Flexibility: A BCRP Value

The size of the BCRP affords opportunities for residents to personalize their training experience. Many residents have unique educational and career objectives, and the BCRP makes every effort to adapt the standard schedule to accommodate these whenever possible. Requests for individual training experiences must be made well in advance of the next academic year (8-9 months).

Here are some of the ways our residents have used this flexibility:

• Attending national meetings related to pediatrics, pediatric subspecialties, and other areas of interest, and presenting work at these meetings
• Serving on national committees (AAP, AMA, etc)
• Pursuing international research and clinical experiences
• Taking advantage of unique elective experiences, like working for the Medical Unit of ABC News or working at the Federal Government Affairs Office of the American Academy of Pediatrics
• Participating in one of the ABP-approved research tracks (Integrated Research Pathway or Accelerated Research Pathway)
• Taking a year off to pursue other training or research
• Consulting with companies or government agencies
• Focusing on career-specific or subspecialty experiences in the senior year

Finally, size allows for flexibility with family issues, including paid maternity and paternity leave, leaves for illness or family emergencies, and occasionally for part-time schedules (for personal or academic reasons).