Pediatric Endocrinology

ELEC516

Department
Pediatrics

Clinical or Non-Clinical Course
Clinical

Physician Assessed Patient Facing
Yes

Prerequisites
Completion of Phase 2 Clerkships

Goal

Students can attend endocrine and diabetes outpatient clinics, as well as inpatient consults with pediatric endocrinologists. The wealth of care occurs in the outpatient setting. Students will be exposed to several pathologies from newborn to early college ages, including Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, growth disorders, pubertal abnormalities, obesity, differences of sex development, bone and mineral disturbances, hypoglycemia, and other disorders relating to the adrenal, parathyroid, thyroid, and pituitary glands. The inpatient side offers exposure to acute endocrine complications, such as DKA, hypo and hypercalcemia, hypoglycemia, etc. As many endocrine disorders are life-long, pediatric endocrinologists establish long-term care partnerships with patients and their families.

Objectives

At the end of this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Familiarize the student with the etiology and presentation of endocrine disorders and their management in both the outpatient clinics and inpatient services
  2. Instruct the medical student on the practical aspects of diabetes mellitus management
  3. Growth Differentiate between normal, physiologic deviations from normal and pathologic findings related to endocrinology
    • a. Puberty: Recognize the stages of sexual development (sexual maturation rate) using the Tanner staging method among boys and girls
    • b. Thyroid: Understand the general pediatrician’s role in the diagnosis and management of thyroid dysfunction in patients with congenital and acquired hypothyroidism, autoimmunity, hyperthyroidism, thyroid masses, and tumor
    • c. Bone and mineral disorders: Understand the role of parathyroid hormone in calcium, phosphorus, and skeletal homeostasis
    • d. Diabetes: Identification, diagnosis, and treatment of uncomplicated and complicated type 1 and type 2diabetes mellitus
    • e. Disorders of sex differentiation: Understand the role of the pediatrician in recognizing normal vs. abnormal anatomy of the external genitalia, identification of most common causes of ambiguity, diagnosis, genetic and molecular basis, and treatment.
    • f. The role of the pediatrician in identifying individuals at risk for the development of endocrine dysfunction(for example, obesity complications, growth deceleration, bone health, diabetes mellitus chronic complications)
    • g. Adrenal: Identify patients with cortisol deficiency and management of adrenal crisis
  4. Learn about tools to identify endocrine dysfunction (proper use of growth; length, weight, and BMI charts, use of orchidometer in the assessment of sexual development, use of stadiometer for accurate height measurement, and interpretation of bone and DXA scans

Method of Assessment

Standard Clinical 2wk Elective Evaluation - Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Additional Methods

M4 standardized evaluation form completed by attending faculty based on the participation in clinic and/or other methods of evaluation.

Course Director

Valeria Benavides, M.D.

Course Coordinator
Raji Govindraj
rajig@uic.edu
309-624-4542

Location
SFMC, Hillcrest Building (420 NE Glen Oak Ave, Suite 201)

Setting
Outpatient
Inpatient

Night Call
No

Laboratory
No

Weekends
No

House Staff
No

Number of Learners per Block
1 Student

Duration
2 weeks

Who is this elective available to
M4s (in Phase 3)

Blocks Available
All except winter break.