PEDIATRIC EDUCATION IN EMERGENCY-MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAMS - 10 YEARS LATER

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in the pediatric e mergency medicine education of emergency medicine (EM) residents over the last decade. Questionnaires were mailed to the training directors of all EM residency programs. Sixty-five programs (79%) responded. Whi le children represent 29 +/- 2% of all patients seen in the institutio ns surveyed, only 17 programs (26%) provide more than six months of pe diatric education, ie, no increase in the last decade. EM residents fr equently rotate through pediatric emergency departments (72%), inpatie nt pediatric wards (51%), and pediatric intensive care units (88%). Mo st physicians in charge of pediatric emergency medicine education are emergency medicine trained (75% vs 29% in 1981), and only 12% are pedi atric emergency medicine fellowship trained. Despite several improveme nts and the increased satisfaction of program directors, the pediatric component of EM residents' training continues to be disproportionate to the number of children in the emergency medicine patient population . Specialists in pediatric emergency medicine should strive to play a more significant role in the pediatric education of EM residents.