Education
The Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine provides educational opportunities for medical students and pediatric residents, in addition to our accredited fellowship program.
Medical Students
We provide a robust curriculum based on the core competencies from the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP). Just a few of the benefits:
- We offer experience in leading and managing inpatient and consultation services under the supervision of an attending physician.
- Faculty from across various pediatric divisions facilitate didactic sessions and interactive case-based discussions.
- Constant curriculum review occurs via feedback from faculty, national regulatory agencies, and the learners, as well.
- Students rotating through our core clerkships continue to exceed national averages on standardized assessments.
- Specialty outpatient clinics staffed by Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine faculty members allow medical students to receive individualized, one-on-one teaching and gain experience in specialized multidisciplinary care.
Residents
The evaluation of children with respiratory problems remains an integral component of the practice of pediatric medicine. Pediatric residents must become familiar with the recognition, diagnosis, and care of respiratory diseases, because these conditions remain the most common reason for childhood physician encounters and the number one cause of school absenteeism and hospital admission.
Our resident inpatient rotation program provides intensive exposure to a broad spectrum of pulmonary disorders, from the common pediatric respiratory illnesses to complex multisystem disease. During residency, we strive to highlight principles of diagnosis, management, difficult conversations, and the role of the pulmonologist in the care of patients with chronic diseases, both as a primary specialist or in a consultant role.
The rotation designed for residents allows learners to:
- Gain valuable experience in the daily management of children with known, as well as presumptive, pulmonary disorders
- Be aware of current controversies in the field
- Understand the respective roles played by the pediatrician and pulmonary subspecialist
This is an individualized experience that is based on the resident’s career goals and interests. It allows participation in the outpatient and consult services as well as exposure to sleep studies, bronchoscopies, and the pulmonary function laboratory.
Expectations during your residency program include the ability to:
- Demonstrate medical knowledge
- Comprehend pathophysiology
- Develop a differential diagnosis
- Show increased independence when formulating management plans
- Understand the role of the consultant
- Maintain an overall awareness of the acuity of the patients of the inpatient service
- Participate in scholarly projects for interested residents
Yadira Rivera-Sanchez, M.D., directs the Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine Resident Education Program.
Fellows
The Pediatric Pulmonology Fellowship Program is a three-year ACGME-accredited program offering up to two positions per year.
Our mission is to help develop future pediatric pulmonology experts with exemplary knowledge and advanced clinical and critical thinking skills. Our goal is to develop future leaders, researchers, educators, and clinicians through:
- Multidisciplinary clinical training
- Structured didactic teaching
- Guidance in career development
Fellows gain broad exposure to family-centered care for pediatric pulmonology conditions and procedures, including:
- Severe asthma
- Cystic fibrosis
- Primary ciliary dyskinesia
- Aerodigestive disorders
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Chronic respiratory failure
- Sleep disorders
- Flexible bronchoscopy, including use of cryotherapy
- Pulmonary function testing
Comprehensive clinical training provides well-rounded mastery of the specialty. In addition, individualized learning plans guide research endeavors, providing pathways to scholarly activity related to childhood lung disease. We are committed to providing excellent clinical care and research development in pediatric pulmonology.