TTUHSC School of Medicine at Amarillo
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Residency Information


GENERAL INFORMATION

The Department of Pediatrics at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - Amarillo, offers a pediatric resident program of three years duration, which is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education of the AMA. This program is approved for five residents at each level.

The residency program is designed to offer experience in the diverse areas of pediatrics to prepare the individual resident for a career in either private practice of Pediatrics, fellowship training in the subspecialties, or an academic career. The medical practice encompasses greater than 16,000 outpatients per year and growing; increasing by 10% over the prior year, and about 5,000 inpatients per year in our primary teaching hospital.

These are complimented by subspecialty experiences in Nephrology, Behavioral & Developmental Medicine, Cardiology, Neonatology, Endocrinology including diabetes, Gastroenterology, Pulmonology, Adolescent Medicine, Hematology, and Oncology.

The primary teaching institution is Northwest Texas Healthcare System Hospital. This is a 30 bed neonatal intensive care unit under the direct supervision of the Department of Pediatrics of TexasTech University Health Sciences Center and staffed by Texas Tech neonatologists and also the presence of a 10 bed pediatric critical care unit for those children outside of the NICU age. The inpatient unit has 25 general pediatric beds with 9 beds for intermediate care.

Outpatient facilities are at the Texas Tech Physicians of Amarillo, a medical facility which includes not only pediatrics, but the other disciplines of medicine represented on this campus. The faculty offices are also used for teaching purposes.

The Don and Sybil Harrington Medical Library is located at 1400 Wallace on campus at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center Building houses over 35,000 volumes of medical literature. Texas Tech is on the internet for access to all available connections of information, both medical and general.

In all, the facilities and the medical practice for residency training in pediatrics is close to ideal for the number of residents approved, and Texas Tech is proud to offer this postgraduate program in pediatrics.

CURRICULUM

The curriculum for the Department of Pediatrics three year residency training program is designed to prepare the physician to be well rounded and competent in pediatrics and child development. It prepares the physician for a career in primary care pediatrics or to enter a training field of a pediatric subspecialty. The program is designed to meet the requirements as set forth by the ACGME and reviewed for pediatrics by the RRC.

PGY - I ROTATION

The first year includes an eight month period of time in general pediatrics (4 months inpatient, and 4 months outpatient) with the remainder of the year being devoted to experiences involving neonatal intensive care (2 months), term nursery (1 month), and behavioral, developmental or adolescent (1 month). During this period of time, the PGY - I individual develops appropriate skills while on pediatrics and at the same time completes a postgraduate experience in the above mentioned disciplines of service. Objectives are written for each of these rotations as is true for the remainder of the curriculum during the last two years of this program.

PGY - II ROTATION

The second year experience includes 5 months time in general pediatrics as the predominant area of concentration (2 months outpatient and 3 months inpatient), neonatal intensive care (1 month), pediatric intensive care unit (1 month), emergency center (1 month), and behavioral, developmental or adolescent (1 month) and elective (1 month). This experience with its written objectives and evaluations allow the individual to gain experience in each of the above mentioned areas with appropriate faculty supervision both on an inpatient and outpatient basis. The beginnings of experience in the different subspecialties of this rotation allows the PGY - II resident to adapt to different techniques.

PGY - III ROTATION

The PGY - III curriculum is designed with rotations in general pediatrics (2 months inpatient and 2 months outpatient), electives (6 months), behavioral, developmental or adolescent (1 month), and neonatal intensive care (1 month). Residents also take community pediatric rotation for one month. These rotations are designed to allow experience in the management and evaluation of many different areas within the scope of pediatrics.

BENEFITS

For all benefits and conditions of employment including information concerning leaves of absences and medical malpractice insurance, please visit www.ttuhsc.edu/som/gme/.

DEPARTMENTAL BENEFITS

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Your membership dues for The American Academy of Pediatrics will be paid by the Department. Participation in this organization is strongly encouraged, but not required.

PAID VACATION TIME
PGY - I and PGY - II residents receive fifteen days paid vacation.
PGY - III residents receive twenty days.
The time off must be approved in advance by the Program Director, Chief Resident, Administrator, and Department Chair.

BOOKS / MEMBERSHIP DUES / CME
PGY - I residents are allotted $250.00 for books, membership dues, and CME.
PGY - II residents are allotted $250.00.
PGY - III residents are allotted $250.00.
CME time is to be approved in advance by the Program Director, Chief Resident, Administrator, and Department Chair.

INSTITUTIONAL BENEFITS

SALARIES (Fiscal Year 2008-2009)
PGY1 - $42,044        Monthly - $3,503.67
PGY2 - $43,416        Monthly - $3,618.00
PGY3 - $44,787        Monthly - $3,732.25
PGY4 - $46,157
        Monthly - $3,846.42


MAJOR MEDICAL EXPENSE INSURANCE
Coverage for allowed medical expenses incurred, including professional fees:
$500 deductible
Co-pay's $25 with 90% coverage
Dependent coverage available

LONG TERM DISABILITY
Helps replace lost earning in the event of an accident or illness:
$1,500 monthly benefits, 30-day waiting period

TERM LIFE INSURANCE
A vital segment of any financial protection plan:
$100,000 benefits on resident
$10,000 benefits on spouse (optional)
$5,000 benefits per child (optional)

DENTAL INSURANCE
Allows you to attain and maintain good dental health:
$50 deductible
Dependent coverage available