Second Year, PL-2

The junior year is when residents get their most concentrated exposure to subspecialty and acute care pediatrics, accompanied by an increase in decision-making autonomy and responsibility for high-acuity often critically ill patients. The junior year also introduces supervisory roles and affords more opportunities for leadership and teaching.

Increased acuity, increased autonomy: Juniors are the only residents on the following BCH subspecialty inpatient services: GI, Cardiology, Complex Care and Oncology.

Juniors also work with increased autonomy caring for acutely ill patients in the EDs at BMC and BCH, serve as the main responders to all deliveries requiring a pediatrician at BWH, and cover one of the three main teams in the Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU). These rotations require juniors to build on the clinical skills and knowledge gained during the intern year, become more nuanced in their evaluations and differential diagnoses, and more independent and efficient in patient management.

Supervisory experiences:  Juniors supervise interns in the BMC Ward and NICU,  on subspecialty teams and on the Pediatric Hospital Medicine team (which also contains the Admit team). They are also frequently role models and sources of support for interns in the ED’s at BCH and BMC. Many of our residents love to teach and lead, and these experiences are highly valued by juniors as opportunities to participate in shaping the culture of the BCRP.

Resident as Teacher Curriculum: Juniors have a two week TEACH rotation focused on developing residents’ supervisory and teaching skills. It includes scheduled activities such as delivering a chalk talk, practicing feedback, and precepting medical students, as well as provides individualized time tailored to each resident’s career goals.

Mental Health Rotation: Junior residents have a two week call-free rotation in which they gain further exposure to the management of mental health problems from the ambulatory setting to the acute setting, with opportunities to learn from community partners and mental health subspecialists.

Individualized Curriculum: The junior year includes elective time, including call-free elective time. Juniors use this time to personalize their training experience by pursuing further exposure to pediatric subspecialties, dedicating time to research or teaching, engaging in global health experiences, and a myriad of other options. Some are structured by the residency program and others are individual and unique.

Expanded LEAD opportunities: LEAD residents have a half-day every month when they can choose between a second continuity clinic and a project in urban health, advocacy, global health or public policy.