The Pediatric Residency Program at Albany Medical College does not follow a track-based curriculum. We feel it is important for each resident to have the flexibility they desire as they obtain the experiences and training they require to be successful in their future career goals. Below are examples of what each academic year might look like.
PGY-1
First-year residents focus on building foundational pediatric medical knowledge and patient care skills. As interns, they are supervised by senior residents, fellows, and faculty. They become acquainted with the medical health care system within Albany Medical Center and the surrounding community.
PGY-2
Second-year residents graduate into more autonomous roles while continuing to build their medical knowledge and patient care skills. They develop their leadership skills and enjoy numerous opportunities for teaching residents and medical students. Second year residents allow residents to tailor their educational experience to meet their own career goals.
PGY-3
Third-year residents hone their teaching and supervisory skills as they take on more responsibility for decision making and leading their patient care teams. We emphasize independent and critical thinking skills as they approach graduation.
| Block | PGY-1 | PGY-2 | PGY-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1 | Ambulatory & Term Nursery 1 | Behavioral/Mental Health | Behavioral/Mental Health |
| Block 2 | Wards | PICU | PEM 2 |
| Block 3 | Elective | Elective/Vacation | Elective |
| Block 4 | Vacation/Community & Advocacy | Wards/Elective | Elective/Vacation |
| Block 5 | NICU | NICU Night Team | Adolescent |
| Block 6 | Elective | PEM 1 | Urgent Care |
| Block 7 | Ambulatory & Term Nursery 2 | Wards | NICU |
| Block 8 | Wards | Elective | Wards |
| Block 9 | Developmental & Behavioral | Amublatory | Elective |
| Block 10 | PedSTAR | Elective/Vacation | Wards Night Team |
| Block 11 | Wards Night Team | PICU | Elective/Vacation |
| Block 12 | Elective/Vacation | PEM 2 | Wards |
| Block 13 | Wards | Elective | Elective |
Call Schedules & Back-Up Structure
Example Gen Peds Wards Call Schedule. Download a PDF of the example schedule.
Key
Short Call: 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Long Call: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Night Call: 7 p.m. – 7 a.m.
Clinic: Half-day clinic in afternoon
AHD: Academic half-day in afternoon
Week 1
PGY-1 Monday: Short Call
Senior Monday: Short Call
PGY-1 Tuesday: Clinic
Senior Tuesday: Long Call
PGY-1 Wednesday: Long Call
Senior Wednesday: Short Call
PGY-1 Thursday: Short Call
Senior Thursday: Short Call
PGY-1 Friday: Short Call
Senior Friday: Long Call
PGY-1 Saturday: Long Call
Senior Saturday: OFF
PGY-1 Sunday: OFF
Senior Sunday: Long Call
Week 2
PGY-1 Monday: Long Call
Senior Monday: Clinic
PGY-1 Tuesday: Clinic
Senior Tuesday: Long Call
PGY-1 Wednesday: Short Call
Senior Wednesday: Short Call
PGY-1 Thursday: Short Call
Senior Thursday: Short Call
PGY-1 Friday: Short Call
Senior Friday: Night Call
PGY-1 Saturday: Off
Senior Saturday: Night Call
PGY-1 Sunday: Long Call
Senior Sunday: Off
Week 3
PGY-1 Monday: Short Call
Senior Monday: Short Call
PGY-1 Tuesday: Clinic
Senior Tuesday: Clinic
PGY-1 Wednesday: Short Call
Senior Wednesday: Short Call
PGY-1 Thursday: AHD
Senior Thursday: Long Call
PGY-1 Friday: Long Call
Senior Friday: Short Call
PGY-1 Saturday: OFF
Senior Saturday: OFF
PGY-1 Sunday: OFF
Senior Sunday: OFF
Week 4
PGY-1 Monday: Long Call
Senior Monday: Short Call
PGY-1 Tuesday: Clinic
Senior Tuesday: Short Call
PGY-1 Wednesday: Short Call
Senior Wednesday: Long Call
PGY-1 Thursday: Short Call
Senior Thursday: AHD
PGY-1 Friday: Short Call
Senior Friday: Short Call
PGY-1 Saturday: Night Call
Senior Saturday: Long Call
PGY-1 Sunday: OFF
Senior Sunday: OFF
Notes
Residents on peds wards rotations cross cover floor teams on weekends. Dedicated night team for each block, residents on peds wards rotations cross cover for night team golden weekends.
Average Hours Per Week Over One Year
- PGY-1 Residents Work an Average of 55 Hours Per Week
- PGY-2 & 3 Residents Work an Average of 50 Hours Per Week
24-Hour Shifts
We do not schedule 24-hour shifts on the inpatient pediatric floors.
Interns (PGY-1) complete approximately 1–2 24-hour shifts per year during their NICU rotation.
Senior residents (PGY-2/PGY-3) complete approximately 2–3 24-hour shifts per year in the PICU and NICU, depending on the structure of their block schedule.
Our Pediatric Back-Up schedule is designed to provide reliable coverage while preserving core clinical experiences and promoting resident wellness. Back-up assignments occur while residents are on elective rotations.
Back-up coverage is scheduled in week-long blocks to promote predictability and reduce single-day assignments. Unlike traditional jeopardy systems that assign sporadic single coverage days throughout the year, our week-based back-up model provides greater predictability and allows residents to plan their schedules in advance. The full back-up schedule is released at the beginning of the academic year, rather than block-by-block, allowing residents to organize personal and professional commitments early.
Each week includes:
- 1 PGY-1 (Intern)
- 2 Senior Residents (PGY-2/PGY-3)
Interns are assigned approximately three weeks per year of back-up coverage. Senior residents are assigned approximately five weeks per year.
On average, residents are called in 0–1 days per assigned back-up week, meaning most elective time remains protected while still maintaining flexibility for patient care needs. Residents also have the ability to swap entire weeks or individual back-up days, supporting schedule adjustments when needed.
This updated structure was introduced in 2025 in response to resident feedback requesting greater predictability in back-up assignments.
Conferences
Download a PDF of an example conference schedule.
Our four-month rotating core conference schedule provides structured, longitudinal coverage of essential pediatric topics, ensuring residents receive comprehensive, board-aligned education that builds in depth and complexity throughout training.
Floorientation: Designed as a practical re-entry touchpoint, Floorientation allows residents to reconnect with inpatient workflows, review unit expectations, and learn about new initiatives, process updates, and operational changes impacting patient care.
Grand Rounds: Residents engage weekly with institutional and visiting experts presenting advances in pediatric medicine, research, advocacy, and innovation.
Bi-Weekly Board Review: Dedicated faculty-led board preparation using case-based formats and high-yield topic review.
Morning Report: Rotating Team-Based Morning Reports foster interactive, small-group case discussions focused on clinical reasoning, diagnostic frameworks, and peer learning.
Subspecialty Series: Focused lecture series provide exposure to key pediatric disciplines and practical care topics, including but not limited to Neurology, Cardiology, Genetics, and Rheumatology.
Yale Team Based Learning (TBL): Case-driven, collaborative learning that strengthens clinical decision-making and teamwork.
Resident Business Meetings: Structured forum for resident leadership, program feedback, and shared governance.
Rapid Response Report: Review of escalation events and critical care management
Morbidity & Mortality (M&M): Patient safety, quality improvement, and reflective practice
Read about our Case Management and Bread & Butter Conference under Learning to Teach!
In addition to weekly conferences, residents participate in protected Junior (PGY-1) or Senior (PGY-2/PGY-3) Academic Half Day free from clinical duties, once per block.
Each Academic Half-Day includes:
Subspecialty-Focused Lectures: Faculty-led deep dives into pediatric subspecialty topics.
Targeted Board Review: Level-specific preparation aligned with training year and exam readiness.
Clinical Skills Workshops: Hands-on training in procedural skills, simulation, acute care scenarios, and communication strategies.
This tiered structure ensures developmentally appropriate learning while building both knowledge and technical competence.
Our annual PGY-1 and PGY-2 full-day teaching workshops combine didactic learning and hands-on skills training to develop residents’ educator competencies. These sessions focus on core teaching skills, including delivering effective feedback, assessing learner needs, and modeling clinical reasoning in clinical environments.
These workshops are complemented by three additional longitudinal teaching experiences. The first is our unique Learning to Teach “Blue Senior” ward rotation, which provides residents with structured, real-time opportunities to refine bedside and team-based teaching skills.
The second is our resident-led lecture curriculum, which begins with Bread & Butter lectures delivered by PGY-2 residents for PGY-1s, focusing on high-yield foundational topics. This series culminates in Case Management presentations led by PGY-3 residents, emphasizing advanced clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and the delivery of concise, case-based didactics drawn from their clinical experiences throughout the year.
Electives and Experiences
Our program will help you develop elective experiences above and beyond the required experiences that best prepare you for your career goals.
- Anesthesiology
- Adolescent II
- Bioethics
- Camp Elective
- Cardiology I & II
- Caregiver Elective
- Chief Elective
- Circumcisions
- Community II
- Dermatology (Self Study)
- Development and Behavior II
- Endocrinology
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine III
- ENT
- General Peds- Academic
- General Peds- Private
- Gastroenterology
- Genetics/Metabolism
- Hematology/Oncology
- Hematopathology
- Hospitalist Elective I & II
- Infectious Disease
- Lactation Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- NICU Elective
- NICU Transport Elective
- Nutrition
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedics
- Palliative Care
- Surgery
- PICU Elective
- PICU Transport Elective
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Research Elective
- Rheumatology
- Sedations
- Sports Medicine
- Ultrasound Elective
- Urology
Hands-on learning is a core component of our clinical education. Residents benefit from access to a state-of-the-art Simulation Center within the medical college, offering a dedicated environment to develop and refine procedural skills, clinical decision-making, and team-based communication in a supportive, supervised setting. Simulation is integrated longitudinally to reinforce technical proficiency and build confidence in managing high-acuity pediatric scenarios.
Residents gain experience in a wide range of pediatric procedures, including:
- Lumbar puncture
- IV and IO access
- Laceration repair and suturing
- Casting and splinting
- Central line placement
- Ventilator management
Training also occurs across inpatient units, the PICU & NICU, acute care settings, and environments, ensuring exposure to both routine and high-acuity clinical scenarios.
Mock Codes
We are fortunate to have access to a state-of-the-art Patient Safety & Clinical Competency Center (PSCCC) within the medical college. This simulation center serves as the primary site for our pediatric mock code curriculum.
Led by Resident-led Mock Codes Team & Pediatric Intensive Care faculty member Shashi Ambati, residents participate in approximately six high-fidelity “mega code” simulations over the course of training. During these protected sessions, residents step away from clinical duties to engage in ABP-validated resuscitation scenarios, followed by structured debriefing and repeat code execution to reinforce clinical management, leadership, and communication skills.
To complement these experiences, additional mock codes are conducted in situ within clinical environments. These unit-based simulations emphasize crisis recognition, team dynamics, and real-time clinical decision-making in the settings where residents provide patient care.
Together, this layered simulation model prepares residents to respond confidently and effectively to pediatric emergencies.
Ultrasound Curriculum
Point-of-care ultrasound is an increasingly important tool in modern clinical practice. As part of our simulation and procedural curriculum, alongside mock codes, communication training, and skills workshops, we developed one of the first structured bedside ultrasound courses within a general pediatrics residency.
Since 2017, all residents have completed 24 hours of formal instruction beginning in intern year, focused on diagnostic ultrasound applications and ultrasound-guided peripheral IV placement. Trainees apply these skills in the NICU and PICU to support real-time clinical decision-making and enhance bedside procedures.
Masters in Bioethics
The Alden March Bioethics Institute’s online Master of Science in Bioethics is designed for mid-career professionals in public health, pastoral care, patient advocacy, medical social work, medical research, and the life sciences, offering innovative and rigorous training in the field of bioethics.
The program at Albany Medical College can be completed entirely online, providing flexibility for working professionals to complete coursework on their own schedule.
Every spring, all PGY-1 residents are excused from their clinical duties to participate in our Pediatric Scholarly Track for Advocacy and Research (PedSTAR), a four-week immersive academic experience.
During this dedicated block, interns receive:
Advocacy Training
One week of intensive advocacy education led by pediatric faculty, leveraging the unique opportunities available in New York’s state capital to explore legislative processes, policy development, and physician advocacy.
Clinical Research Foundations
One week of hands-on instruction in research methodology, including focused mini-didactic sessions on IRB development, grant writing, informed consent, study design, and data analytics.
Quality Improvement, Leadership & Education
One week dedicated to quality improvement science, leadership development, teaching skills, and simulation-based training.
The experience culminates with each resident committing to the development of either a research or advocacy project to be completed over the subsequent two years of training. The final week is devoted to small-group workshops where residents draft an IRB proposal or build a structured roadmap for their advocacy initiative.
Residents present their completed work at multiple venues, including our annual internal Residency Research Day, regional or national conferences, and PedSTAR Grand Rounds held in the spring of their PGY-3 year.