• Keep a fine balance. Every year students get in trouble by overcommitting to outside activities at the cost of their academic performance and USMLE scores. Be constantly aware of this balance and scale involvement based on academic schedule and performance

• Follow your interests and passions. Pick things you are genuinely interested in

• Think quality vs. quantity. Longitudinal involvement, leadership, lasting impact/your SLU legacy)

• Child Abuse Prevention Program (CAPP). CAPP is dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect by visiting local schools and giving presentations to kids to help raise awareness and provide a safe space for children to come forward if necessary. After completing training, students give presentations (~20-30 min) on a variety of topics including safe touch and safe internet behaviors to children from grades K-6. This is a great way to work directly with children and be able to take proactive steps in helping with an important issue that we see in pediatrics! Expectations include:

• Developmental Pediatric Interest Group

• Pediatric Interest Group. A wonderful way to become more involved and to learn more about the field of Pediatrics! Throughout the year, we will host events, such as the Pediatrics Match Panel, Research in Pediatrics, Planning your Pediatric Career, Pediatrics Procedure Night, and more, which will provide students with resources and opportunities to learn more about this amazing field!

• Pediatric Health Resource Center. SLUSOM has partnered with Danis Pediatrics at Cardinal-Glennon in order to provide quality care to children with no primary care physician Thursdays 3 PM to 7 PM. This is a great opportunity to practice pediatric history, physical exam, formulating an assessment, differential, and plan and staffing patients with general academic pediatric faculty. Volunteering in the clinic is a 3 week commitment with 2 volunteers selected for the 3 week program. After each 3 week rotation, 2 new volunteers will be selected for the next 3 weeks and so on.

• Pediatric Student Education Advisory Group . Ongoing ideas and collaborative work to make pediatric student education AWESOME!

• Peds Pals. We are a group of students committed to regular volunteering at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. We are tutors, baby-holders, air hockey enthusiasts, play-dough artists, and simulated F1 drivers who work with Child Life Specialists and Teachers at Cardinal Glennon to help children, and their families, cope with the stresses of illness and hospitalization.

• Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS). 16-week social skill development course for adolescents who face challenges making and keeping friends due to autism spectrum disorder. Medical student coaches work with developmental pediatricians to assist with weekly lessons, games, and group discussion.

• Ranken Jordan Hospital visits. Some third year students have an opportunity to visit Ranken Jordan during the clerkship. We are happy to schedule visits for students in others years. Please let us know (pediatric_student_education@health.slu.edu) if you are interested. Visits are scheduled Monday and Thursday mornings.

• SLU Pediatric Science Days and Symposium. Spring. Consider submitting your work (research, QI, case reports) or just stopping by to hear about ongoing research. If something sparks your interest, chat with the project members!

• SLU Primary Care Research Symposium. Spring. Consider submitting your work (research, QI, case reports) or just stopping by to hear about ongoing research. If something sparks your interest, chat with the project members!

• AAP MO Chapter Advocacy Day. Spring. Drs. Josh Arthur and Ken Haller along with other pediatric attendings lead an annual trip to Jeff City with the SLU group. They are joined by other groups of pediatricians, fellows, residents, and medical students from across the state. This is a great opportunity to advocate for MO children, and to engage with MO legislators and AAP leaders. The day will begin with setting up carpools from Cardinal Glennon around 6:30 am. The group plans to be back by ~3:30 PM. You will be briefed regarding issues under discussion earlier in the week. We’ve gotten uniformly positive feedback regarding the experience from students who have joined in the past. In 2020 and 2021 meetings were virtual.

• Poverty Simulation. June. This half day workshop is part of intern orientation for pediatrics, family medicine, and internal medicine residencies. Students interested in those fields are invited to attend. We’ve gotten uniformly positive feedback from students who have joined in the past. This event was canceled in 2020 and 2021.

• Cardinal Glennon Events. Benefit events throughout the year.

• Pediatric Student Chief. Selected/competitive

• Near Peer Pediatric Coaching. Opportunity to gain academic credit for improving the educational experience of junior students by both working with them directly (Eg. orientation facilitation, small group sessions, pediatric student advising) and indirectly (student education projects).

• Near Peer Pediatric NBME Coaching. This longitudinal elective will allow selected fourth year students to coach third year students on study strategies and high-yield pediatric knowledge topics with particular focus on NBME success.

• Pediatric Clerkship Orientation Facilitation. Our interactive small group format would not be possible without our many volunteers! We invite all fourth year students and especially those applying in Pediatrics or a combined program to assist with clerkship orientation if time allows. Our pediatric elective directors have been very supportive in counting orientation facilitation as a rotation activity vs. an excused absence.

• McElfresh Award. Every summer, the Department of Pediatrics selects a graduating Saint Louis University medical student who demonstrated outstanding achievement and interest in Pediatrics to receive the prestigious Arthur E. McElfresh Memorial Award dedicated to the memory of the 1965-1977 Department Chairman of Pediatrics. It is the highest honor we as a department can bestow on a medical student.

  • • All department members have an opportunity to nominate up to 3 students they feel are deserving of this distinction and asked to include a brief reason for nomination

    • We will announce the winner and runner in early September (before ERAS applications)

    • The award is officially presented at graduation

Graduation Distinction Programs

• We’ve had students from all distinction programs match in Pediatrics! We encourage all students to review these and see if one matches your interests. If you are passionate about a topic not currently represented by a distinction program, consider creating one. Students were instrumental in creating the Wellness and Ethics distinction.

• Learn more about the Distinctions and Learning Communities through SLU's Website or your Canvas site through the Office of Student Affairs.

• Community Service Activities Database

• Amazing Gracie's Legacy

• Dean's Book Club

• HIV Task Force

• SPOTS: Sun Protection Outreach by Students

• Strides4 Kids

• Take 2 Tutoring

• Tar Wars