Pediatrics faculty teach medical students through courses, required clerkships, and elective experiences. 

Because pediatrics is complex and students have little prior experience with pediatric patients, the clerkship includes primary care, office practice, specialty pediatrics, and inpatient care. Approximately 80% of M3 students complete the pediatric clerkship at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital and associated sites; the remaining 20% at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. 

Faculty also provide internships and elective experiences for M4 students.

Core Clerkship Learning Objectives

Core clerkship competency-based goals and objectives are based upon:

Professionalism
  • Demonstrate commitment to scholarly excellence with continued self-assessment, growth of knowledge and skills, and dedication to patient care. PBL01, PR01, PR03
  • Treat others with respect and dignity. ICS02, PR01, PR02, SBP01

Patient care
  • Perform an age and developmentally appropriate physical exam for well children, acutely ill children and newborns. PC01, PR01, MK01, MK02
  • Begin to integrate clinical information from the history, physical exam, and other available data to start an assessment and plan for a pediatric patient. MK02, MK03, PC02, PC04
  • Develop awareness of health supervision and illness and injury prevention counseling appropriate for a pediatric patient. ICS01, MK01, MK04, PC01, PC04, PC05

Medical knowledge
  • Demonstrate understanding of the clinical presentation, basic physiology, evaluation, and management of the well child, the acutely ill child, and the child with chronic disease. MK01, MK02, MK03, MK04, PC01, PC02, PC04
  • Assess growth in children (height/length, weight, head circumference, and body mass index) using standard or condition specific growth charts. MK01, MK02
  • Describe a child’s nutritional needs across different contexts including during normal development, acute illness, and chronic illness. ICS02, PC01, MK01, MK04, PC04
  • Demonstrate how to calculate weight-based dosing. MK04, PC04
  • List characteristics of the physical exam that should trigger concern for possible physical, sexual, or psychological abuse and neglect. MK02, PC01, SBP02

Practice-based learning and improvement
  • Develop life-long learning skills used for improving patient care and fostering continued professional growth and development. PBL01, PBL02, PR03

Interpersonal and communication skills
  • Develop communication skills that will facilitate interaction with pediatric patients of all ages and their caregivers. ICS01, ICS02, PC02

Systems based practice

Program Contacts

Kristen Sandgren, MD, director of medical student education

Kristen Sandgren, MD

Director, Medical Student Education

Director, Phase 2 Medical Students

BT 1034 GH
319-353-8392
kristen-sandgren@uiowa.edu

Sam Wong, DO, director of Phase 3 medical students

Sam Wong, DO

Director, Phase 3 Medical Students

Assistant Director, Medical Student Education

8815-B JPP
samuel-wong@uiowa.edu

Lauren Kanner, MD, assistant director of medical student education

Lauren Kanner, MD

Assistant Director, Medical Student Education

BT 2023 GH
319-356-1095
lauren-kanner@uiowa.edu

Sofia Ramirez, MBA, medical student education administrator

Sofia Ramirez, MBA

Administrator, Medical Student Education

BT 2015-22 GH
319-356-7824
sofia-ramirez@uiowa.edu

Program Assistant Irnesa Somic, Medical Student Education

Irnesa Somic

Program Assistant, Medical Student Education

BT 2015-23

319-356-7250

irnesa-somic@uiowa.edu