At IU School of Medicine, we offer five distinct clinical tracks for residents to choose from to help individualize their clinical experience during residency. We offer clinical tracks in primary care, critical care, subspecialty medicine, hospitalist medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. Tracks are designed in a way that the major divergence takes place in your second year, allowing for maximum flexibility to switch tracks during or after the first year of residency.
The Primary Care (PC) Track is designed to enhance the outpatient experience of residents planning a career in general outpatient pediatrics while still providing a strong inpatient/subspecialty education. The track allows residents to experience key outpatient rotations earlier in their training while still maintaining the same number of electives each year so residents can continue to create their individualized learning plan. In addition, the PC track provides enriched education in primary care and community for sharing, peer mentoring, and support within the larger program.
Common general pediatrics experience for all residents:
- All residents participate in ambulatory, community, and other primary-care focused rotations.
- All residents complete the outpatient subspecialty rotation in their first year, where they will get a longitudinal experience in four different pediatric subspecialties.
- All residents have didactics that include components of public health and preventive care.
- Continuity clinics are a major focus with longitudinal patient experiences.
Primary Care Track additional requirements:
- During intern year, PC track residents get experiences in dermatology and outpatient nephrology.
- Second year PC track residents participate in an outpatient-focused Child and Adolescent Psychiatry rotation. They also spend time at Southern Indiana Pediatrics (SIP), which is a large primary care practice in the Bloomington area. As part of the individualized curriculum, residents get exposure to sports medicine, infant growth and development, outpatient rheumatology and the child protection team.
- Third year PC track residents can choose to repeat DBP or SIP, spend time in weight management clinics, do preventative cardiology, or spend more time in their continuity clinic or another primary care office. They also have the opportunity to do a career planning rotation to give additional time to gain skills needed for their future career.
The Critical Care (CC) Track is designed to enhance the experience of residents planning a career in NICU or PICU while still providing a strong inpatient/outpatient/subspecialty education. The track allows residents to experience key inpatient rotations earlier in their training while still maintaining the same number of electives each year so residents can continue to create their individualized learning plan. In addition, residents have the opportunity to get mentorship from those within their chosen career path.
Common critical care experience for all residents:
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All residents, regardless of track, spend at least two blocks in the NICU and two blocks in the PICU.
Critical Care Track additional requirements:
- We understand that many residents are torn between NICU and PICU, and there is some career stress with not doing PICU until your second year. To mitigate this, CC track residents do a "PICU Lite" rotation in their first year, where they are part of the daytime rounding team but do not take overnight call. This allows for interns to have an earlier clinical experience in critical care with the support of senior residents and staff. All first year residents do a block in our level III NICU with a high risk delivery service. First year residents in the CC track will also do a two week rotation in radiology.
- Second year CC residents do one PICU block and one NICU block. You also spend longitudinal time during the year on palliative care and child protection teams.
- Third year CC residents do one PICU block and one NICU block. They then have the opportunity to do an "acting fellow" rotation after match to gain even more experience in either NICU or PICU. Residents on this track also get longitudinal time with the vascular access team and have a two week career planning rotation with dedicated fellowship interview time.
- CC track residents will have dedicated research months during their second and third years in order to prepare for fellowship applications.
The Subspecialty Fellowship Track is designed to enhance the experience of residents planning a career in one of the pediatric subspecialties while still providing a strong inpatient/outpatient/ICU education. The track allows residents to experience key inpatient rotations earlier in their training while still maintaining the same number of electives each year so residents can continue to create their individualized learning plan. In addition, residents have the opportunity to get mentorship from those within their chosen career path.
Common subspecialty experience for all residents:
- All residents, regardless of track, will get experience in pulmonology, hematology-oncology, cardiology, infectious disease, gastroenterology, nephrology and endocrinology.
Subspecialty Fellowship Track additional requirements:
- Residents on this track have the opportunity to do a “Fellow Courting” month in the second year of residency where you will get dedicated time getting unique clinical experiences to give you example of what your fellowship and overall career would look like.
- Residents on the Subspecialty fellowship track will have dedicated research blocks during their second and third years.
- Residents have the opportunity to do an "Acting Fellow" month after match to gain more skills and tailor their education. They also have a two week career planning rotation with dedicated fellowship interview time.
The Pediatric Hospitalist Fellowship Track is designed to enhance the experience of residents planning a career as a pediatric hospitalist while still providing a strong outpatient, subspecialty and ICU education. The track allows residents to experience key inpatient rotations earlier in their training while still maintaining the same number of electives each year so residents can continue to create their individualized learning plan. In addition, residents have the opportunity to get mentorship from those in hospitalist medicine.
Common hospitalist experience for all residents:
- All residents spend time on general pediatric wards and complex care units as an intern and have senioring experience on hospitalist services. All residents also have an opportunity to do a two-week rotation at IU Health North, giving a community hospital experience.
Pediatric Hospitalist Fellowship Track additional requirements:
- Residents on this path will have additional time in rheumatology, newborn nursery and community hospitals, with senioring and mentorship opportunities at each level.
- Residents on this track will have dedicated research blocks during their second and third years.
- Residents have the opportunity to do an "Acting Fellow" block after match to gain more skills and tailor their education. They also have a two week career planning rotation with dedicated fellowship interview time.
The Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) Track is designed to enhance the experience of residents planning on completing a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine while still providing a strong inpatient, outpatient and subspecialty education. The track allows residents to experience key inpatient rotations earlier in their training while still maintaining the same number of electives each year so residents can continue to create their individualized learning plan. In addition, residents have the opportunity to get mentorship from those within their chosen career path.
Common emergency medicine experience for all residents:
- All residents spend four weeks/year in the pediatric emergency department at Riley Hospital, plus two weeks in the second year in a pediatric urgent care.
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Track additional requirements:
- We understand that many residents are torn between PICU and PEM, and there is some career stress with not doing PICU until your second year. To mitigate this, PEM track residents do a "PICU Lite" rotation in their first year, where they are part of the daytime rounding team but do not take overnight call. This allows for interns to have an earlier clinical experience in critical care with the support of senior residents and staff.
- Second year PEM track residents spend time rotating through a community pediatric emergency department and time with the child protection team during their longitudinal time.
- PEM track residents will have dedicated research blocks during their second and third years.
- PEM track residents have the opportunity to do an "Acting Fellow" rotation after match. They also have a two week career planning rotation with dedicated fellowship interview time.