Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Special Feature
  • Published:

The new 6-unit individualized curriculum for pediatric residents: the perspective of neonatology fellowship program directors

Journal of Perinatology volume 33, pages 910–913 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

Starting in 2013, all pediatric residents entering fellowship must be provided six educational units whose structure is to be determined by their individual career plans. We sought to determine whether (1) neonatology fellowship program directors (PDs) consistently identify certain weaknesses among incoming fellows and (2) neonatology fellowship PDs agree on the most beneficial activities in which pediatric residents should participate to improve preparation for entry into neonatology fellowships.

Study design:

We sent a 21-question survey focused on the structure and implementation of the 6-unit curriculum to all members of the Organization of Neonatology Training Program Directors.

Results:

Sixty-seven percent of PDs responded. Seventy-five percent cited insufficient procedural skills as the primary weakness of incoming fellows. More than 80% rated additional training in clinical neonatology, including procedural and resuscitation training, as ‘beneficial’ or ‘highly beneficial’. In contrast, fewer than 40% of PDs gave the same positive ratings to activities broadly focused on scholarship.

Conclusions:

The results of the survey may help guide pediatric residency programs as they undertake development of these new curricular initiatives for individual residents entering neonatology.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Fitzgibbons JP, Bordley DR, Berkowitz LR, Miller BW, Henderson MC . Redesigning residency education in internal medicine: a position paper from the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine. Ann Intern Med 2006; 144: 920–926.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Weinberger SE, Smith LG . VU Collier for the Education Committee of the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med 2006; 144: 927–932.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Meyers FJ, Weinberger SE, Fitzgibbons JP, Glassroth J, Duffy FD CP Clayton and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine Education Redesign Task Force. Redesigning residency training in internal medicine: the consensus report of the alliance for academic internal medicine education redesign task force. Acad Med 2007; 82: 1211–1219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. David AK . Preparing the personal physician for practice (P4): residency training in family medicine for the future. JABFM 2007; 20 (4): 332–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Jones MD Jr, McGuinness GA, Carraccio. CL . The residency review and redesign in pediatrics (R3P) project: roots and branches. Pediatrics 2009; 123 (Suppl 1): S8–S11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Pediatrics. http://www.acgme.org/acgmeweb/Portals/0/PFAssets/2013-PR-FAQ-PIF/320_pediatrics_07012013.pdf Accessed on 15 January 2013.

  7. Crosson FJ, Leu J, Roemer BM, Ross. MN . Gaps in residency training should be addressed to better prepare doctors for a twenty-first-century delivery system. Health Aff 2011; 30 (11): 2142–2148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Camp BW, Gitterman B, Headley R, Ball V . Pediatric residency as preparation for primary care practice. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1997; 151 (1): 78–83.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lieberman L, Hilliard RI . How well do paediatric residency programmes prepare residents for clinical practice and their future careers? Med Educ 2006; 40: 539–546.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Freed GL, Dunham KM, Switalski KE, Jones MD Jr, McGuinness GA . Recently trained general pediatricians: perspectives on residency training and scope of practice. Pediatrics 2009; 123: S38–S43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Freed GL, Dunham KM, Switalski KE, Jones MD, McGuinness GA . Pediatric fellows: perspectives on training and future scope of practice. Pediatrics 2009; 123: S31–S37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Lee HC, Chitkara R, Halamek LP, Hintz. SR . A national survey of pediatric residents and delivery room training experience. J Pediatr 2010; 157: 158–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Lee HC, Rhee CJ, Sectish TC, Hintz SR . Changes in attendance at deliveries by pediatric residents 2000 to 2005. Am J Perinatol 2009; 26 (2): 129–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. O’Donnell CP, Kamlin CO, Davis PG, Morley. CJ . Endotracheal intubation attempts during neonatal resuscitation: success rates, duration, and adverse effects. Pediatrics 2006; 117 (1): e16–e21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Downes KJ, Narendran V, Meinzen-Derr J, McClanahan S, Akinbi. HT . The lost art of intubation: assessing opportunities to perform neonatal intubation. J Perinatol 2012; 32: 927–932.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Leslie LK . What can data tell us about the quality and relevance of current pediatric residency education? Pediatrics 2009; 123: S50–S55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Association of Pediatric Program Directors.. Call Regarding the ‘Six Educational Unit Career Focused’ training requirement. https://www.appd.org/communications/calls/calldocs/Notes_SixEducationalUnitsCall_May3_20121.pdf Accessed on 15 January 2013.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    T A Parker & J S Barry

  2. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    S W Aucott

  3. University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    C M Bendel

  4. Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    C E L Dammann

  5. University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    W R Rice

  6. University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    R D Savich

  7. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    F B Wertheimer

Authors
  1. T A Parker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S W Aucott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C M Bendel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C E L Dammann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. W R Rice
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. R D Savich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. F B Wertheimer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. J S Barry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Consortia

for the Organization of Neonatal Training Program Directors (ONTPD)

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T A Parker.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Perinatology website

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Parker, T., Aucott, S., Bendel, C. et al. The new 6-unit individualized curriculum for pediatric residents: the perspective of neonatology fellowship program directors. J Perinatol 33, 910–913 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2013.101

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2013.101

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links