Besides the complete mentored clinical experience and didactics, the UAMS Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program provides an intensive mentored research experience not only for those who intend to pursue research during their careers but also to produce clinicians adept at critically appraising the medical literature. Each fellow completes a research project that results in understanding the basic principles of study design, performance (including data collection), data analysis (including statistics and epidemiology), and reporting of research results. Fellows must present their research findings orally and in writing.
To that end, our program offers a unique mix of clinical, translational and bench research opportunities through exposure to extensive resources through Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI), Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) and Translational Research Center (TRI).
The Department of Pediatrics pays for fellows to participate in the Stanford Medical Statistics course. There are optional workshops through various agencies within UAMS and Arkansas Children’s, such as grant writing, teach the teacher, etc. Fellows present their research at Pediatric Research Day annually. They are also encouraged to participate and present at a regional or national meeting each year with assistance for travel but are also expected to submit travel grants for fellows. Travel to more meetings is allowed if presenting abstracts. The program pays for membership to the Pediatric Endocrine Society.
We mentor our fellows for their ability to do independent Quality Improvement (QI) projects. Fellows are expected to complete a QI project each year and share their work within our section and other sections within the hospital.
Within the endocrine section, we offer many educational opportunities, including robust didactics, bedside teaching and conferences as below, with some having protected time to participate in mandatory sessions. As they progress during their fellowship training, fellows lead daily rounds during inpatient service and have the opportunity to teach residents informally in this setting and at the bedside. Fellows are also encouraged to participate in week-long diabetes camps during summer, such as Camp Aldersgate in Little Rock.
- Weekly lecture series. Endocrine fundamentals in July/August and then Board review series based on the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) Endocrine board curriculum.
- Monthly Pediatric Endocrinology relevant journal club.
- Monthly Endocrinology case presentation.
- Monthly QI updates: start and review ongoing QI projects in the section.
- Morning reports and noon lectures for pediatric residents (occur daily) with endocrine-relevant topics. Fellows have the opportunity to lead the lesson.
- Monthly Pediatric subspecialty fellow conference
- Monthly Schwartz rounds (Ethics based rounds)
- Monthly multidisciplinary Transgender case conference
- Bimonthly Pediatric Grand Rounds and PEDS PLACE (Pediatric Physician Learning and Collaborative Education), a telemedicine continuing education program
- Every quarter: Multidisciplinary thyroid conference
Section of Endocrinology
Our section family consists of five Pediatric board-certified endocrinology faculty, four practice in Central Arkansas (Little Rock), and one is on the North West Campus (ACNW). We have 5 APRNs, seven certified diabetes educators, five endocrine specialty RNs, full-time dieticians and social workers between Little Rock, ACNW and Jonesboro (North East part of the state). Fellows only work at the Little Rock Campus but help manage urgent patient requirements from these places.