Pediatric Position

Clinical experiences can be modified to some degree based on the Fellow’s clinical interest. We try to work together to ensure the Fellow graduates with the clinical experiences they want to build their desired career.

The main clinical experience is in our outpatient clinic. Fellows will have 2-3 outpatient assessments per week. Ages range from 2 to 21. Diagnoses would be varied and include epilepsy, cancer, brain injury, birth defects, premature birth, genetic conditions, HIV, and cerebral palsy. We also see healthy kids with concerns for learning disabilities.

The outpatient service includes evaluating all of our pediatric epilepsy pre-surgical candidates. There are two of these per month. The Fellow will conduct the neuropsychological evaluation as usual, and present findings at the pediatric epilepsy case conference.

The secondary clinical experience is in our brain injury clinic – the Brain Care Clinic. Children seen in this clinic have a recent history of traumatic or acquired brain injury. Our goal is to see these kids in the sub-acute period, 4-8 weeks after injury. We also follow kids with acquired brain injuries such as due to cardiac surgery or due to hypoxic/ischemic event. Ages range from birth to age 21. We monitor sub-acute symptoms and recovery, assessing (briefly) cognitive functioning and psychiatric symptoms following the brain injury. The clinic helps monitor recovery from brain injury until the child is back to baseline. Assessment tools in this clinic include the NIH Toolbox and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-IV.

Additionally, Fellows will staff multi-disciplinary clinics for Spina Bifida, Neuromuscular Disorders (for example spinal muscular atrophy and muscular dystrophy), Fontan Clinic (congenital heart disease), Neuro-Oncology, Neurocutaneous Disorders (for example neurofibromatosis 1 and 2), and cancer survivors. Ages range from birth to 21. The Fellow’s role is consultation only, without cognitive assessment. The Fellow does a neuro-behavioral interview to help determine if neuropsychological assessment is needed or if other recommendations may be helpful.

Clinical expectations are:

• We operate on a half-day clinic model
• 2-3 comprehensive outpatient assessments per week
  • We prioritize succinct reports that clearly and effectively communicate results to parents and providers.
  • Psychometrist support is provided as the clinic is able.
• 1-4 Brain Care Clinic patients per week
  • Evaluations are brief (<1 hour) and reports are similarly brief
  • Psychometrist support is provided
• Multi Disciplinary Clinics occur every week. The frequency of each clinic is different.
  • Volume in each clinic is variable.

Sample of a Pediatric Fellow’s week: