Pediatrics Residency
Advocacy & Community Outreach
Advocacy and Community Outreach
Advocacy Rotation
All residents participate in a one-month advocacy rotation, which introduces residents to community agencies and services that serve impoverished children and their families throughout Tampa Bay. Examples of resident experiences during their advocacy rotation include pediatric hospice, child protection team, foster family home visits, crisis center, poison control center, lactation support program, migrant care, etc. Residents can opt for a more intensive elective later in their training (e.g. child abuse/neglect with the Child Protection Team, rural health) or by conducting an advocacy project.
Volunteer Opportunities
- A variety of community volunteer opportunities occur throughout the year.
- Day of Giving— a half day devoted to serving community agencies throughout Tampa Bay.
- Community Talks (coaches, parents, schools, Great America Teach-in)
- High School Sports Team Coverage
- Participation in the County Medical Society Board
- Participation in the Annual YMCA's Healthy Kids Day
- Holiday Toy Drive
- Attendance at camps for children with chronic diseases such as Diabetes Camp and Camp Boggy Creek
Legislative Advocacy & the AAP
Legislative Activities
Residents have the opportunity to participate in legislative activities by attending Children's Week in Tallahassee, FL and the AAP Legislative Conferences in Washington, DC. Florida has an extremely active Resident Section for which USF Residents have provided key leadership. Every year since 2018, USF Pediatrics has had a resident as Chair of the FL Resident Section of the AAP. Dr. Dabrow, our Program Director, has served as the group’s faculty advisor since its inception. Residents also attend and present at the annual FCAAP meeting in Orlando, FL and the annual NCE AAP meeting.
AAP Grant
Many of our residents have been awarded AAP CATCH grants. Past projects have involved providing health care and education to refugee families, peer support for obese children, and promoting resiliency in families.
Reach Out & Read
USF has an active Reach Out and Read Program which is the oldest in the state. This program emphasizes the importance of early literacy and supplies books to children during their well visits. It is active at both continuity clinic sites. We also work with undergraduate students at USF who volunteer to read in our waiting rooms and shadow residents in the clinic.