Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health

Paediatrics and Child Health is a core clinical rotation in the final year of the medical program. 

Course goals are to help students to:

• preparing for work in a paediatric clinical unit;
• recognise the sick child;
• understanding the scope of paediatrics and
• gain sufficient knowledge and experience to progress to postgraduate training in Paediatrics and Child Health.

The eight-week rotation is a clinical immersion underpinned by the paediatric online interactive education (POLIE) curriculum, supplemented by a specialist lecture series and other teaching sessions depending on the specific Clinical School attachment. Assessment includes work based assessment (mini-CEX) and an end of rotation MCQ and OSCE examination.

After successfully completing this course students should be able to:

1. Relate the pathogenesis of common/important paediatric illness to its expected presentation, natural history and implications for management.
2. Recognise and differentiate the clinical signs of a seriously ill child.
3. Develop and apply a clinical approach to common/important acute and chronic paediatric presentations.
4. Develop and apply clinical reasoning skills in the assessment and management of a child.
5. Develop and apply skills in communicating with children and their parents.
6. Apply strategies for health prevention and maintenance within the family, social, cultural and community context for the child.
7. Recognise and apply strategies for safe patient care including risk prevention, public health awareness and infection control.
8. Access, evaluate and apply clinical research findings in the management of sick children.
9. Develop skills in evaluating their performance and directing their own learning.
10. Demonstrate the principles of ethical medical practice through their interaction with children and their families, and with colleagues.
11. Demonstrate an awareness of the importance of multidisciplinary teams in the management of children.

There are a wide variety of research opportunities within clinical departments at the Queensland Children's Hospital, and the Centre for Children's Health Research.

Associate Professor Louise Conwell 
Head of Academic Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health
Email: paediatricsandchildhealth@uq.edu.au
Address: Queensland Children's Hospital,  501 Stanley Street, South Brisbane QLD 4101

For all clinical teaching and research opportunities please email:paediatricsandchildhealth@uq.edu.au