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Flower Tracks
The Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center emphasizes training in general pediatrics for all residents, regardless of their ultimate career plans. The program offers two tracks:
  • Categorical Track (30 residents) -- emphasizing training in academic medicine and pediatric subspecialties
  • Urban Health and Advocacy Track (11 residents) -- emphasizing training in urban pediatrics, public policy and advocacy
Categorical Track
(NRMP #1259320C0)
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Dr. Lovejoy meets with residents
This track is designed for applicants who wish to focus on academic general or specialty pediatrics. In addition to the strong educational base in general and subspecialty pediatrics, principles of academic leadership are actively taught throughout the three-year training program. About 85% of the Categorical track graduates enter subspecialty fellowships or academic general pediatrics fellowships, but some have pursued pediatric practice, hospitalist positions, international health and health policy experiences, and health services research training programs.

Categorical track residents have opportunities for research funding, exposure to academic meetings and active mentoring by subspecialty faculty. Most residents participate in the standard three year curriculum; however, the two research tracks of the American Board of Pediatrics -- the Integrated Research Pathway and the Accelerated Research Pathway -- are available to housestaff pursuing academic research careers. In fact, the BCRP has been one of the leading programs in terms of facilitating resident participation in these nonstandard training pathways. Residents interested in these pathways must indicate interest early in intern year and demonstrate superior clinical competence and scores on the In Training Examination of the American Board of Pediatrics that predict successful passage of the general pediatrics certifying examination. The Executive Committee oversees the selection process for interested candidates. Decisions are made in November of the intern year.

Categorical residents do approximately 70 percent of their training at Children's Hospital Boston and 30 percent of their training at Boston Medical Center.

Urban Health and Advocacy Track
(NRMP #1259320C1)
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Dr. Zuckerman Reaches Out and Reads
This track was previously called the Primary Care Track but has been renamed to more accurately reflect its mission. It provides general pediatric training with an emphasis on experiences in the primary care of underserved children and their parents in an urban setting. This track allows residents to focus on their interests in general academic pediatrics, public health policy, advocacy, community pediatrics, and international health. Development of leaders in these areas is a goal of this track with enhanced training opportunities throughout the three years. Beginning in the PL2 year, Urban Health and Advocacy Track (UHAT) residents select an additional half-day experience to augment their training. Residents have the option of choosing between a second continuity clinic or a project in urban health, advocacy, international health or public policy. Those selecting a project are coupled with a faculty mentor throughout the PL2 and PL3 years. The UHAT curriculum is enhanced by monthly educational sessions on child health and advocacy, as well as by regularly scheduled evening seminars on health policy. Over the past two years these sessions have been augmented by the development of UHAT specific mentoring groups, which, under the direction of faculty leaders, provide an introduction in careers in global health, health services and health policy>p> Many UHAT graduates have careers in academic medicine with a focus on health care issues of the urban poor, serving as researchers, advocates, community leaders and clinicians. They often practice in urban settings, and many pursue academic general pediatric fellowships, advocacy fellowships, masters' programs in public health and health services research fellowships.

UHAT residents spend 40 percent of their time at Boston Medical Center and 60 percent at Children's Hospital. Inpatient general pediatrics rotations are spent primarily at Boston Medical Center in the PL-2 and PL-3 years.

Common Aspects
Both tracks are geared towards training outstanding general pediatricians. Rotations in the two tracks are very similar and all residents work at both institutions, but the faculties at Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center have different interests and the two institutions have a different focus, which allows residents to focus upon their individual goals and take advantage of the diverse resources to explore and prepare for careers in virtually any aspect of pediatrics.

It is important to emphasize that residents in the two tracks are all part of the same program and function as one. They are totally intermingled in all aspects of the program and, aside from the program leaders, few faculty or staff know which residents belong to which track.

As described in detail in the Application section, each track has a separate match number through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and has a separate selection process. Applicants can apply to either one or both tracks. Because the tracks are quite similar and the program is highly unified, and because most applicant's interests overlap the missions of each track to some degree, most applicants should apply to both tracks.

Combined Pediatrics-Anesthesia
The BCRP was one of the first residency programs to offer combined training in Pediatrics and Anesthesia (NRMP #1259726C0). Residents spend their first year in pediatrics residency. The following year is the first year of anesthesia training, followed by three years of integrated residency training in both pediatrics and anesthesia. Throughout the three years of integrated training, while residents are doing core training in Pediatrics or Anesthesia, they attend conferences and participate in core clinical activities once a month in the other discipline to keep the combined program fully integrated. Individuals ideally suited for this combined training will likely pursue careers at the interface between critical care, pediatrics, and anesthesiology. Examples of such careers include hospitalist medicine, pain and palliative care, outof operating room procedural and sedations services, and members of integrated subspecialty teams in pediatrics, critical care and anesthesiology.

The program is described in detail at here

Combined Pediatrics-Genetics
The BCRP offers combined training in Pediatrics and Medical Genetics (NRMP #7652444017) starting with a complete year of pediatrics residency in year one and integrated training for the remaining four years, including a year of research.

The program is detailed at here.

Combined Pediatrics-Child Neurology
The BCRP offers two different Pediatrics-Child Neurology programs: one a joint program between the Categorical Track and the Child Neurology program at Boston Children’s Hospital (NRMP #1259185C0), and one between the Urban Health and Advocacy Track and the Child Neurology program at Boston Medical Center (NRMP #1257185C0). These two "Categorical" programs both begin with 2 years of general pediatrics in the appropriate track of the BCRP followed by three years of child neurology at either Boston Children's Hospital or the Boston Medical Center, depending on the program. Both child neurology programs also offer separate "Advanced" positions that are not linked to the BCRP, where the matched residents first complete their 2 years of general pediatrics in some other program.

The child neurology programs at Boston Children's Hospital are described in detail here.

The programs at Boston Medical Center are described here.

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