Dr. Lisa Leggio
Director
Pediatric Student Education
Georgia Health Sciences University
1446 Harper Street, BG-2217
(706) 721-3781
Fax: (706) 721-3295
lleggio@georgiahealth.edu

Janis Richardson
Clerkship Program Coordinator
Pediatric Student Education
(706) 721-3781
jrichard@georgiahealth.edu

Welcome to Pediatrics!

Our goal is to expose you to a broad spectrum of pediatrics in six weeks. We recognize that most of you will not be pediatricians, but you may have contact with children (or former children) in your field of interest. We think what you learn on your pediatric clerkship will help you elsewhere. For those of you who are interested in a career in pediatrics (or if you are a senior pediatric advisee), please see the section for Seniors. Below is the philosophy of the PED 5000 clerkship:

No field of specialized medicine has a broader scope or greater responsibilities than has pediatrics, which is distinguished by its major concern for the growth and development of its subjects. Every physician must understand how the medical, surgical and behavioral problems of infants and children differ from those of adults, and how to manage them so as to permit the child to achieve an optimal state of mental and physical health. Therefore, the fundamental purpose of the pediatric clerkship is to provide a structured environment in which each medical student acquires a basic knowledge of pediatric medicine as well as human growth and development which will serve as a foundation for providing quality child health care in whatever field of medicine he or she may enter.

The clerkship is structured upon the principle that learning is an active process which can be accomplished only by the student. The role of the faculty is to provide guidance, stimulation, and example.

Clerkship Goals

The goals of the pediatric clerkship are that every student be able to:

• Acquire a basic knowledge of growth and development (physical, physiologic and psychosocial) and of its clinical application from birth through adolescence.
• Develop communication skills that will facilitate the clinical interaction with children, adolescents and their families, ensuring that complete, accurate data is obtained.
• Develop competency in the physical examination of infants, children, and adolescents.
• Acquire the knowledge necessary for the diagnosis and initial management of common acute and chronic illnesses.
• Develop clinical problem-solving skills.
• Acquire an understanding of the influence of family, community and society on the child in health and disease.
• Develop strategies for health promotion as well as disease and injury prevention.
• Develop the attitudes and professional behaviors appropriate for clinical practice.

Methods

The third year pediatric clerkship at the Georgia Health Sciences University is a six week experience. The clerkship classroom consist of clinics, newborn nurseries, and inpatient wards in multiple geographic locations across the state. For this reason, each student's experience will be unique.

This site has been to designed to help the student understand the goals, objectives, and structure of the clerkship, the evaluation process, and administrative requirements for the rotation. The student curriculum guide outlines the attitudes, skills, and knowledge that students need to learn during the clerkship. Students should use this material to help focus their learning efforts.