Primary Care Track
UVA Pediatric Residency – Primary Care Track
Purpose
The Primary Care Track (PCT) offers residents an opportunity to:
- Enhance primary care-focused clinical and professional education.
- Develop additional expertise in mental health.
- Gain hands-on experience in community pediatric practice models.
This track is designed to prepare participants for seamless transitions into successful careers in general pediatrics.
Application Process
- Introduction: A brief overview of the PCT is presented during intern interviews.
- Information Session: Interested candidates will attend a virtual session with Dr. Gupta or Dr. Boggs during their interview day.
- Submission Requirements:
- Post-Match Day, applicants must submit a letter of intent and a letter of support from their pediatric clerkship director.
- Selection:
- Up to two residents per year will be selected to participate in the PCT’s directed curriculum.
- Additional residents may join didactic sessions and mentorship activities.
- Final selections are made by Dr. Gupta and Dr. Boggs and approved by the Program Directors.
Track Structure
Clinical Curriculum
- Residents will follow an alternative clinical curriculum with a primary care focus.
Didactics
- Monthly Lunch-and-Learn sessions led by UVA faculty and community primary care partners.
Mental Health Certification
- Completion of training through the AAP ECHO program or the REACH Institute.
Scholarly or Outreach Activity
- Each resident will undertake a primary care-focused scholarly project or community outreach initiative.
Key Goals
Through the Primary Care Track, residents will:
- Deepen their understanding of common primary care topics.
- Gain advanced skills in mental health care for children and adolescents, earning certification through AAP ECHO or the REACH Institute.
- Build confidence in pursuing primary care career opportunities.
- Acquire hands-on practice management experience through community practice settings.
- Develop expertise in community outreach and practice improvement.
Outcomes
- Graduates of the PCT will earn a Distinction in Primary Care Pediatrics upon completing the program.
- The track aims to foster the hiring of UVA residents into regional practices, supporting the development of the next generation of primary care pediatricians.
Example Monthly Topics, 2 year cycle:
| Year One |
|---|
| Intro to the Track/Expectations |
| Career Panel (including private practice, FQHC, academic) |
| Office emergencies |
| What to look for in a practice and writing a primary care CV |
| Phone Triage |
| Orthopedic injuries in primary care |
| Job interviewing & contracts/negotiation, loan repayment |
| Go-to antibiotics for common infections |
| Billing & coding |
| Behavior issues and discipline in young children |
| Pharmacology: ADHD |
| Graduating resident presentations |
| Year Two |
|---|
| Intro to the Track/Expectations |
| Career panel (including private practice, FQHC, academic) |
| Normal/delayed/precocious puberty |
| What to look for in a practice and writing a primary care CV |
| Advice for common parenting questions |
| Adolescent sexual health/menstrual issues |
| Job interviewing & contracts/negotiation, loan repayment |
| Assessing and addressing adolescent mental health |
| Pharmacology: anxiety/depression |
| Billing & coding |
| Medication management in asthma |
| Graduating resident presentations |