Education

Education of the Neonatology fellows is of utmost importance at the University of Florida. Our dedication to fellow’s education is demonstrated by our graduating fellow’s 100% pass rate (first attempt) on the neonatal-perinatal medicine certification exam for the last 5 years. Neonatal Grand Rounds is a weekly series of interactive didactic sessions taught by faculty recognized for their teaching excellence as part of a 2-year continually-updated structured review of Neonatal-Perinatal Physiology and Pathophysiology. A number of our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized teachers [IPOKRaTES and Specialty Review in Neonatology].

Each section may last from 1-4 months, depending on the complexity. Each section will start with a pre-test to prepare the fellow with board type examination questions. The fellow is expected to review the assigned reading prior to the lecture for that week. At the end of each section, a post-test is provided with feedback to assure that the fellow has absorbed the material and to discover what areas need strengthening. At the end of the 2-year course, a final mock board-type examination is provided to assist the fellow with preparation for their examination.

In addition, the fellow is expected to take the in-service Neonatal/Perinatal Examination each year provided by the AAP at one of the provided national testing centers. Strengths and weaknesses will be assessed with each examination so that the fellow understands what areas to concentrate their review efforts on. Fellows within the division are expected to create and give six lectures as part of the course over their three-year fellowship. The development and presentation of these lectures will be facilitated via attending physician mentoring to ensure the fellow continues to develop the teaching and presentation skill set necessary for a junior faculty at an academic center.

Fellows are provided office space including a computer within the division in addition to clerical support. Fellows are given a stipend of $1,000 annually to be used for books and/or travel to meetings. The division provides support to the fellow to offset the cost of a Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine board review course. Ample time for pediatric board preparation (limited service responsibilities during the months before the exam) and support materials including didactics on standardized test-taking skills are available.


Conferences and Meetings

There are several neonatal-focused meetings that are opportunities for learning and productive interaction with other subspecialists. These include Pediatric Grand Rounds, Maternal-Fetal Medicine journal club, Neonatology Division meeting, nutrition rounds, Perinatal multi-disciplinary conference, Fellow’s research conference, M&M rounds, Division Chief’s Whiteboard Rounds, and Neuroradiology conference. In addition, there is a core curriculum for the fellows of every subspecialty in the Department of Pediatrics. These lectures are provided once per month and cover topics such as grant writing, financial aid, pub med search, and critical review of the medical literature.