Behavioral Pediatrics

Collaboration between pediatric medicine and the behavioral and biological sciences has increased in recent years. This collaboration has already changes pediatrics, resulting in new approaches for studying and treating children. One of these new approaches has been termed behavioral pediatrics. Behavioral pediatrics emphasizes studying, within a developmental framework, children in a variety of medical contexts. The purpose of behavioral pediatrics is to better understand the factors that influence, health, illness and growth.

Concepts covered include the temperament in clinical practice, parent-child patient dyad, the environment of the medically fragile infant, and child abuse. The course also covers common behavioral problems presented to physicians, such as crying, toilet training, eating disorders, hyperactivity, sleep development and disturbances and discipline. We emphasize the team approach to pediatric care, discussing the interaction of the physician and family with nursing, therapists, social workers, specialists, hospital environments and pediatric psychologists.

Students have a clinical practicum in which they accompany physicians on teaching rounds, shadow in a variety of pediatric care settings and in poverty medicine settings.

For more information contact Kathleen Kolberg at kolberg.2@nd.edu

Psychology and Medicine

The purpose of this course is to provide a forum in which pre-medical students can explore issues surrounding the practice of medicine, which are not covered in traditional pre-medical courses. These include aspects of the patient/physician interaction, avoiding the god-complex, spiritual aspects of medical practice, dealing with errors in medical practice (as opposed to dealing with malpractice), poverty medicine, alternative medicine, treating the handicapped, elderly or chronically ill patient, the effects stress  on you and your patients, dealing with stress, marriage and medical practice, how culture and gender affect the medical interaction and so on.

The first challenge for students in this course is to define what they fear most about practicing medicine and to research it for their semester project.  Students have previously selected topics: "What happens if I make a mistake in providing care?" "Can I have a family and practice medicine?"  "With the changing economics of medicine will I be able to pay off my student debt?"  Can I remain altruistic after the training?"

To read other students thoughts about these issues or to respond via e-mail with your thoughts on some of these discussion topics go to our pre-med bulletin board.