Centering Social Pediatrics in Graduate Medical Education.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Medical Education

Background:

• Social pediatrics is often treated as extracurricular, not essential for child healthcare.
• Existing clinical, institutional, and structural factors hinder its integration into standard practice.
• There's a need to reframe social pediatrics as a core component of pediatric training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To problematize the normalization of social pediatrics as optional.
• To identify obstacles to mainstreaming social pediatrics training using critical pedagogical frameworks.
• To propose actionable strategies for integrating social pediatrics into healthcare systems and policy.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of current pediatric training paradigms.
• Application of structural competency and accompaniment frameworks.
• Examination of clinical, institutional, and structural barriers.

Main Results:

• Social pediatrics faces normalization as an optional add-on, not a necessity.
• Significant clinical, institutional, and structural obstacles impede widespread training.
• Examples of successful integration strategies are identified.

Conclusions:

• Social pediatrics must be recognized as a necessary component of pediatric care.
• Overcoming identified obstacles requires a multi-faceted approach involving training programs, health systems, and policymakers.
• Facilitating supportive environments for social pediatrics is crucial for advancing health equity in children.