PRE-CLERKSHIP CURRICULUM
Pediatricians teach and interact with medical students throughout the entire 4 year curriculum. They are involved in foundational and longitudinal courses such as Medical Interviewing, Physical Exam, Ethics,Reflective Practice, Integrated Clinical Skills, and Integrated Clinical reasoning. During the pre-clerkship curriculum, pediatrician and pediatric subspecialists serve as clinical module directors and course directors within the 7 core, systems-based modules. Pediatric-relevant material is integrated within each module. The majority of pediatric content is introduced during the Reproduction and Endocrinology module, through didactics, online modules, and small group problem-based learning. Child development is taught in an integrated manner, using a biopsychosocial approach that combines the general pediatric and psychological perspectives of development.
Throughout the pre-clerkship curriculum, four small-group sessions, precepted by pediatricians from the National Capital Region, allow students to interact with pediatric scenarios that cover diverse topics such as neonatal transitions, growth disorders, and developmental delay. Pediatric trauma and resuscitation skills are addressed in the Combat Medical Skills course, highlighting the importance of basic pediatric skills to the warfighting mission. Uniformed pediatricians participate in the annual Bushmaster exercises, coaching first year medical students through a portrayal of various battlefield injuries.