Pediatric Residency Preparedness for Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship

The aim of the study was to examine the perception of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) program directors (PDs), associate PDs (APDs) and first-year fellows regarding the preparedness of new PEM fellows who have graduated from pediatric residency programs.

Unique surveys were created and electronically distributed to PEM PDs/APDs and first-year PEM fellows. Individual and institutional demographic information was collected. Using a 5-point Likert scale, survey items centered the perceived preparedness of first-year PEM fellows within 5 domains: professionalism, independence/autonomy, psychomotor skills, clinical evaluation and management, and academia/scholarship.

Forty percent (48/119) of eligible PDs and APDs and 56% (82/147) of eligible first-year PEM fellows responded. Most PDs/APDs strongly agreed or agreed that incoming fellows perform adequately in areas of professionalism, independence/autonomy, and clinical evaluation and management. The PDs/APDs perceived fellows to be less prepared in the academia/scholarship domain and several psychomotor skills. Most first-year PEM fellows perceived themselves as prepared in areas of professionalism and clinical evaluation and management. Fellows had varied feelings of preparedness in the domains of independence/autonomy, psychomotor skills, and academia/scholarship. Overall, most PDs/APDs (54%) and fellows (84%) feel that pediatric residency training was strong or very strong.

Most respondents in both groups felt that in general, pediatric residency programs adequately train residents for PEM fellowship. Both groups felt that the strengths of general pediatric training were among the domains of professionalism and clinical evaluation and management, whereas psychomotor skills and academia and scholarship were areas of improvement. These findings may be used by general pediatric residency and PEM fellowship programs to guide curriculum development.