Education and Training

Medical training in the area of child abuse and neglect is provided through one to four week clinical rotations for Duke medical students, residents and fellows in Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry.

The rotation offers a variety of learning opportunities, including but not limited to: participation in inpatient/ER consults, precepted outpatient child abuse/neglect evaluations, multidisciplinary clinical case reviews, community child abuse multi-agency review team meetings, and observation of child abuse/neglect in both district and superior court.   

Training is also available for other Duke professional disciplines including SANE nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical social workers, and psychologists. CANMEC staff provide training for local community agencies such as Child Protective Services, Law Enforcement, and the Guardian ad Litem program.

In addition, CANMEC staff frequently provide statewide, regional, and national training on issues related to medical evaluation of child abuse/neglect.

Medical Student Elective

Duke medical students can select a one or two week elective with the Child Abuse and Neglect Service, where they will participate in outpatient evaluations at the Duke Child Abuse/Neglect Medical Evaluation Clinic. Medical students will observe caretaker and child interviews, participate in physical examinations, and interact with community agency members such as child protective services and law enforcement. They will meet one-on-one with child abuse physicians for review of child abuse literature and research, and have the opportunity to accompany child abuse physicians during inpatient consults and observation of expert witness testimony in district and superior court. Medical students will participate in weekly multidisciplinary case review conferences and bi-weekly community child abuse multi-agency review team meetings.

Residency Elective

Child Abuse and Neglect Rotation
General Pediatric Residency, Family Medicine Residency, Emergency Medicine Residency

DUMC Pediatric, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry Residents and Fellows can select a one week to four week elective with the Child Abuse and Neglect Service.

Fellowship Training Program

The goal of the Pediatric Child Abuse and Neglect Training Program is the consummate preparation of physicians as Child Abuse and Neglect Specialists. The Fellowship Training Program meets this goal by building on the established tradition of excellence while developing new ideas in the following areas: mentorship/professional development, fellowship balance, education, patient care, and research.

Child Abuse Pediatrics is currently recognized by the American Board of Pediatrics as an official subspecialty of pediatrics. Physicians who successfully complete a three year ACGME fellowship in Child Abuse are eligible to take the Child Abuse Boards. The Duke Department of Pediatrics has an ACGME-accredited fellowship in Child Abuse Pediatrics as of October 2013. 

The Child Abuse and Neglect fellowship includes direct clinical training in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The fellow works with the Inpatient/ER Child Abuse and Neglect Consult Service performing inpatient consults when there are concerns of abuse/neglect for children admitted to Duke University Hospital or seen in the Emergency Room. Training and supervision for the fellow during inpatient child abuse/neglect consult work is with one of the two Child Abuse and Neglect attending physicians, both of whom are board certified in Child Abuse Pediatrics. The fellow also rotates in the on-call schedule for the Inpatient/ER Child Abuse and Neglect Consult Service.