A model alcohol and other drug use curriculum for pediatric residents

While alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is a major health risk for adolescents in the United States, there is a paucity of AOD training for pediatric residents. In 1991-92, the University of Wisconsin Medical School developed an experiential, community-based AOD curriculum for pediatrics residents. The curriculum included resident participation in a community-based AOD adolescent assessment and intervention program, interactive didactic sessions, role-playing practice, and interviewing skills sessions. The residents who participated in the curriculum (n = 25) were compared with a control group (n = 19). Evaluation included pre- and post-curriculum written tests, objective structured clinical examinations, and residents' ratings of the curriculum components. The residents who participated showed significant gains in AOD knowledge, utilization of screening techniques, and clinical management skills as compared with the controls. The residents gave positive ratings to all curriculum components. This well-received curriculum can serve as a national model both for AOD education in pediatrics and for curriculum development in other areas of adolescent health-risk-taking.