Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship Program

Interested Applicants Welcome Letter (pdf)

Interested Applicants - Downloadable Application (pdf)

The Section of Developmental and Behavior Pediatrics (DBP) within the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago is currently in its seventh year as an ACGME-accredited Fellowship in DBP.  All faculty members are diplomats in DBP, and Drs. Msall (the Chief) and Smith are also diplomats in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDD).
Clinically, the Section of DBP provides interdisciplinary, comprehensive care for children with cognitive, communicative, motor and learning disorders.  The section offers comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessments including visual and auditory assessments in pre-verbal children, communication, cognitive, educational, family,gross motor, fine motor, and oral motor assessments,.  Along with work in the Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago clinics, the section works at several collaborating institutions:

1. The Erikson Institute
2. Illinois Masonic Pediatric Development Center
3. Northshore University HealthSystem

Fellows become members of the interdisciplinary teams at all of these sites, with the Comer Children’s Hospital site serving as the core Fellows’ Continuity Clinic location.  All fellows have call responsibilities (coverage of the virtual DBP 24/7 beeper), but this is at-home call (no in-house overnight call) and each fellow has an increasing amount of protected time to pursue their scholarly activities over the course of the three-year fellowship.  Each fellow’s schedule is customized to their learning objectives.  However, first –year fellows spend most of their clinical time in core DBP rotations, such as rotating in clinics with DBP faculty members and working as members of Early Intervention Medical Diagnostic Teams.  Core DBP clinical activities continue throughout fellowship, but an increasing amount of time is available in the second and third year to spend in experiences with interrelated disciplines such as child and adolescent psychiatrypediatric neurology, genetics, sleep medicine, and NICU follow-up.Dedicated research time increases in the second and third year. 

Scholarship is expected of all fellows, and there is a strong supporting program to assist each fellow to reach their scholarship goals.  There is a standing Scholarship Oversight committee, comprised of Michael Msall, M.D., the Section Chief, Kenneth Alexander, M.D., Ph.D., an accomplished clinical researcher, and Kruti Acharya, M.D., a successful scholar in the areas of medical ethics and and DBP. 

The Program Director, Dr. Karin Vander Ploeg Booth, is passionage about educating fellows, residents, and general pediatricians in various aspects of DBP, through her role as clinical preceptor, Fellowship Program Director, and Project ECHO Content Expert. She is a dedicated advocate for children with developmental and behavioral challenges and their families.  

For general questions and application materials please contact:

Katie Kotwasinski
Fellowship Coordinator
Pediatric Medical Education Office
773.702.0432
kkotwasinski@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu

Karin Vander Ploeg Booth, M.D.
Fellowship Program Director
The University of Chicago - Department of Pediatrics
Woodlawn Social Services Center                                                                                   950 East 61st Street - SSC
Chicago, Illinois 60637
773.702.3095
kvanderp@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu