Our Educational Objectives
- To teach medical students, pediatric residents, and fellows, as well as UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh medical staff and employees, the principles of recognizing, evaluating, and reporting child maltreatment
- To work with other physicians in recognizing patterns of child maltreatment and meeting the requirement of mandated reporting of maltreatment
- To strengthen community relations through outreach and education for child-protection professionals and to participate in community education aimed at reducing violence toward and injury to children
Medical Student, Resident and Fellow Training
The Division of Child Advocacy provides various training opportunities to medical students and pediatric residents:
- A four-week rotation for every second-year pediatric resident involving Child Advocacy and Community Health
- Oversight of a four-week rotation for each first-year Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellow
- Directing of a four-week MS4 child abuse elective
- Monthly lectures using the MS3 curriculum on basics of physical abuse
- Quarterly case presentations to the UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh trauma team, Emergency Department staff, and pediatric house staff
Community Education
The divison also engages the community through presentations and programs.
EPIC-SCAN Presentations
We provide routine lectures and presentations, including a program titled “Educating Physicians in Their Communities—Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect.”
American Academy of Pediatrics Physician Preceptorship Program
The division participates in a teaching program for volunteer community physicians interested in improving skills in assessment of child maltreatment, administered through the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This program includes 60 hours of didactic teaching at statewide meeting and multiple-day UPMC Children’s on-site trainings.
Midwest Regional Child Abuse Medical Preceptorship Program
The program provides hands on training to provide nurses, nurse practitioners and physician se pediatricians interested in improving their skills in the evion of children with concerns for sexual abuse. It is a four-day intensive clinical experience consisting of observation, hands-on simulation and technical training with the Child Advocacy physicians and UPMC Children's Advanced Practice Providers.