707 - Building Confidence in Pediatric Care: Outcomes of a Short Course for Preclinical Medical Students

Publication Number: 2690.707

Emily R. Kilian, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, CT, United States; Anton Alerte, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, West Hartford, CT, United States; Eileen Mercurio, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Hartford, CT, United States; Mariann Kelley, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States

Background: The national physician shortage has increased the need for targeted workforce development, particularly in primary care and pediatrics. Early engagement of medical students is critical to address declining interest in general pediatrics and subspecialties, as well as to improve workforce diversity. Recent data from the American Academy of Pediatrics highlight this urgency: 252 pediatric residency positions went unfilled in the most recent match cycle, 164 more than the previous year. The match rate among U.S. MD seniors for categorical pediatrics dropped to 47.6%, a 7.2 percentage point decline (Schering & Writer, 2024). We developed an educational intervention to improve early learners' comfort and competency in pediatric care, aiming to strengthen foundational knowledge and foster interest in the field. This course provides critical knowledge for students' core rotations and primary-care exposure.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a one-week pediatric course on preclinical students' comfort with core pediatric care topics.

Design/Methods: A one-week elective was offered to first- and second-year medical and dental students, led by pediatric faculty. Sessions combined lectures, demonstrations, and interactive discussions on key topics for patients aged 0-17 years. Students completed pre- and post-course surveys rating comfort on a 0-5 Likert scale. Paired t-tests were used to assess changes in mean comfort scores for each topic.

Results: Twenty-one medical/dental students participated (100% survey response). The largest mean increases in comfort were observed for management of neonatal jaundice (2.0→4.4) and developmental hip dysplasia (2.2→4.3). Paired t-tests demonstrated statistically significant improvements across additional topics of general newborn care, neonatal infections, infant formula, vaccine hesitancy, EpiPen administration, and car seat safety (p < 0.05).

Conclusion(s): This brief, faculty-led pediatric course significantly improved student confidence across multiple pediatric domains not typically emphasized in early medical training. Early engagement in pediatric learning may enhance foundational competency and stimulate interest in pediatrics, family medicine, and med-peds. Similar electives could be integrated into preclinical curricula to strengthen pediatric preparedness and address workforce shortages in child health.

Figure 1: Change in Student Comfort With Core Pediatric Topics Before and After a One-Week Preclinical Course
Mean self-reported comfort scores (1 =extremely uncomfortable, 5 = extremely comfortable) for first- and second-year medical and dental students (n = 21) before and after participating in a one-week pediatric elective. Paired t-tests demonstrated statistically significant improvements across topics of general newborn care, neonatal infections, hip dysplasia, infant formula, vaccine hesitancy, EpiPen administration, neonatal jaundice and car seat safety (p < 0.05). Error bars represent standard error of the mean.