Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) Fellowship Program
DBP Overview
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics is a pediatric subspecialty dealing with the identification, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of development and behavior in children, adolescents, and young adults. These disorders generally imply long-term, often lifelong, diseases and disabilities. Conditions commonly encountered in this specialty include, but are not limited to:
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Intellectual disability
• Specific learning disabilities
• Cerebral palsy
• Acquired brain injury
• Myelomeningocele
• Muscular dystrophy
• Down syndrome and other genetic disorders
• Emotional and behavioral problems
• Medical complexity
Our DBP Fellowship Program at UVA
The Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Virginia (UVA) is proud of our commitment to excellence in patient care, trainee education, research, and community outreach. Our three-year Fellowship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Successful completion of the fellowship qualifies the trainee for the Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics examination, which is required for certification by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP).
The UVA DBP fellowship also incorporates a Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) certificate upon graduation. The LEND program is a prestigious, federally-funded training experience that is integrated during one of the three years of the DBP fellowship. DBP Graduates state that the LEND network supports them throughout their careers in research collaboration, job opportunities, and community collegiality, focused on individuals with developmental disabilities
- Developmental pediatrics content outline as per the ABP
- Foundations of developmental-behavioral pediatrics
- Biological mechanisms of development and behavior
- Family and societal factors
- Elements of assessment and management
- Adaptation to general health problems and their treatment
- Development-behavioral aspects of chronic conditions
- Cognitive/adaptive disabilities
- Specific learning disorders
- Motor disabilities
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Externalizing and internalizing behaviors and conditions
- Substance use disorder
- Child abuse and neglect
- Somatic symptoms and related disorders
- Sleep problems and sleep-wake disorders
- Feeding and eating problems
- Elimination disorders
- Sexuality
- Law, policy, and ethics
- Core knowledge in scholarly activities, including research and teaching
- Competency-based medical education as per the ACGME:
- Patient care
- Medical knowledge
- Practice-based learning and improvement
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Professionalism
- Systems-based practice
About the UVA Division of Neuro-Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
UVA Children’s Hospital recognizes and supports the important role of child and adolescent development as it relates to general pediatrics. The DBP Fellowship experience is primarily within the division of Neuro-developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics with rotations in child psychiatry, genetics, and neurology as part of the larger health care system. The Child Development and Rehabilitation Center (CDRC) in the outpatient clinical unit of the UVA Children’s Hospital and includes the Division of Neuro-Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (NDBP) well as Orthopedics, Urology, and physical/occupational/speech-language therapy. The CDRC delivers outpatient evaluation and therapeutic services, as well as inpatient consultation services throughout the Children’s Hospital. A primary goal of the NDBP Division is to provide interdisciplinary evaluation and management to patients and families and to communicate the impact of developmental disabilities to the medical and lay communities.
- Maintaining outstanding quality clinical services to patients and their families
- Supporting specialized inter-disciplinary clinics such as for children with cerebral palsy, myelomeningocele, muscular dystrophy, and acquired brain injury as well as neonatal high-risk infants
- Providing consultation for pediatric inpatient units of the UVA Health System and for medical practitioners throughout Virginia
- Teaching normal and aberrant development to medical students, pediatric house-staff, and fellows
- Promoting recognition of the importance of developmental and behavioral pediatrics through publications, presentations at scientific meetings, and participation in community activities and ongoing education programs
- Promoting and conducting clinical research and quality improvement projects to improve care of children with disabilities
UVA Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
Our mission is to cultivate an environment where individuals of diverse race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, and physical ability may succeed professionally and personally.
- Promote recruitment and retention of faculty, residents, and fellows diverse in gender, ethnicity, and experiences
- Facilitate access to mentoring networks and professional development programs for under-represented groups
- Ensure diverse speakers and speakers who present on diversity
- Have a diversity committee member at each resident interview day
- The Equity and Inclusion Committee (EIC)
Thank you for your interest in the UVA Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Program! At UVA we foster a supportive clinical learning environment in which faculty and trainees collaborate at a peer level in patient care and academic pursuits. We emphasize direct 1:1 mentorship for education and career development, while focusing on wellness and quality-of-life. In addition to world class learning in a high volume academic medical center, unique educational offerings include LEND training, field clinics in rural Southwest Virginia, global health opportunities, and exposure to telehealth. We appreciate your interest and hope you will consider applying for a position in the upcoming application cycle.
For more information, please visit the remainder of our website or contact Corissa Vanden Hoek fbc6gr@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu