Research

Pediatrics Residency

The University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville is committed to fostering research by the faculty and residents. This institution has been engaged in clinically applied research for many years and is enriched by the presence of faculty who have demonstrated excellence in performing research and in training new investigators.

Each year the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville hosts an annual Celebration of Resident and Fellow Education and Research Day in concert with our institutional graduation that brings all of the college's departments together. Residents present their quality improvement and other scholarly projects related to medical education and research at this forum. Well-designed studies conducted in collaboration with the faculty have resulted in residents and fellows also presenting their research at regional, national and international meetings.

Based on feedback from residents, a pediatric resident research interest group was created in 2020 to assist trainees in the IRB process, developing projects, writing case reports and providing guidance on abstract submission, presentations at meetings and manuscript preparation. This group is mentored by a dedicated faculty member. Research electives are available to both PGY-2 and 3 residents if needed. In addition a basic science research elective is also available to those residents with an interest in bench research.

Residents at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Experience Conference.

Our residents have also been very successful in taking their QI and advocacy projects to the next level with multiple presentations at national and regional meetings. Below is an example of a QI/Advocacy and scholarship project done by two of our residents that was accepted for presentation at PAS, NCE, and the FCAAP annual meetings in 2020. Our residents also received the 2020 American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Pediatric Trainees (SOPT), Anne E. Dyson Child Advocacy Award for their project entitled "Facing the Fume: Community Advocacy to Address Youth Vaping Crisis".

In addition, one of them also recieved the 2020 AAP Section on Tobacco Control, Trainee Champion award for all their advocacy work on the subject.

Funding support is made available for these presentations and residents are strongly encouraged to publish the results of their various scholarly projects.

We offer a dedicated 3-year longitudinal research track for any resident with a special interest in or focus on research. The track is a combination of didactics, experiential and self-directed learning. While every resident has basic training in the conduct of scientific research, residents in the track have 2 protected blocks per year with dedicated faculty mentorship and instruction in research methodology, QI, grant and manuscript writing. Deliverables include but are not limited to a research presentation during grand rounds, abstract presentations in regional & national meetings and submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

Thus far we have had 3 residents on the track, two are in their intern year. Our PGY-2 resident has been able to submit two abstracts for poster presentation for the upcoming AAP NCE to be held in Washington DC, 2023. In addition, in collaboration with the Department of Computer, Information Science and Engineering at the University of Florida, Gainesville (our sister school), a protocol looking at design principles and application of virtual reality for disclosure of adolescent mental health disorders has been submitted to the National Science Foundation for funding.