Curriculum

The curriculum is designed to broadly prepare the physician for Pediatrics in a rural or underserved setting, as well as for any inpatient or outpatient setting, or for specialty fellowship training. Therefore, it includes a strong emphasis in both outpatient general pediatrics and inpatient hospitalist pediatrics, along with NICU, PICU, pediatric emergency medicine, behavioral and developmental pediatrics, and elective choices from a full complement of pediatric subspecialties. There are also dedicated blocks to rural pediatrics and to advocacy and community pediatrics. Each resident will spend 2 weeks as a PGY-1, 4 weeks as a PGY-2, and 4 weeks as a PGY-3 practicing and learning pediatrics in a rural setting (housing and driving costs to get to the rural site at the start of the rotation and to return to Boise at the end of the rotation are covered for distant sites; we also have commutable sites nearby for those who cannot be away from Boise for a rotation).  Advocacy and Community Pediatrics is a 4 week block during the PGY-1 year and again during the PGY-2 year when all pediatrics residents in that class are together for the block, learning and participating in advocacy and group / class projects, and bonding further as a group. During their three years, residents have increasing responsibilities in patient care, an ability to design their own continuing education, and participation in the management of the Pediatric Residency of Idaho clinic and organization. They also have opportunities to participate in various committee and organizational functions within the hospital, the communities, the state, and the nation. The residency strives to help our physicians develop a sustainable lifestyle and work / life balance that will provide them with long term satisfaction and deep meaning and inspiration in the practice of Pediatrics.

X+Y Scheduling: The longitudinal clinic experience is designed in a modified X+Y format. We recognize how challenging it is for residents to rush through an inpatient or specialty clinic morning and barely have time to eat lunch, and show up just in time to start their afternoon longitudinal clinic. Our schedule provides only one clinical responsibility per day—you are either present in your assigned block (rotation) location, or you are in your longitudinal clinic for the entire day. We feel that this general approach to resident clinic scheduling optimizes learning and wellbeing. On the days that a resident is in their longitudinal clinic, they will be able to focus solely on their clinic, their patients, and their learning. Patient continuity with the resident will be maximized.