Conferences

Intern Orientation

Orientation takes place one week prior to the start of intern year. It includes Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) training, computer systems training, introduction to and shadowing experiences with residents on the inpatient teams, and fun events designed to allow the new class to get to know one another and the fantastic city of Cleveland. The week also includes a general introduction to University Hospitals and more specifically to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's, both the people and the facility. Most evenings throughout the week feature an event hosted by the residency program.

Intern Core Conference Series

The educational series is designed to cover essential topics in pediatrics while building on some topics from orientation week. Topics range from pediatric basics, such as fluid management and fever, to communication skills, like how to teach medical students. This series occurs throughout July and early August during noon conference time, and annually jumpstarts the yearlong noon conference curriculum.

Intern Retreat

Each fall our interns gather for a two-and-a-half day retreat dedicated to professionalism and wellness. During the retreat interns learn how their different styles and personalities affect their interactions with both each other and their patients. In addition, residents learn the importance of self-care and resilience through workshops and activities, while spending fun time bonding with their co-interns.

Junior Resident Retreat

Each winter our junior residents are freed from clinical duties for a half-day retreat focused on relaxation and inspiration. Afternoon workshops focus on reflection of meaningful and impactful experiences in our professional lives.

Senior Pediatric Board Review

Lead by subspecialty and general pediatric faculty, this two-week course focuses on core content necessary for the American Board of Pediatrics licensing exam. Floor/ED coverage is provided so that all senior residents may attend.

Resident Education Conferences

Daily Noon Conferences

Residents on inpatient teams attend daily afternoon education conferences which cover a broad range of topics. Lectures from faculty, fellows, and other healthcare providers focus on board-relevant content for the general pediatrician. Conference time is protected educational time for residents.

In addition to board-specific content, conference includes regular interval education including:

• Journal Club – Group, discussion-based review of articles and evidence, with a focus on refining residents’ ability to critically examine literature, and employ evidence-based medicine. Led by faculty with extensive experience in producing and publishing research.
• Professor Rounds – A favorite session in which a panel of attending physicians in various specialties work through a complex case, highlighting clinical reasoning and pearls for residents.
• Research and Career Series – Varied faculty from across the career landscape offer their experience around research, clinical practice, and career planning.
• Global Health Lecture Series – A longitudinal lectures focus both on the work done internationally by UH Rainbow faculty and also on current issues affecting children around the world, from malnutrition and infectious diseases to child labor and forced conscription.
• Humanism in Medicine – Including a wide array of topics, from end of life and bereavement, to patient experience, medical ethics, and coping with work.

Grand Rounds

Occurring once a week, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's hosts both locally and nationally renowned faculty to share or review topics within their areas of expertise. Frequently, residency alums and other community pediatricians join the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital house staff and faculty for Grand Rounds, which is also broadcast to local pediatricians through teleconferencing.

Intern and Senior Report

This conference is held twice per week and is facilitated by the chief residents and various faculty members. One session is led by senior residents from the inpatient teams and is dedicated to discussing the management of complex patients. The other session is led by interns and is geared more toward the development of a differential diagnosis based off of the history and physical presented. Both reports are an opportunity to enhance critical thinking skills and clinical decision making.

UH Rainbow Rounds

A residency program tradition and resident favorite, this is an interactive conference led by a senior resident that focuses on a topic or case of their choice. Rainbow rounds are an opportunity for senior residents to refine their conference leading and medical education skills, under the guidance of the chief residents and other faculty members.

Other Conferences/Education

Ambulatory Half-Day Didactics

During the ambulatory two-week experience (the “Y” block), a dedicated, academic half-day educational session occurs weekly to focus on outpatient pediatric topics. Each session includes a mixture of traditional didactic sessions and interactive workshops. Faculty facilitators plan the sessions, which are repeated for each ambulatory block in rotation, allowing every resident to experience the same curriculum.

Critical Care Conferences

Residents rotating in the PICU and NICU receive specific daily educational lectures from faculty and fellows, covering the topics relevant to care of critically ill children and neonates.

Simulated Patient Learning

In addition to the patient volume and diversity seen in the outpatient and inpatient settings, simulation experiences build on clinical skill sets that demand added practice and experience. Delivery room management and resuscitation of the critically ill neonate is simulated using “Sim Baby”, a fully-functioning automaton capable of representing a variety of physiologic derangements and responses to clinical interventions in real time. Further resuscitation practice for all pediatric ages is offered several times per month in the ED, PICU, and on the floors during mock codes. Simulation and practice of various procedures is given to all interns prior to rotating through the ED.

Resident Science Day

Residents receive longitudinal support and education from faculty in order to build and complete a scholarly research project. All aspects of research, from initiation to dissemination, get individualized support from both mentors and group educational sessions. The research experience culminates in a resident research day each June where, for over 40 years, residents have presented their research findings to their classmates and faculty.