Training pediatricians to be effective child advocates in the community is a critical part of your residency training at UC Davis. Our child advocacy program is based on principles underlying the American Academy of Pediatrics Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) program and is among the most innovative and comprehensive in the country. Our program is one of only 10 pediatric training programs in the United States funded by the Dyson Initiative, whose goal is the development of pediatric professionals with greater skills and interest in community-based medicine, advocacy, and the capacity to improve the health of children in their communities. At UC Davis, we believe that pediatricians have a special role - indeed, an obligation - to serve as advocates for children in the communities we serve. We believe that both being an excellent clinician able to care for sick and well children and an effective advocate for children are equal parts of being an excellent pediatrician. Our goal is to provide residents with the skills they need to be effective advocates for children and leaders in the community in which they practice.

Our child advocacy training program is fully integrated into our residency program. By that we mean that it is not an "add-on" or elective experience, but rather you are given time and credit for these activities, just as any other rotation. The UC Davis Child Advocacy Training Program consists of six components:

• CPT
• School Health Program
• Child Protection Service
• HOPE clinic
• Elective experiences