Program aims

1. To prepare Developmental Behavioral Pediatricians who are skilled in interdisciplinary collaboration
2. To prepare Developmental Behavioral Pediatricians who are competent and confident to independently diagnose and treat a broad variety of conditions, including: Autism, Intellectual Disability, various disorders of learning and executive function, a wide variety of genetic conditions, trauma and stressor related disorders, sleep, and elimination disorders, etc.
3. To prepare Developmental Behavioral Pediatricians who are prepared for community-based collaboration
4. To prepare Developmental Behavioral Pediatricians who are also skilled in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
5. To prepare Developmental Behavioral Pediatricians for academic careers

Benefits

Please see the Department of Pediatrics fellowship page for departmental benefits available to all pediatric fellows, and the OHSU GME page for Employment and Benefits information, including salary, transportation and insurance.

Clinical training

The primary training site for the fellowship is in Eugene, OR, on the University of Oregon campus.

Throughout the fellowship program, fellows participate in:

• At least weekly in Child Development team clinics, including staffing meetings with diverse teams comprised of various combinations of: Psychology, Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy. 
• At least weekly in DBP continuity clinic, learning to independently diagnose and manage common D-B conditions, with close mentorship from faculty.

From month 7 through 36, fellows participate monthly in:

•  Psychiatry Clinic, with a focus on building expertise in the diagnosis and management of mood disorders, emerging thought disorders, personality disorders, somatoform disorders, etc, and to learn how to effectively collaborate with colleagues in Psychiatry.
•  Neurology Clinic, to build familiarity with common neurological conditions which are often co-morbid with D-B conditions, and to learn how to effectively collaborate with colleagues in Neurology.
• Neurodevelopmental clinics, learning the diagnosis and care of such conditions as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophies, and various syndromes which impact motor function, and to learn how to effectively collaborate with Physical and Occupational Therapists.
• Feeding Clinic, learning diagnosis and care of feeding disorders while collaborating with Occupational Therapy, Registered Dietician, and Nurse Practitioner.

Throughout the first year, fellows participate at least monthly in the Relief Nursery outreach clinic, where they observe at-risk children at therapeutic preschool and meet with and collaborate with teachers and therapists in the diagnosis and care of these children.

In the second and third year of the program, fellows participate in:

•  Adolescent Transition clinic, where they collaborate with University of Oregon faculty in Educational Psychology and Transition, to learn about community resources to support successful transition
• Rural outreach clinics, which entails travel to small outlying communities to provide care, to meet rural providers and experience first-hand the challenges of obtaining sub-specialty care far from the academic center.

Throughout the fellowship program, Fellows participate regularly in a variety of sub-specialty clinics, including:

• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Genetics
• Down Syndrome
• Rett Syndrome

Scholarship and professional development

With regular guidance from their Scholarship Oversight Committees, participation in monthly research seminars, and in collaboration with colleagues in Human Development at OHSU and the University of Oregon, fellows complete original research projects, including IRB proposal, grant applications, primary data collection and analysis, and disseminate the results through national conferences and publications.

Fellows receive mentoring through our University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disability in the process of completing a Quality Improvement project.

Fellows receive mentoring in other scholarly activity, such as book and manuscript reviews, textbook chapter writing, curriculum development, and are encouraged to take leadership positions in the community and in national societies, etc.

Didactics

The following educational sessions make up our curriculum:

• Weekly Neuroscience conference (PGY-4)
• Monthly 1 hour didactics in core topics in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics (all 3 years)
• Twice-monthly Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) seminars and workshops (PGY-4)
• Weekly Pediatrics Grand Rounds (all 3 years)
• Monthly Psychiatry didactics (Months 7 through 36)
• Regular research seminars, in collaboration with the Center on Human Development at the University of Oregon and OCTRI at OHSU.
• Monthly Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics:
  • Journal Club
  • Mortality and Morbidity/ Challenging Case Conferences
• Annual participation in the Society of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics meeting.

There are multiple other learning opportunities throughout out the OHSU and University of Oregon campuses, including those specific to fellows’ chosen areas of concentration for scholarly activity and Quality Improvement activity.

Teaching opportunities

• Fellows spend two days per month at the Portland campus, teaching pediatric residents on their DB rotations and in their continuity clinics, participating in conferences and giving formal presentations
• Fellows also teach pediatric residents and other trainees on their rotations at the Eugene campus

How to apply

To apply to the OHSU Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship Program, please submit an application through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) website. 

Application checklist (all submitted through ERAS):

• MyERAS application
• Personal statement
• Medical school transcript
• Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) from medical school
• Letters of recommendation (minimum 3)
• United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) scores

Please also see the OHSU GME information on Applying to OHSU Residencies and Fellowships. 

Oregon Health and Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Office of Civil Rights Investigations and Compliance at 503-494-5148 or ocic@ohsu.edu.