Outpatient US Clinical Experience in Pediatrics in New York

Information about this clinical experience:

You will be under the supervision of a board-certified pediatrician who has had many years of experience serving as a clinician-educator. The physician holds a hospital appointment within the NYC Health + Hospitals System.

Rotators in this practice will have the opportunity to learn from an exceptionally dedicated pediatrician, a practitioner who believes that every child should be given the same type of care as we would want for our own children. The entire staff is committed to creating a warm, nurturing, and welcoming environment for children and their families.

Among the encounters will be newborn visits, well child exams, sick visits, vaccination appointments, and growth and development screenings. Common reasons for sick visits in this practice include fever, sore throat, cough, congestion, ear pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rash. Rotators are encouraged to review the workup of these problems prior to the start of the rotation.

As many patients will be seen for well child visits, rotators are also encouraged to become familiar with vaccination schedules and developmental milestones:

Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age

CDC’s Developmental Milestones

Of note, the practice's two locations serve a highly diverse population with families hailing from all over the world, including Asia, the Middle East, and Latin American countries. The importance of having exposure to diverse patient populations is highlighted by surveys of pediatric residents. While research shows that trainees feel that learning culturally responsive care is essential, approximately 50% lack confidence in their ability to apply this learning to real-world care. Through this clinical experience, you will appreciate how cultural values, varying parenting practices, and differing expectations govern the type of care pediatricians in the U.S. deliver. This will help you prepare to provide culturally sensitive care as a resident. 

After one week of observation, you will learn the following under the preceptor’s supervision:

• Taking patient histories under supervision.

• Performing exams under the physician's supervision.

• Presenting cases.

• Reviewing patient information in the EMR (eClinicalWorks).

• Researching the literature to answer clinical questions at the point of care.

• Spending time with other healthcare professionals to understand their roles and responsibilities.