The first step in our program is development of a strong, broad foundation in pediatrics. All of our residents spend one half-day per week participating in the Resident Group Practice where they follow a cohort of patients longitudinally through all aspects of sick and well patient care. In addition, our residents spend part of their time in ambulatory-based sub-specialty specific rotations. This is in conjunction with a variety of inpatient experiences that allow residents to further develop their clinical skills. The faculty includes pediatric hospitalists, ambulatory pediatricians, and an impressive array of pediatric subspecialists and pediatric subspecialty surgeons.
We recognize the need to go beyond the basics and prepare physicians for careers as lifelong self-learners. We are committed to developing physicians who are comfortable with evidence-based clinical care. We incorporate and encourage the use of current literature and web-based resources throughout the program. There are active resident-led journal clubs in the core curriculum and the Pediatric Emergency Department. In addition, we are committed to providing residents with a basic foundation in research methodology. Each of our residents completes an independent research project prior to completion of residency training. The residents are supported in this activity by the Resident Research Committee, a group who organizes didactic sessions on research methodology, research in progress seminars and an individual advising system.
Although the majority of resident experiences are here at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center’s Komansky Children’s Hospital, we are also able to enjoy all the advantages afforded to us by the phenomenal institutions on our corners. Our residents rotate through the Hospital for Special Surgery and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They interact with faculty at these centers and Rockefeller University through lectures and research opportunities. In order to expand our resident's community and general pediatric experiences, our residents also rotate at our affiliate, NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens (NYPQ). NYPQ provides the residents with a rich exposure to pediatrics outside the walls of a hospital by allowing residents to interact with community-based organizations and develop a community/advocacy project.
We also believe it is important for our residents to be exposed to global health topics. Weill Cornell Medical College has established an affiliation with the Bugando Medical Center and the Bugando University College of Health Sciences in Mwanza, Tanzania. Through this affiliation, our residents have the opportunity during their junior or senior year to do an international elective in Tanzania. During this elective, the resident gains experience in physical diagnosis, alternative health concepts, public health and cross-cultural issues.
Just as important to us as an educationally supportive environment is a personally supportive one. With this in mind, the daily and call schedules are designed to maximize both resident education and personal time. We use a night float system for most of our call. This greatly limits the amount of cross coverage for our residents and thereby enhances patient care. Our curriculum also provides you with ample elective time to "tailor" your training experience to meet your personal goals
Our residents are drawn from across the country and include people with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. We value our residents and seek to provide mentorship to our residents that fosters each individual’s growth. The residents form a unique community with each other and are at the center of the Weill Cornell community. Most of our residents live nearby in hospital housing, providing residents with an excellent opportunity to develop close friendships. This community extends to our faculty, fellows and staff who are dedicated to education, research and the care of children.
We offer programs to support residents throughout their education:
Community Pediatrics & Child Advocacy
The resident training program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center (NYPH-WCMC) provides residents with opportunities to work in the community and to develop and implement advocacy skills. All pediatric residents participate in a longitudinal curriculum in community pediatrics and child advocacy during the PGY-2 year. During these rotations, residents are introduced to the principles of community pediatrics and advocacy through a series of conferences, online learning and direct interaction with a faculty mentor. In addition, our residents participate in service-based learning opportunities with community partners in Queens and Manhattan, and work on an group advocacy project with the guidance of resident and faculty mentors.
In addition, if a resident has a particular interest in community pediatrics and child advocacy, and wants to explore this field in greater depth, they can take part in selective or elective opportunities as part of an individualized learning plan in their second and third years of training. The goal of these rotations is to equip residents with the skills to be effective and engaged leaders in community pediatrics and child advocacy.
The individualized curriculum includes elective opportunities in:
- early childhood development and mental health
- autism
- medical journalism
- obesity prevention and treatment
In addition, residents can choose to engage in:
- development of a longitudinal advocacy project
- development of competency in sustaining and growing partnerships with community-based organizations, and the opportunity to serve on advisory boards, task forces, etc.
Global Health Elective
Over the past several years, the mission of Weill Cornell Medical College in Mwanza, Tanzania has been to strengthen medical education at the Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences (Weill Bugando) and at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC). Weill Cornell is committed to excellence in training to improve and expand Tanzania's core of health-care providers. As part of this mission, pediatric residents have traveled to BMC to take part in an elective opportunity. The goals of the elective for NYP-Weill Cornell pediatric residents include:
- understanding the general principles of health care delivery in developing countries
- improving physical diagnosis skills through clinical experience in a resource-poor setting
- building medical knowledge of tropical diseases
- learning about the major causes of pediatric morbidity and mortality in developing countries
- participating in the education of students, residents and other health professionals at BMC
The partnership between Weill Cornell and Weill Bugando has had a positive impact on both institutions. This collaboration has contributed to training the next generation of Tanzanian physicians and has expanded the awareness and skills of NYP-Weill Cornell pediatric faculty and residents through their exposure to healthcare in a developing country.
In 2012, we established a bilateral exchange program. The Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell hosts two Tanzanians who are in their final years of training and pursuing a career in pediatrics. This opportunity allows the Tanzanian residents to see the practice of pediatrics in an urban academic center in a developed nation. In addition, the visiting Tanzanian residents share their knowledge with the Weill Cornell residents through participation in didactic conferences and teaching rounds.
Resident-as-Teacher Curriculum
We have a resident-as-teacher curriculum that begins in orientation for interns and continues throughout the three years of training. The overall goal of this curriculum is to prepare our residents to be educators, either of patients/families or of learners in their future careers in academic medicine. In orientation, interns are introduced to the expectations of teaching medical students during their pediatric clerkship, including creating a positive learning environment and assessing students. Throughout the year, didactic sessions on topics such as adult learning theory, evaluation and feedback, micro-skills of teaching, cognitive biases, and dealing with the difficult learner, are part of the core curriculum noon conference series.
During the senior year, the resident as teacher curriculum culminates in an experiential learning opportunity. Each resident has a block rotation devoted entirely to teaching. The resident is responsible for teaching pediatric clerkship students in multiple settings: at the bedside, in the ambulatory setting, in small groups and in a large group conference. This resident is also responsible for delivering at least two morning report conferences. The resident is evaluated on their teaching skills at morning report by students, peers and faculty. They receive formal evaluation and feedback from their morning report sessions, which are reviewed with a faculty member.
Resident Wellness/Self-Care
We focus on developing skills and behaviors amongst pediatric house staff to maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle during residency training and in their future careers. We work to build skills in resilience, or the capacity to respond to stress in a healthy way, and foster comradery and teamwork amongst pediatrics house staff.
Our Objectives
Wellness
Through a series of wellness days over the course of each academic year, the program will focus on topics related to wellness and balance. For each wellness day, the traditional morning report and noon conference will be replaced with a didactic session or interactive learning activity focused on the topic.
Topics include: Stress Reduction, Personal Finance Management, Healthy Eating and Fitness, Sleep Hygiene, Relationship Management and Coping with Pediatric Deaths and Patients with Chronic Conditions
Intern Support Group
We provide a safe forum for interns to discuss challenges and rewards of their new roles.
Resident RAFTS
Through a multi-level peer advising and social network mentored by a faculty member, residents explore social activities, team-building and career mentoring.
Social Events
Over the course of the academic year, multiple social events are held off-campus. These include happy hours, holiday and end-of-year parties, dinners at the chair’s apartment, and others.