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Department of Pediatrics Department of Pediatrics
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  3. Pediatric Residency Training Program
  4. Curriculum
  5. Rotations

Rotations Year-by-Year

The PGY1 is expected to take full initiative in the workup and management of patients under the guidance of a supervising resident and attending staff physician. Interns have extensive exposure to ill children and to children of normal birth, growth, and development. During the first year, inpatient pediatrics is taught at Rady Children's Hospital. 

The PGY2 year builds on the experiences of the first year with an emphasis on patient management and triage of the ill child. The PGY2 resident rotates through the inpatient wards at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and experiences increased independence and decision-making. They take an active role in the program's unique triage curriculum and learn how to quickly assess clinical status, stabilize sick patients, and take charge of the multidisciplinary inpatient team.

The PGY3 year provides each resident the opportunity to enhance skills and knowledge in a wide variety of pediatric areas. The PGY3, in close consultation with attending physicians, oversees the care of clinic patients and provides guidance and expertise in general pediatrics. PGY3 residents have the opportunity to spend a month learning adolescent medicine, both in the eating disorder unit at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and at the Navy Point Loma Adolescent Clinic.

Our chief residents serve as instructors in the Department of Pediatrics and as representatives for the residents to the chairman of the department. They act as general pediatric consultants to the residents and to other services, and they work as attending pediatricians at the North Park Family Health Centers Pediatrics Clinic.
 

PGY-1

General Wards – Days (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • During the intern year, 2 interns are paired with a senior resident to create a wards team. Each wards team cares for a combination of pediatric hospital medicine patients and subspecialty patients. Interns rotate on the following teams: Blue Team (Hospital Medicine and Pulmonary), Green Team (Hospital Medicine and Gastroenterology), and Red Team (Hospital Medicine, Neurology, and Endocrinology).
  • Intern cap is 10 patients. This is a hard cap, not a rolling cap. (e.g. If you start with 8 patients, you can only admit a max of 2 more patients that day even if you discharge all 8 of your patients.)

General Wards – Nights (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • During each block of nights at Rady Children’s Hospital, interns work with supervising senior residents to admit and manage patients. Patients are admitted from Emergency Department as well as from hospitals and physician’s offices across the region.
  • Intern cap is 6 patients

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (at UCSD Jacobs Medical Center)

  • UCSD Jacobs Medical Center is a Level III NICU where interns will learn how to stabilize and care for the critically ill neonate. Interns attend deliveries for resuscitation experience, manage the ICU, and participate in the NICU educational curriculum along with NICU fellows.

Newborn Nursery (at UCSD Jacobs Medical Center)

  • Interns will learn basic newborn care during this month-long rotation at UCSD Jacobs Medical Center. They will be exposed to common newborn problems that the general pediatrician can expect to see in practice.

Ambulatory Medicine (at Rady Children’s Primary Care Clinic and Family Health Centers North Park)

  • With rotations at both an academic and community clinic, interns will meet and care for children coming from all over San Diego, a culturally diverse city. Faculty and staff at both UCSD Pediatrics and Family Health Centers (a large FQHC network) are dedicated teachers, making these rotations a time of growth and excellent learning!

Cardiology (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • All interns complete a one-week rotation in outpatient Cardiology clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital to have early exposure to common diagnoses referred to and managed by outpatient cardiologists.

Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics (at Rady Children’s Hospital and Kaiser Permanente)

  • Interns will work with board-certified Developmental Behavioral pediatricians at the UCSD and Kaiser Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics clinics. They will also work with health professionals involved in the multi-disciplinary care of children with developmental behavioral needs, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and audiologists.

Community Pediatrics (across San Diego and beyond!)

  • On this rotation, interns learn about advocacy at the local and national level, learn and gain exposure to school-based health centers, and work with community and state organizations dedicated to pediatric care. This is a great opportunity to participate in and learn more about the resources available in our community!

Pediatric Emergency Medicine (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • The Rady Children’s Hospital Emergency Department is a Level 1 Trauma Center and the only pediatric emergency department in San Diego County. Residents work closely with board-certified Pediatric Emergency Medicine physicians and strengthen their clinical and procedural skills.

Electives

  • Interns can participate in a wide variety of Pediatric electives!

Vacation

  • Residents receive 2 two week blocks of vacation. In addition, residents receive 4 days off over the winter holidays.

PGY-2

General Wards – Days (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • Two residents are paired together to create a second-year wards team. Each wards team cares for a combination of pediatric hospital medicine patients and subspecialty patients. The subspecialty concentrations during the second year include Nephrology, Kawasaki Disease, and Cardiology.
  • Resident cap is 10 patients

General Wards – Nights (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • The role of the second year resident on nights is to admit patients to RCHSD and manage them overnight. In second year, residents have increased independence though still have the support of a senior resident.
  • Resident cap is 8 patients

General Wards – Day Triage (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • Second year residents manage the admission pager and are responsible for triaging, stabilizing and initiating management for newly admitted patients to RCHSD.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (at UCSD Jacobs Medical Center)

  • The second year resident is the senior resident at UCSD Jacobs NICU and plays an important role in supervising and teaching the interns. They continue to attend deliveries and resuscitations and participate in the day to day management of patients. 

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • During a resident’s rotation on the PICU at RCHSD, they can expect to care for critically ill children. We are an international transfer center and care for patients from Guam, Saipan and Japan. Residents have ample opportunity to complete procedures ranging from lumbar punctures to central line placement. Rady Children’s Hospital Emergency Transport team (CHET) invites PICU residents to join them on ground and air transport of critically ill children. 

Navy Inpatient Wards (at Balboa Naval Hospital)

  • Functioning as the senior resident at Balboa Naval Hospital, UCSD-Rady residents have the chance to lead a team, manage pediatric Emergency Department consults and navigate inpatient medicine in a different setting.

Hematology Oncology (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • Our Hematology-Oncology division at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego serves patients from all over Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Second year residents spend one month in inpatient/outpatient cancer and hematology care, which includes leukemia/lymphoma, solid tumor, and hematology services. There is also the opportunity to manage bone marrow transplant patients and recipients of immunotherapy such as CAR-T cell therapy.

Ambulatory Medicine (at Rady Children’s Primary Care Clinic)

  • This rotation is located at our academic general pediatric clinic at UCSD Pediatrics.
  • The second year will supervise interns in the clinic and participate in telephone triage. 

Resident Academic Project

  • This rotation provides residents with protected time to work on their academic project and to meet with their mentors. 

Pediatric Emergency Medicine (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • The Rady Children’s Hospital Emergency Department is a Level 1 Trauma Center and the only pediatric emergency department in San Diego County. Residents work closely with board-certified Pediatric Emergency Medicine physicians and strengthen their clinical and procedural skills.

Electives

  • Second year residents have 3 months of time available for a variety electives.

Vacation

  • Residents receive 2 two week blocks of vacation. In addition, residents receive 4 days off over the winter holidays.

PGY-3

General Wards – Days (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • The third-year resident serves as the senior for the wards team. They are responsible for supervising interns, managing care for complex patients, teaching medical students, and leading the entire team.

General Wards – Nights Admissions (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • As the senior resident on nights, the third-year resident communicates with the hospitalists and sub-specialists on call to manage and triage admissions overnight. The senior resident supervises the admit team (interns and second year) overnight to help with management and work-up.

General Wards – “Mole” Night Coverage of Admitted Patients (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • During this rotation, the senior resident will care for patients already admitted to Rady Children’s Hospital. They are responsible for triage and acute care overnight.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • During a resident’s rotation on the PICU at RCHSD, they can expect to care for critically ill children. We are an international transfer center and care for patients from Guam, Saipan and Japan. Residents have ample opportunity to complete procedures ranging from lumbar punctures to central line placement. Rady Children’s Hospital Emergency Transport team (CHET) invites PICU residents to join them on ground and air transport of critically ill children. 

Kaiser Outpatient Clinic (at Kaiser Otay Mesa)

  • This rotation gives residents the opportunity to work as an attending general pediatrician. While Kaiser pediatricians are always available if needed, this rotation offers the opportunity to grow and prepare for life as a general pediatrician after residency.

Adolescent Medicine (at Rady Children’s Hospital and Balboa Naval Hospital)

  • Residents spend this rotation working with and learning from board-certified Adolescent Medicine Pediatricians across San Diego County. They rotate through a variety of outpatient clinics including the Navy Adolescent Outpatient clinic and UCSD Adolescent Medicine subspecialty clinics. In addition, residents rotate through the inpatient Medical Behavioral Unit at Rady Children’s where they learn to care for critically ill patients with eating disorders and comorbid conditions.

Pediatric Urgent Care (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • The Urgent Care rotation takes residents to Rady Urgent Care facilities located throughout San Diego County.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine (at Rady Children’s Hospital)

  • The Rady Children’s Hospital Emergency Department is a Level 1 Trauma Center and the only pediatric emergency department in San Diego County. Residents work closely with board-certified Pediatric Emergency Medicine physicians and strengthen their clinical and procedural skills.

Electives

  • Third year residents have 3-4 months of time available for a variety elective rotations.

Vacation

  • Residents receive 2 two week blocks of vacation. In addition, residents receive 4 days off over the winter holidays.