The goal of PediatricEducation.org is to build a pediatric virtual learning community.

The project’s hypothesis is that residents, fellows, and staff physicians practicing pediatrics can broaden and deepen their knowledge of pediatrics through the use of a continuing pediatric education program that is delivered daily in small granules and integrated into their workflow in the form of pediatric cases.

To place the learning in a clinical context, each case begins with a question, and the case is then used to illustrate and discuss the question, thus creating a form of situated learning that is focused on the discussion that occurs at a higher level after the diagnosis is made.

Over time these cases will aggregate into an unstructured curriculum of pediatric topics that will closely parallel the structured curriculum of a pediatric residency, fellowship and continuing medical education program. Engaging in discussions related to these cases will also result in the development of educational collaborative relationships.

Additionally, the case archive will consist of a database of pediatric cases that can be used by individuals for self-study and review, and by medical educators to demonstrate to their students the spectrum of a disease, the multiple etiologies of a symptom, key concepts to master within a discipline, and the variety of diseases within different age groups.

From the child, knowledge.

PediatricEducation.org addresses the continuum of pediatric education and may be of use primarily to four distinct populations. It is written for and intended primarily for use by Residents, Fellows, or Attending Physicians practicing pediatrics. Medical Students beginning their study of pediatrics or Other Health Care Providers practicing pediatrics may find it useful. Finally, Patients (including patient’s family members or friends) may find it of some use, though probably difficult to understand. At some point in the future we would like to create a textbook that would help patients better understand the cases in PediatricEducation.org.

PediatricEducation.org’s Educational Objectives are based upon the ACGME General Competencies:

1. The learner will acquire knowledge of the pediatric discipline
2. The learner will improve his/her analytical thinking skills
3. The learner will analyze his/her own learning needs for needed improvement
4. The learner will use evidence from scientific studies to answer the questions posed
5. Some learners will use these cases to facilitate the learning of others
6. The learner will be exposed to cultural, age, gender and disability issues
7. The learner will be exposed to examples of professional respect and altruism
8. The learner will be exposed to the interactions between various systems of practice
9. The learner be exposed to different practice and delivery systems of care
10. The learner be exposed to examples of patient advocacy

PediatricEducation.org is curated by Donna M. D’Alessandro, MD and Michael P. D’Alessandro, MD.

Donna D’Alessandro received her M.D. from Wayne State University School of Medicine, completed a residency in Pediatrics at the Children’s Memorial Hospital / Northwestern University, and completed a fellowship in General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Boston / Harvard Medical School. She is currently a Professor of Pediatrics and a member of the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Iowa.

Michael D’Alessandro received an M.D. from Wayne State University School of Medicine, completed a residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Iowa, and completed a fellowship in Pediatric Radiology at Children’s Hospital Boston / Harvard Medical School. He is currently a Professor of Radiology and a member of the Division of Pediatric Radiology at the University of Iowa.

The Drs. D’Alessandros’ research is in the field of digital libraries and educational informatics.

By reading PediatricEducation.org regularly, and participating in its discussions, individuals will be taking part in unstructured, situated learning that will result in continuing pediatric education.

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