Over 1,400 children and adolescents are referred each year to UC Davis Children's Hospital for possible abuse and neglect. Residents spend two-weeks working with the Child Protection Service as members of the child abuse evaluation team. Residents learn the principles of distinguishing between accidental and non-accidental injuries, to perform evidentiary exams, and often have the opportunity to testify in court.

Members of the faculty who are internationally respected experts in child sexual abuse provide supervision for all resident activities. The curriculum includes visits to local law enforcement agencies and participation in multidisciplinary conferences, as well as colposcopic photo review sessions. The goal of this rotation is to sharpen the resident's appreciation of the enormity of the child abuse problem and the special tragedy that it represents.