Clerkship No: 408-040
PEDIATRIC NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE
Location:
The neonatal intensive care unit at Connecticut Children’s Medical
Center- It is one of the neonatal intensive care units within the
Regional Newborn Program
Committee Chairman:
Directors:
John Dempsey Hospital: David Sink, MD; dsink@ccmckids.org
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (Hartford Hospital): Les
Wolkoff, MD; lwolkof@ccmckids.org
Faculty:
L. Eisenfeld, J. Hagadorn, V. Herson, N. Hussain, S. Lainwala, A.
Matson, M. Pappagallo, T. Rosenkrantz, M. Sanders, S. Sarkar, D.
Sink, A. Vidwans, L. Wolkoff
Duration:
1 month
Months Offered:
All
No. of Students:
1 each block at each hospital (total 2 per block)
For blocks in which 2 students enroll, the first student to enroll
should choose a site (JDH or CCMC), and the second will be
assigned to the other site.
Must be a fourth year medical student
Prerequisite:
Program Goals and Objectives:
The fourth year Pediatric experience will build on those skills acquired during the third year as students
actively participate at the sub-intern level in the educational and clinical activities of the Regional
Newborn Programs. The goal is for medical students to be capable members of the NICU team.
 The student will be able to perform an adequate history and physical exam in situations where
limitations are imposed by time, patient acuity and multiple priorities.
 The student will develop the ability to organize information appropriately for presentation during
rounds as well as at formal case conferences.
 The student will be able to evaluate and develop management plans pertaining to sick term and
preterm newborns.
 The student will acquire the communication skills (oral and written) necessary to deal with
patients and families in crisis, and to communicate efficiently and effectively with members of
multidisciplinary care teams including nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists,
peers, attendings and consultants.
 The student will develop technical skills in performing certain neonatal procedures such as IV’s,
arterial blood sampling and venipuncture, lumbar puncture, umbilical catheterization, and
endotracheal intubation.
 The student’s personal and professional attitudes will mature on this rotation. The student will
become more sophisticated in seeking out information that will assist in caring for his/her
patients.
 The student will develop competencies in specific areas of knowledge and skills, including:
o Management of neonatal acute and chronic respiratory disorders including ventilator
management and blood gas interpretation
o Neonatal nutritional management via enteral and parenteral routes
o Identification and management of sepsis and other neonatal infections
o Evaluation and management of common complications of prematurity, including
respiratory distress syndrome, apnea of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage, patent
ductus arteriosus, necrotizing enterocolitis, etc.
o These topics will be taught using selected reading, self study cases and a specific takehome written exam.
Program activities:
 The student will carry an average of 2-4 patients at all times during the rotation, doing at least
one history and physical admission per week.
 The student should be present at deliveries with the team.
 The student will receive sign-out from the overnight NICU team from 7-7:30am daily.
 The student will gather clinic information and perform patient exams on all patients prior to
rounds.
 The student will be an active participant during daily NICU rounds, presenting well-formulated
assessments and plans to the neonatology attending, fellow, and residents.
 The student will participate in placing orders, completing documentation, and participating in
procedures on all his/her patients. Supervision will be provided at many levels: Intern, Resident,
Fellow and Attending all are available for help with clinical management, as well as the strong
staff of clinical nurse specialists and neonatal nurse practitioners.
 The student will participate with the NICU team during neonatal resuscitations.
 The student will be responsible for appropriate handoff of his/her patient to the night coverage
team.
 The student should take call with the resident on service.
o At Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, call consists of 12 hour day call on a Saturday
and a Sunday.
o At John Dempsey Hospital, call consists of a Friday overnight call, a Saturday day call,
and a Sunday day call.
 The student is encouraged to participate in the weekly Neonatal Follow-up and Transition Clinic.
 The student will be expected to give a twenty minute case presentation at the end of the rotation
 The student will be evaluated by the Attending during the month and will receive verbal and
written feedback.
Facility/Site:
 The Connecticut Children’s NICU is a 32 bed level III center with over 500 admissions per year.
This unit serves as a regional referral center for neonatal surgical and cardiac disorders and
provides neonatal care for Hartford Hospital’s active Maternal-Fetal Medicine service.
Admissions also include many late-preterm or sick term newborns delivered at Hartford
Hospital.
Report to:
Connecticut Children’s at 7:00 a.m. on the first day of the block to the assigned Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit.