The fellows in all years of training will be expected to attend and participate in a robust didactic schedule. Conferences include:

• Weekly Pediatric Rheumatology Didactics
• Learning About Unmet Needs at Children's Hospital (LAUNCH)
• Weekly team clinical rounds
• Pediatric Rheumatology Journal Club
• Dedicated Immunology Basic Science Curriculum years 2-3
• Dedicated Board Review Sessions
• Department of Pediatrics Core Curriculum Series
• Department of Pediatrics Grand Rounds
• Department of Pediatrics Research Conference
• Adult Rheumatology Grand Rounds
• Participation in Quality Improvement Projects

Learning About Unmet Needs at Children's Hospital (LAUNCH)

Learning About Unmet Needs at Children’s Hospital (LAUNCH) is a weekly, multidisciplinary meeting that addresses unmet needs in patients. Participants include physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, schedulers, physical and occupational therapists, a social worker, and students. If appropriate, parent or patient may attend. In a rotating schedule, a topic is covered generally one week, followed by in depth look at a patient illustrating the concept. The third week is a recap of the issue and patient, with steps identified to address needs individually and more globally. The fourth week of the month is planning by the steering committee, which includes at least one fellow. Topics covered have included mental health, patient experience, patient and family education, patient reported outcomes, transition, and parent self-efficacy. Broader topics include barriers to care and social determinants of health, including health care disparities.

Clinical Case Conference

Case conference is held every other week. Discussions surround challenging or unusual cases. Both medical and psychosocial aspects of care are discussed. Physicians, nurses, social work, pharmacy and students of all professions will participate.

Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics Core Curriculum for Fellows

Fellows will be required to attend the Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics Core Curriculum lecture series, held Thursdays from Noon – 1p.m. For first-year fellows, this is a weekly lecture series running from October through April. Major topics addressed include professionalism, clinical epidemiology, evidence-based medicine, biostatistics, research methodology, study design, ethical principles, manuscript preparation and effective leadership. The lecture series for second-year fellows consists of three lectures held in the spring addressing topics of adult learning theory and leadership skills. The lecture series for third-year fellows consists of 3 lectures held in the fall addressing team management, medical economics and career planning.

Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics Grand Rounds

The Department of Pediatrics Grand Rounds are held Tuesdays from 12:00-1:00pm at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Speakers are invited both from within and outside Vanderbilt to address a wide variety of topics.

Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics Research Conference Series

The Department of Pediatrics Research Conferences are held virtually on Mondays from 12:00-1:00pm. As with Grand Rounds, speakers are invited both from within and outside Vanderbilt.