Curriculum

Training Program

Our fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine is an ACGME accredited program focusing on education and experience in patient care, research, teaching, and administrative responsibilities. The fellowship program will be 2 years for those who have completed an accredited Emergency Medicine residency and 3 years for those who have completed an accredited Pediatric residency. The Pediatric Emergency Department (PED), with an annual volume of approximately 32,000 visits, is the primary clinical component of the fellowship. While in the PED, the fellow works directly with the attending, precepts pediatric and emergency medicine residents and medical students and acts as the physician-in-charge at all trauma cases and resuscitations. This setting provides ample opportunity for one-to-one teaching and learning with frequent discussions of case management. Other responsibilities include managing patient flow in a busy pediatric emergency department, ensuring follow-up of ill and injured patients, and participating in chart review and quality improvement issues.

Clinical rotations in related acute care specialties comprise another major component of the program. These include: General Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Critical Care, Anesthesiology and Procedural Sedation, Toxicology, Trauma Surgery, Child Abuse and Emergency Medical Services. Each fellow gains proficiency in clinical toxicology at the NYC Poison Control Center, a regional poison center responsible for 90,000 consultations per year. Each fellow gains exposure to trauma management as a member of the Trauma Team at the New Jersey Trauma Center at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and the prehospital care and operations through Emergency Medical Services. An active EM ultrasound program provides training and credentialing in a wide range of EM US applications for pediatric EM fellows. Elective months are available in all pediatric and surgical subspecialties. The remainder of the fellowship program is devoted to research, teaching and administrative responsibilities.

Throughout the year the fellow is actively involved in Pediatric and Emergency Medicine conferences and Grand Rounds. The fellows participate in the organization and preparation of the division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine's weekly educational conferences, which include case presentations, lectures, and journal clubs. All fellows become providers in Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support and instructors in PALS. Research experience and education occurs throughout the 3 years of training under the direct supervision of the faculty. The basic principles of statistics, study design, evidence based medicine and microcomputer applications in clinical research are taught. Our division is currently involved in research in the use of bedside ultrasound, pain management, asthma education, and STD screening programs. Administrative responsibilities include participation in continuous quality improvement issues, risk management, policymaking, and especially, the day to day operations of the PED.