Clinical Curriculum

Residents care for children across the full spectrum of pediatric medicine through core rotations in:

  • General Inpatient Pediatrics
  • Newborn Nursery
  • Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Ambulatory Pediatrics and Continuity Clinic
  • Adolescent Medicine
  • Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
  • Mental Health

Individualized Curriculum

Residents have flexibility to tailor their education through elective experiences that align with their career goals.

Elective opportunities include:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pulmonology
  • Endocrinology
  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology
  • Hematology/Oncology
  • Anesthesia
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Pediatric Psychiatry
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopedics
  • Genetics
  • Rheumatology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Radiology
  • Research
  • Advocacy
  • Additional individualized experiences based on resident interests

Longitudinal Continuity Clinic

Residents develop lasting relationships with a shared team panel of patients through continuity clinic. This longitudinal experience allows residents to appreciate the continuity of outpatient pediatric practice while developing skills in family-centered care.

Residents provide:

  • Well-child care
  • Acute sick visits
  • Chronic disease management
  • Developmental screening
  • Behavioral and mental health care
  • Adolescent medicine
  • Anticipatory guidance

Didactic Curriculum

Protected educational time is provided each weekday morning and follows a comprehensive curriculum based on the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) Content Specifications. Our curriculum emphasizes active participation, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based medicine rather than passive lectures.

Educational activities include:

  • Morning Report
  • Interactive case-based discussions
  • Core pediatric lectures
  • Board review
  • Journal Club
  • Clinical guideline review
  • Quality Improvement conferences
  • Morbidity and Mortality conferences
  • Grand Rounds
  • Simulation
  • Research conferences

Board Preparation

Board preparation is incorporated throughout all three years of residency.

Residents participate in:

  • Weekly Pediatrics in Review (PIR) reading assignments
  • Monthly board-style Kahoot review sessions
  • ABP content-based lectures
  • PREP question review
  • Faculty-led board review sessions
  • Individualized study planning using In-Training Examination performance

Research, Scholarship & Quality Improvement

Every resident completes scholarly work with close faculty mentorship. Residents regularly present projects at local, regional, and national meetings and participate in the annual Ellen Cosgrove Research Competition.

Residents have opportunities to participate in:

  • Clinical research
  • Medical education research
  • Quality improvement
  • Patient safety initiatives
  • Advocacy scholarship
  • Community-based research

Advocacy Curriculum

Advocacy is a defining feature of our residency program. These experiences prepare residents to advocate effectively for their patients within the healthcare system and beyond.

Residents participate in:

  • Community outreach initiatives
  • Legislative advocacy
  • Child health policy education
  • Health equity projects
  • Partnerships through the New Jersey Pediatric Residency Advocacy Collaborative (NJPRAC)

Leadership & Teaching

Residents develop leadership skills through progressive responsibility during residency. Our residents graduate prepared to teach, supervise, and lead multidisciplinary teams.

Teaching and leadership opportunities include:

  • Supervising interns and medical students
  • Teaching Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School students
  • Senior resident leadership curriculum
  • Feedback and coaching workshops
  • Resident-led conferences
  • Committee participation
  • Quality improvement and research project leadership

Wellness

Resident wellness is intentionally integrated into our curriculum.

We promote a culture of psychological safety, mentorship, teamwork, and professional growth through:

  • Faculty mentorship
  • Wellness activities
  • Resident retreats
  • Protected educational time
  • Career coaching
  • Open communication with program leadership