Pediatric Resident Education in Community Settings: Reports From Workshops

Abstract

These reports are organized into two sections. The first section consists of general recommendations that were common to most of the workshops; the second section reports workshop-specific recommendations. In the editing process, we have attempted to consolidate and report the important points and recommendations of the workshops, realizing that some omissions may occur and that full agreement was not reached on all recommendations. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation The residency director and/or chairperson should initiate a formal planning and implementation process. Action Steps 1. Appoint an individual as director of community-based education. 2. Garner support from the department, hospital, community, and other organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), for the program and the director. 3. Establish a community education planning and steering committee that includes key individuals for the program, such as: • The department chairperson and hospital administrator; • Academic faculty, particularly divisions of general, adolescent, and developmental medicine, and residents; • Outside community pediatricians, such as those involved in the Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) program, leaders of school health programs, community agencies, and medical directors and administration staff of managed care organizations; • Parents, especially those of children with special needs. Recommendation The program director and committee should become familiar with other programs and assess local needs. Action Steps 1. Review written documents such as the program requirements of the Resident Review Committee, the Ambulatory Pediatrics Association's residency training guidelines, and Pediatric Education in Community Settings, A Manual1 2. Contact and visit existing community-based programs for residents.