Pediatrics Training Modules for Preclinical Medical Students

Abstract

Abstract Clinical skills training for preclinical medical students has traditionally focused on adult patients. As medical education evolves to incorporate earlier exposure to clinical training, there is a need to prepare medical students for the unique aspects of caring for pediatric patients. This medical school curriculum is designed to educate medical students about important pediatric topics at a level appropriate for preclinical students. The materials include four written modules with end-of-module questions and answers, a presentation for an interactive workshop that reviews the material covered in the module on the history and physical exam, an instructor guide to the presentation, a case script for the small-group role-playing, and a white coat card for use by students. We developed this pediatric training curriculum at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. We developed this curriculum to better prepare students to work with pediatric patients as part of the first and second-year longitudinal ambulatory clerkship course. Medical students who had completed the course partnered with the clerkship directors and conducted a needs assessment. Approximately one-third of students worked with pediatric patients and more than half of all students indicated that they believed they could benefit from pediatric modules. After the curriculum was implemented for the first time, 75% of students were satisfied or very satisfied with the orientation workshop.

Keywords

• Development
• Medical Education
• Case-Based Learning
• Immunization
• Pediatrics
• Pediatrics Curriculum