Outpatient Services

Residents spend time at several important sites outside of the hospital. These sites provide an environment in which the resident develops expertise in basic health assessment, health education for patients and their families, child advocacy, working with a healthcare team and managing an office practice.

Continuity Clinic

Each resident spends one afternoon per week in an office setting, where patients are seen specifically by the resident. Residents may elect to do their continuity clinic at Inova Cares Clinic for Children (ICCC) or at a private practice. After their second year, residents may choose to do their continuity clinic at a subspecialty office as a part of their individualized elective curriculum. All residents are paired with preceptors with whom they will work throughout their residencies.

Private physician practices

Residents obtain real-life pediatric practice experience by choosing from a range of opportunities, from small practices to larger groups with multiple locations as a part of their continuity clinic experience or as a private practice elective. Residents are paired with preceptors who are faculty members who exhibit an exceptionally strong interest and aptitude for teaching. Residents experience how doctors and staff provide comprehensive medical care in the reality of today's healthcare marketplace. Depending on the practice, the resident gains familiarity with families with and without insurance, with a variety of social backgrounds and might have their own schedule. Through this experience, the resident gains insight into billing, office management and financial considerations in private practice.

Inova Cares Clinic for Children

The Inova Cares Clinic for Children provides pediatric care for the underserved population in a multicultural setting. Approximately 25,000 visits occur annually. Residents play an integral role in the care of these patients, the majority of whom are immigrants from across the globe. Most families are Spanish speaking; however, a proficiency in Spanish is not required due to the availability of Spanish-speaking staff and translator phones. Residents work with public health workers, social services, health educators and nursing staff to address the medical and psychosocial needs of these patients. Approximately one-third of our residents choose to do their continuity clinic at this location, and all of our residents spend one block there per year. 

Subspecialty clinics

Subspecialty pediatric training is obtained through a number of rotations. The curriculum in each subspecialty emphasizes the ambulatory aspects of the practice. Residents gain experience in the evaluation of complex patients while acquiring insight into the appropriate use of subspecialty referrals. This experience enhances the quality of collaboration between primary care physicians and subspecialists. Residents have the opportunity to rotate in any pediatric subspecialty, at our hospital or as away electives. Pediatric Specialists of Virginia provides access to a wide variety of subspecialists which enhances the experiences and exposures for our residents. Furthermore, fellowship-bound residents may choose to do their continuity clinic at a subspecialty office as a part of their individualized elective curriculum.

Adolescent Medicine

This rotation includes office-based adolescent experience, including the adolescent clinic at Tenleytown/Georgetown University and the student health clinic at George Mason University. As part of this rotation, residents obtain experience with gynecologic issues of adolescents. Residents also see adolescents during their inpatient and outpatient rotations at Inova Children's Hospital.

Emergency Department

Inova Children's Hospital, on the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, features a dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department. One of the busiest in the Washington, DC, area, our ED is staffed exclusively with pediatric emergency medicine physicians and pediatric nurses. It serves as a level 1 pediatric trauma center and represents a referral center for much of Northern Virginia via ground and air transportation. A thriving Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship accepts one to two fellows each year.

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

The intern behavior and development block provides a variety of experiences designed to provide each intern a broad exposure to the multidisciplinary assessment of infants and children. Residents spend a 4-week rotation with our developmental pediatrician, evaluating children with developmental delay and physical disabilities, as well as ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. Their development experience is enhanced by the opportunity to spend one day a week with the Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia, which provides early intervention services and support. During this day, residents work with staff as they perform home visits and evaluations with PT/OT and speech therapy.