Training Tracks
UCSD Pediatrics Primary Care Residency Track
UCSD Pediatric Residency Primary Care Track is designed for candidates who are pursuing a career in general pediatrics, either as a general pediatrician within the community or as a general pediatrician in an academic setting with particular emphasis on advocacy and/or public health issues for children in underserved areas.
This track combines the educational strengths of our categorical pediatric residency program curriculum with enhanced experiences in primary care within the community. Residents in this track receive a strong foundation in inpatient and specialty pediatrics but devote the majority of their time during residency in the outpatient setting. Special primary care seminars and regular primary care meetings are also integrated into the curriculum.
Applications for the primary care track occur during your first year of residency. In the second and third years of residency, primary care track residents participate in the Resident Academic Project (RAP) that enables them to apply their newly developed skills in community medicine, primary care quality improvement, or medical education by completing a scholarly project under mentoring and guidance. Graduating residents present their projects at an annual Department of Pediatric Research Symposium in May.
By the end of their training, graduates of the program will have a detailed understanding of local community barriers to health and how to partner with schools and other community organizations to address local child health problems and are very capable of practicing in any venue in which children’s health needs are underserved.
Highlights include:
- 1-2 residents accepted each year
- A comprehensive, primary care-focused training program
- Focus on training in the outpatient setting
- Opportunity to achieve unique competencies in community-based approaches to improving child health in underserved areas of San Diego County
- Longitudinal seminar series and journal club that focuses on special topics in primary care pediatrics.
- Protected time to complete the Resident Academic Project (RAP) and presentation at a seminar.
| PGY-1 | PGY-2 | PGY-3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inpatient wards (days) | 8 weeks | 4 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Inpatient wards (nights) | 2 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks (admit and mole) |
| Newborn | 4 weeks | - | - |
| NICU | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | - |
| PICU | - | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Developmental Pediatrics (DBP) | 4 weeks | - | - |
| Adolescent (MBU, Navy) | - | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Elective/Primary Care Experiences | 12 weeks | 18 weeks | 16 weeks |
| Urgent Care | - | 2 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Emergency Room | 2 weeks | 4 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Community Peds | 4 weeks | - | - |
| Primary Care Clinic (PCC) | 4 weeks | 2 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Family Health Centers (a large FQHC) | 4 weeks | - | 4 weeks |
| Kaiser | - | - | 4 weeks |
| Resident academic project (RAP) | - | 2 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Vacation | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Continuity clinic | half day | half day | half day |
| Supervisory continuity clinic | - | - | half day |
Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP)
The Department of Pediatrics and Residency are proud to promote the career development of physician scientists through our Physician Scientist Training Program. This program participates in a separate match during the recruitment season. We offer both integrated and accelerated research pathways to MD/PhDs and research-oriented MDs.
more information on PSTP
more information on PSTP
UCSD Pediatric Residents as Clinician Educators Track (RACE)
For pediatric residents interested in academic medicine hoping to explore their interest in MedEd and expand their clinician educator skills, the Peds RACE Track is an organized extracurricular program consisting of medical education opportunities for residents, in collaboration with UCSD GME, the Department of Pediatrics, and the UCSD School of Medicine.
The goals of the Peds RACE Track are to:
- Provide structure, organization, and access to experiential learning opportunities in medical education and clinical teaching for interested pediatric residents.
- Provide a program for pediatric residents in which they not only expand their teaching skills, but also receive recognition upon completion to distinguish themselves as committed to medical education.
- Foster a community of residents and faculty interested in medical education.
There are two main aspects of the Track:
Main Track
The Main Track is the core curriculum of the Track consisting of experiences scheduled by leadership during protected time and personal projects. It includes participation in didactic/workshop sessions, creation of a teaching portfolio, completion of a small MedEd project, and completion of the MedEd elective rotation.
Pit Stop
The Pit Stop is a variety of activities that allow the residents to 'choose their own adventure' based on interest. Each activity is worth a certain number of "fuel points." To complete the Peds RACE Track, a resident must accumulate 20 fuel points from the Pit Stop over the course of residency. These activities are scheduled by residents (unless as part of the MedEd Elective) and take place outside of clinical duties. Residents can use the MedEd elective and protected time during less strenuous rotations (e.g. electives, as long as they do not miss more than 4 half days of rotation duties in a two-week rotation) to complete these activities.
Who is eligible/how to join?
This is a two-year track, so categorical residents, for example, will opt-in at the end of their PGY1 year. There is no formal application or vetting process.
Pit Crew (Peds RACE Track Leadership) for Pilot Year 2024 - 2025
Faculty Leads: Jennifer Yu, MD, Chris Cannavino, MD, Darcy Wooten, MD, Connie Chace, MD
Resident Lead: Gina Allyn, MD
The Peds RACE Track was created by: Gina Allyn, MD (residency class of 2025) with faculty mentorship from Jennifer Yu, MD, Chris Cannavino, MD, Darcy Wooten, MD, and Connie Chace, MD.
Contact: