A nationwide survey of behavioral pediatric residency training

This survey assessed the prevalence of behavioral pediatric residency training in the U.S., the professional background of faculty, training methods utilized, curriculum content, and barriers to expansion of behavioral training. Questionnaires were returned by 60% of 246 accredited pediatric residency programs; of these, 49% had a "formal" behavioral training program, 38% offered some training, and 13% offered none. Formal programs identified 419 faculty members involved in teaching behavioral pediatrics to residents: physicians (48%), psychologists (21%), social workers (19%), nurses (8%), other (4%). Mandatory training was more frequent than elective training; continuous training was more likely than block rotations to be mandatory. "Inadequate funding" and "lack of appropriately trained faculty" were most frequently cited as barriers to expansion of the teaching of behavioral pediatrics.