultural opportunities, Manhattan is a short subway ride away.