Current status of behavioral pediatric training for general pediatric residents: a study of 11 funded programs

The W. T. Grant Foundation has funded training in behavioral pediatrics for pediatric residents at 11 medical centers. The approaches toward training taken by the 11 funded programs, based on information systematically collected by interviews conducted with departmental chairmen, faculty, and residents during a program visit to each medical center, are described. No single training site emerged as optimal for teaching behavioral pediatrics, although linking such teaching to a "low priority" setting was an educational obstacle. A serious problem in many programs was the lack of ongoing research in behavioral pediatrics. Success in teaching behavioral pediatrics was dependent upon faculty support and a mandatory experience in behavioral pediatrics for all residents.