Over the past decade, it has been suggested that primary care pediatricians include children’s success at school as part of the content of each child’s regular health supervision visit.  Yet few residency training programs educate their residents about issues that affect children’s lives at school and their academic success. 

In this study of one training program in Massachusetts (22 residents), it was found that a relatively short teaching module during residency improved these trainees’ self-assessed skills and knowledge about children’s school lives.  The pre- and post-training questionnaires also found that most pediatric residents considered school success to be an important part of their role and that they recognized this importance even prior to receiving this education. 

(Starr S, Perrin EC.  Ambulat Pediatr 2005; 5(3):178-184.) 

Comment:  Residents need to learn to interact with school personnel (perhaps through the school nurse) so that they elicit better medical, behavioral, and developmental histories than when they interview only the child and his/her parent.  Moreover, physicians need to learn how to make their practices more “school staff-friendly” so that school staff feel comfortable making the pediatrician part of their team.  – H.T.