Didactics

In addition to direct patient care training opportunities, Interns participate in a series of seminars and other didactic training events. The overall goal of the various didactic conferences and seminars is to provide interns with formal instruction on topics important to their practice in Pediatric / Child Clinical Psychology. Didactics include the following:

Seminar in Pediatric and Child Clinical Psychology

This seminar is held for two hours weekly and typically involves key clinical issues to enhance to practice of psychology within a hospital. Sessions address the following:

• Basic issues in general and subspecialty pediatric medical care. Topics presented reflect the broad range of medical specialties ranging from psychosocial aspects of diabetes management to child abuse, to genetics, to somatoform disorders. The willingness of pediatric specialists, many of who are nationally and internationally recognized for their work, to present to psychology interns speaks highly of the collegial relationship between pediatrics and psychology in the hospital.
• Child clinical issues, e.g., treatment of OCD, psychoactive medication, mood disorders in children.
• Psychosocial ramifications of a variety of medical presentations, including acute and chronic illnesses. The overlap between medical and psychological illnesses in children and families.
• Ethical issues, including the APA Code of Ethics, with particular application to the practice of psychology within a child/medical setting.
• Sensitivity and exposure to issues related to working with children and families representing diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Development of skills related to professional practice (e.g., interviewing, writing research grants, preparing vitae, post-doctoral opportunities).

Assessment Seminar

Interns meet with faculty members weekly for one hour to discuss current evaluation procedures, testing administration, formulate diagnostic formulation and case presentations. Interns have the opportunity to review the wide range of assessments being conducted, benefit from group input and supervision, and learn about neuropsychological and traditional testing procedures.

Family Therapy Seminar

Meeting three times a month for one hour, this seminar includes review of ongoing family therapy cases. Both didactic and clinical aspects of this seminar make it particularly valued. Interns benefit from group input and are provided the opportunity to process themes across various family therapy cases. Supervision is provided via videotapes of family therapy sessions.

Hospital Sponsored Programs

Interns are encouraged to attend weekly Pediatric Grand Rounds, monthly Ethics Rounds and other training experiences that are sponsored by the duPont Hospital for Children. In addition, Interns are encouraged to attend rounds or journal clubs offered by medical subspecialties (e.g., Neurology, Endocrinology, or Gastroenterology).