UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
At Geisinger, we strive not only to offer our residents the very best in clinical and technical education, but also offer formative opportunities to mold our learners into future pediatricians who have an understanding of their role and responsibility as contributors to their community. Our program provides several unique learning venues and course offerings that promote community involvement, child advocacy, specialized education and an understanding of the needs of children both domestically and abroad. We have developed partnerships with many community organizations who truly welcome the opportunity to help educate our residents, providing opportunities to understand how social factors impact child health.
CHILD ADVOCACY
All PGY1 residents spend an entire month engaged in this important aspect of pediatrics. Advocacy is such an important issue for our program that residents are free from call responsibilities during this four week block. We believe that pediatricians should know how to speak out for the needs of children and their families. The rotation has been developed to educate residents on nationally recognized child advocacy issues, school health, government support services and community resources available to children. Additionally, residents are taught how to lobby for issues and communicate effectively with stakeholders and lawmakers. Residents spend a week in the Danville School District learning about all aspects of school health including school nutrition, special needs education, school psychology, and sports medicine. Residents even teach elementary school science and serve as a content expert for high school health classes. Residents also spend time at our local Children and Youth Agency as well as Child Advocacy Center learning about child abuse and the needs of less fortunate children who rely on government assistance for support. Finally, learners are engaged in discussions with hospital advocacy personnel, state legislators and other key individuals who all have an interest in helping them learn effective ways to speak out on behalf of our society's children.
CAMP MEDICINE
Geisinger pediatricians were instrumental in the development of a camp for children with special needs during the latter half of the 1980's. Camp Victory, located in Millville, is just 15 minutes from the Janet Weis Children's Hospital. This facility makes it possible for children with a number of life altering medical conditions to spend a week away from home, developing friendships and networking with other kids who have the same life issues as them. Camp offers these children an opportunity to be just like everyone else, and our residents and faculty play a huge role in making that happen. Residents can attend a camp of their choosing for a week per year without the need to use their personal vacation. Additionally, residents can choose to spend either two or four weeks at camp, assisting in the care of children under the supervision of our faculty. The camp experience offers residents an opportunity to learn things they just couldn't learn in any other setting. Residents develop an appreciation for the social and emotional needs of these special children, better understand the amount of parental effort needed to raise a child with special needs, and learn that doctors have a wonderful opportunity to break down the usual barriers of our profession to really make a difference in the lives of their patients. More about this unique learning opportunity can be found here. To learn more about Camp Victory and the children who attend, click here.
GLOBAL HEALTH
Geisinger has had a formal Pediatric Global Health curriculum for over twenty years. Our program is nationally recognized for its attention to safety, consistency and focus on creating sustainable activities that impact those we learn from internationally long after we have left. All international trips are supervised directly by our faculty, all of whom have experience working in these locations. We believe that residents should not be burdened with the costs of a Global Health experience. As such, the program covers the costs associated with airfare, accommodations and meals as well as any Travel Medicine expenses associated with the trip. Before residents leave for their trip, they complete a self-paced, online curriculum that covers global health as a broader topic as well as live lectures regarding specific site pathology. All aspects of the trip are planned and arranged by our global health team. Over the past two decades, the program has offered opportunities in a number of countries including Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Namibia, Kenya, Ukraine, Nepal and India. You can click here to learn more about our Global Health curriculum.
RESEARCH COURSES
Geisinger has developed a research education program for clinicians, residents and fellows who have a strong interest in pursuing research. Although research remains optional in our curriculum, it remains highly encouraged. Many students also have a strong interest in pursuing their areas of interest and research is often required for competitive fellowship appointments. We have many avenues in which we can help residents meet these expectations and pursue their interest:
CITI training: As part of our curriculum and embedded in our orientation, all entering residents obtain CITI certification in their intern year. This allows residents to become immediately involved in any research opportunities they might discover throughout their three years.
Henry Hood Center for Research Course: A formal 12-session course designed for selected clinicians who have a strong interest in research. This course is offered throughout the year and teaches research methods and study design. Residents must identify a mentor and present a research paper at the end of this course.
Biostatistics core lecture series that is offered to clinicians and those interested in understanding biostatistical methods. This course is given over a 2-month time frame.
GEISINGER EDUCATION & MEDICAL SIMULATION (GEMS) CENTER
This center partners with our pediatric residency and dedicated faculty to provide a comprehensive clinical skills education which includes standardized patients, task trainers, and high fidelity/interprofessional simulations, workshops and web base modules to improve patient experiences and outcomes. Our pediatric faculty teaches TeamSTEPPS, interprofessional mock codes, and communication skills which include difficult patient conversations and end of life scenarios with our palliative care team. There are also many patients and workplace scenarios from which residents can choose.
POINT OF CARE ULTRASOUND (POCUS) TRAINING
This year, our residency program has begun offering POCUS training to interested residents. Residents learn to utilize ultrasound to confirm their clinical suspicion for diagnoses such as pleural effusions, ascites, pericardial effusions, and abscesses. The program supplies the needed ultrasound equipment for the classes. Residents wishing to receive certification can complete an additional evaluation using their educational financial allowance.
BOARD REVIEW COURSE
Geisinger's Pediatric Residency also offers an opportunity for learners who may need further support in organizing and studying for their pediatric boards. These identified learners are scheduled for 13 lectures given by our general pediatric and subspecialty attendings. Board questions are prepared for each lecture and test taking skills are taught by our dedicated faculty. This course ensures that our board pass rate remains one of the best in the nation.
TELEHEALTH TRAINING
Being the largest pediatric health provider for a nearly 16,000 square mile area, telehealth is an important part of how we reach out and deliver care to families. Geisinger pediatric residents are all formally trained and approved to provide acute care using telecommunications technology. Additionally, they are all trained to work remotely using cutting edge technology in our Geisinger Shamokin and Bloomsburg Emergency Departments under the distance supervision of our Pediatric Emergency Medicine providers.
COLT
The Community Outreach Leadership Training (COLT) program is a coordinated effort with several Geisinger residency programs and the Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce. Its aim is to educate and offer practical opportunities for residents to work with civic groups to positively impact our local communities. This longitudinal experience incorporates both community awareness/outreach and leadership skills that ultimately culminates in a multidisciplinary community based project to improve the well-being of our local population.
COMPLEX CARE ELECTIVE ROTATION
During this rotation, residents follow medically complex children with a team of clinical specialists including a pediatrician, nurse practitioner, nurse case manager, social worker, clinical pharmacist, and dietitian. The team surrounds families with expertise in managing ventinlators, G-tubes, tracheotomy tubes, home health care plans and chronic health conditions. Residents learn to problem solve with families to prevent hospitalizations and maximize care at home to improve outcomes for this population.
PLAIN CLOTHED POPULATIONS
Because of our Pennsylvania rural location, our residents are exposed to the unique culture of our Plain Clothed population. Amish and Mennonite communities living in central Pennsylvania allow residents exposure to metabolic and genetically recessive diagnoses. Geisinger partners with The Clinic for Special Children, a medical home to a large Amish population, helping to maintain affordable care for this population. Over the years, Geisinger has developed strong relationships with our Amish and Mennonite neighbors and we cherish being able to help care for the children of their communities.
LAUNCHING THE EMPOWERMENT OF ADOLESCENTS PROGRAM
Founded in 2018, Launching the Empowerment of Adolescents Program (LEAP) is a resident founded and lead initiative that provides a group setting for teens diagnosed with chronic medical conditions. Their mission is to empower adolescents, through participation in peer mentorship, share their concerns, improve their coping skills and enhance their support systems. The group has successfully received grants from the Children's Miracle Network three years in a row and the funds go towards their monthly events. This Program coordinates monthly activities year long which include bowling, minigolf, dinners, laser tag and much more. The events are supervised by our pediatric residents with the intention that our participants not only choose the activity but completely lead any discussions. The program facilitates opportunities for older adolescents to take new participants under their "wing" and help them through difficult times, and the friendships truly last.