Curriculum
Didactic: The didactic portion of the Post-Graduate Residency begins with a series of lectures given by NICU Attendings, NICU Advanced Practice Providers & Pediatric Sub-Specialty Attendings, to provide a solid foundation in neonatal physiology & pathophysiology. Once this foundation is established, the educational opportunities continue throughout the year via attendance at clinical conferences, journal club, morbidity & mortality conferences, maternal-fetal medicine conferences, pathology conferences & grand rounds. The residents will also have the opportunity to attend a national neonatal conference.
Clinical: The clinical portion of the Residency begins with a 2 week nursing rotation, during which the resident will become familiar with the NICU bedside & the vital role of skilled bedside nursing. Next, 1-2 weeks will be spent in the Newborn Nursery, where they will learn the basics of well-baby care & acquire a baseline for a normal newborn exam. Then, the resident will begin their time in the NICU where they will work closely with NICU Attendings, Pediatric Residents, & NICU Advanced Practice Providers to care for a wide variety of patients. As the resident becomes more proficient & progresses in their training, they will take on increasingly complex cases & carry a larger patient load. During this time, the resident will also become proficient at the following procedures: intubation, lumbar puncture, umbilical line placement, chest tube placement, needle decompression of the chest, ventricular reservoir tap & peripheral arterial line placement. The resident will also have the opportunity to do 2 week clinical rotations with high-risk obstetrics, pediatric surgery, pediatric cardiology, and/or any other sub-specialty of interest. The resident will be required to take in-house night call a minimum of 5 days per month.
Competency: The PA resident's competency is assessed by end-of-rotation evaluations & observation of clinical skills by KCH faculty, as well as mid-year & end year formal evaluations by the program directors.
