Pediatric Endocrinology

Goals-The faculty will strive to:

• Give the senior medical student exposure to the evaluation and management of common pediatric endocrine problems in an outpatient setting.

Objectives-At the end of the rotation, the student will be able to:

• Understand the approach to the child with a suspected growth disorder.
• Clinically assess the stages of pubertal development.
• Perform basic auxologic measurements accurately and properly interpret them.
• Understand common disorders of the adrenal gland and their management.
• Understand the significance of the Texas State Newborn Screening Program.
• Appreciate the critical significance of diabetes education.
• Understand the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.
• Understand the clinical use of insulin in children with diabetes.
• Understand the psychosocial aspects of pediatric diabetes management.
• Better understand the pathophysiology of Type I diabetes and its complications.
• Have a basic understanding of dynamic endocrine testing.
• Describe the approach to treatment of delayed pubertal development.
• Understand the approach to a child with a thyroid disorder.

Learning Activities:

• The student will work directly with faculty in the pediatric endocrinology clinic five days a week. The student will also observe diabetes nurse educators and nutritionists working with children with diabetes and their families. After a period of observation, the student will perform an initial history and physical examination on an endocrine/diabetes patient.
• The student will participate in a weekly pediatric endocrine case conference with the entire division staff. There is also a monthly diabetes team meeting.
• Hospital rounds on inpatient endocrine/diabetes patients and consults.
• Assigned reading.

Learning Resources:

• Insulin - Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, 9th Edition by Luther B. Travis (textbook)
• Clinical Pediatric Endocrinology, 2nd Edition by S.A. Kaplan (textbook)
• Medical Library

Evaluation:

• Faculty will base evaluation on observations and those of staff. The clinical evaluation form will be used.