Pediatric Residency Program Curriculum

The guiding principles for our program’s curriculum include: 

• Emphasizing the importance of meaningful, purposeful educational and clinical experiences  
• Balancing protected educational time and clinical care (daily, block-based, & annually)
• Carving out the time to allow for longitudinal learning, research, scholarship, board preparation, professional development, community engagement, and advocacy opportunities
• Bolstering our outpatient experiences while still maintaining robust inpatient clinical experiences
• Ensuring that each and every graduate is well-prepared for the next step in their career 

Modular Curriculum 

The residency program's rotation structure has been modified from the traditional 13-block schedule to a modular schedule. While this new modular structure draws inspiration from the benefits of X+Y, it does not follow the same scheduling format of X+Y schedules (e.g., 3+1 or 6+2).

Our modular schedule consists of two 2-week blocks (Block 1 at the beginning of the year and Block 5 in the middle of the year) and six 8-week blocks. Each of the 8-week blocks is comprised of different combinations of 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-week rotations. Rotations were purposefully grouped into cohorts based on several different factors, including creating a balance of inpatient and outpatient rotations in each 8-week block as well as decreasing task shifting to promote longitudinal learning experiences. 

View sample modular schedules

Over the course of our residency, trainees spend approximately 80% of their training at Texas Children’s Hospital and 20% at various inpatient and outpatient locations within the Harris Health System, a public healthcare safety-net provider serving the residents of Harris County, Texas. The scope, balance, and flexibility of the program prepares our residents for both general pediatric practice and subspecialty training. 

Training occurs in a high-volume, multi-specialty environment that integrates subspecialty perspectives into general pediatric care, enhancing clinical decision-making and diagnostic skills. Residents experience a progressive increase in autonomy, with senior residents leading rounds and mentoring junior trainees.  Our curriculum is also designed to challenge our residents with a graded increase in the level of supervisory responsibility from their PL-1 (teaching medical students) to PL-3 (supervising residents and students) years. These supervisory experiences occur in outpatient, general inpatient, and subspecialty rotations.

Inpatient Experiences

Our inpatient clinical training is a cornerstone of our residency experience, offering exceptional breadth and depth through exposure to both bread-and-butter pediatrics and rare, complex cases. Residents care for a wide range of patients with a broad spectrum of acute and chronic conditions, benefiting from the expertise of nationally ranked subspecialty services and world-class faculty. Our residents pride themselves on the ability to care for the sickest of children. To prepare them for this challenge, we rotate in our PICU’s (PL-1 and PL-2) and NICU’s (PL-2 and PL-3), which support some of the country’s largest, busiest, and highest acuity intensive care services.

A strong emphasis on team-based care ensures residents learn to collaborate effectively with interprofessional teams—including, but not limited to, subspecialty teams, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, case managers, and therapists. This collaborative approach fosters the communication and coordination skills essential for modern pediatric practice.

Subspecialty and Elective Experiences

Our required subspecialty training establishes a strong foundation in pediatric care for both general pediatricians and future subspecialists. During the PL-1 year, interns rotate through our Diabetes/Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology, and Pulmonology services as well as outpatient subspecialty clinics focused on Allergy & Immunology, Genetics, Infectious Diseases, and Rheumatology. During the PL-2 year, residents rotate through the Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, Heart Center, and the Gastroenterology/Hepatology service. During the PL-3 year, senior residents supervise interns and rotate on the inpatient Infectious Diseases consult service.

We offer elective rotations in each year of training in a vast array of services and specialties as well as non-clinical opportunities (e.g., disaster preparedness, informatics, leadership, simulation). Typically, we can support an away rotation for our residents, such as our experiences at a Navajo Reservation in New Mexico or Arizona or at one of the Baylor affiliated Texas Children’s Global Health sites.

In addition to this elective time, each resident participates in our Resident Scholarship Program with dedicated 2-week blocks in the PL-2 and PL-3 years. Finally, our senior residents complete a 4-week individualized capstone rotation to help prepare them for their anticipated career in primary care or a pediatric subspecialty.

Ambulatory Experiences

Approximately 40% of our graduates go on to practice primary care after residency. Whether in rural or urban settings, our program delivers a broad-based training experience that builds a strong foundation in general pediatrics through a subspecialty-informed approach. We offer dedicated rotations in community pediatrics, featuring hands-on learning in areas such as:

• School-based health services
• Virtual care and telehealth consultations
• Pediatric mental health support (including experiences in Psychology and Psychiatry)
• Healthcare access for underserved populations
• Pediatric emergency care systems
• Adolescent medicine
• Developmental pediatrics at Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics
• Lactation support and breastfeeding services
• Environmental influences on child health
• Health education for children and families

Longitudinal General Pediatric Outpatient Experience

Our program assigns each resident to one practice site for their longitudinal clinic experience. This structure fosters continuity of care with patients and supports strong, sustained mentorship with preceptors while exposing residents to a specific practice model. Clinic locations include:

• Primary Care Practice at Palm Center – Texas Children’s Hospital clinic serving children primarily insured by S-CHIP and Medicaid
• Pasadena Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center – Harris Health System clinic providing care to a predominantly lower-income population
• Texas Children’s Pediatrics Westwood – Texas Children’s Pediatrics clinic offering multi-disciplinary care, including pediatrics, dental, optometry, behavioral health, and pharmacy
• Texas Children’s Pediatrics private clinics
• Other community-based private practice sites around Houston

In addition to robust clinical experiences, residents benefit from:

• A structured, didactic- and simulation-based orientation designed to support a smooth transition into residency
• Rotation specific didactic and hands-on learning opportunities
• A comprehensive, longitudinal scholarship curriculum that fosters academic growth
• Annual didactic curriculum aligned with pediatric board content specifications
• Dedicated weeks throughout the year that prioritize educational activities, reflection, and academic development
• Resident-led, case-based conferences that encourage critical thinking and collaborative learning
• A focused professional development curriculum to build leadership and career readiness
• Hands-on simulation training to enhance clinical and procedural skills
• Meaningful interprofessional learning experiences that promote team-based care
• Opportunities to participate in hospital safety and quality improvement initiatives