Resident education is emphasized, both on and off the wards. The residency curriculum is designed to supplement clinical training with the ultimate goal of building a foundation in basic and clinical sciences in pediatrics. Residents will be prepared for the certification process of the American Board of Pediatrics.
Weekly conference schedule
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| Morning | All-resident morning report | Floor teaching | All-resident morning report | Floor teaching | Early bird rounds |
| Noon | Intern conference, Senior board review | Case conference | Noon conference | Noon conference | Grand rounds |
Conference descriptions
Morning conferences
Residents report (Morning report)
Interactive daily discussion between medical students, residents, faculty, program director, and chairman about the patients currently or recently treated at SLCH. It is an opportunity to refine our skills generating broad differential diagnoses, taking a history, managing a variety of diseases, and brainstorm together on the ongoing management of patients.
Quality improvement conference
Resident-driven quality improvement conferences are held once monthly. These conferences allow residents to gain understanding of the process of quality improvement in the hospital and showcase resident QI projects.
Early bird rounds
A weekly presentation of pediatric topics geared toward primary care providers.
Noon conferences
Intern conference
Each Monday, first-year residents meet with the chief residents for lectures that are more targeted to the needs of junior residents. Intern conferences focus on discussing interesting patients and exploring diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Senior resident conference
Each Monday, second- and third-year residents meet with fellows and attendings for specialty-specific board review.
Clinical case conference
Each week, a resident presents a clinical case and a faculty member teaches in-depth about the presentation, diagnosis, and management.
All-resident core curriculum conference
Conferences are led by Washington University faculty physicians and cover general pediatrics and subspecialty topics, aligned with the American Board of Pediatrics content specifications for pediatric residency.
Grand rounds
Lectures are on a wide range of topics by Washington University faculty and visiting speakers. Ten named lectureships provide support for the most sought-after pediatric speakers in the world.
Pediatric molecular medicine conference
Led by researchers at Washington University and focuses on cutting-edge research that provides a deeper understanding of modern clinical medicine.
All-resident wellness conference
Monthly conferences provide time for residents to unwind and decompress (including resident-favorite “pet therapy”) and explore work-life balance and strategies for resiliency.
Schwartz rounds
A multidisciplinary forum for discussing complex patient issues. Each session has a group of panelists—usually two to three clinicians from different disciplines (e.g., doctor, nurse, social worker, chaplains, parents) — who were involved in the care of the child, or they share their personal experience.
Additional educational conferences
o There are many additional conferences that take place on a weekly or monthly basis that are open to interested residents. These conferences are devoted to neurology, pediatric research, gastroenterology, pathology, radiology, pediatric infectious disease, immunology, and many other subspecialties.
Other educational activities
Simulation center
The Saigh Pediatric Simulation Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital features three high-fidelity electromechanical pediatric mannequins and two simulated patient care rooms.
- The chief residents lead simulated code training twice weekly
- Each resident attends 4-6 sessions per year.
- Interdisciplinary mock codes supported by the Sim Center take place on most inpatient floors each resident block