University of Puerto Rico General Pediatrics Residency Research Program

Coordinator: Lourdes García MD FAAP
UPR School of Medicine
Department of Pediatrics
Neonatology section
Tel 787-777-3225
Fax 787-758-5307

e-mail lourdes.garcia1@upr.edu

The pediatrics research program is designed to train pediatric residents in the skills necessary to develop and carry-out a research project in a mentored environment. All residents are expected to complete a research project during residency. In recent years, our residents have made presentations at local and national scientific meetings and have published papers related to their research studies.

Overview

Year 1

The first year resident completes courses on human subject protections, regulatory and ethical issues as well as on the healthcare-related privacy and information security requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The resident prepares a research proposal addressing issues of relevance, feasibility, and ethics, under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The resident presents in oral form the project proposal to the Pediatrics Department faculty and residents.

Year 2

During this year, the resident carries out the study, under the supervision of a faculty mentor.

Year 3

The senior resident presents in oral form the results of the research project, makes a presentation in a research meeting, and prepares a manuscript for publication.

Residents participate in monthly research conferences and journal clubs developed to teach research study design and evidenced-based medicine. They also attend activities addressing the following topics:

• Overview: Research in the medical community
• How to read the medical literature

• Criteria for selecting a research question
• Steps to design a research proposal
• Epidemiological studies and designs
• Ethical and legal issues regarding research with human subjects
• Institutional Review Board
• Basics of biostatistics in research
• Delivering research results: poster and oral presentation skills
• How to get an article published

Research Proposals Review Committee

The Research Proposals Review Committee supports residents in the development of their research proposals. The Committee reviews the preliminary proposals and gives advice on the problem description, research question, literature review, specific aims, research plan, human subjects’ protection, and timeline for carrying out the study.

Members:

• Idith Ortiz MD MPH- President –ortiz@upr.edu
• Lourdes García MD –garcia1@upr.edu
• Nerian Ortiz MD –nerian.ortiz@upr.edu
• Enrique Carrión MD –enrique.carrion@upr.edu
• Marta Suárez MD MPH –marta.suarez@upr.edu
• Clemente Diaz MD –clemente.diaz@upr.edu
• Anabel Puig-Ramos PhD –anabel.puig@upr.edu

Residents feature research

• Hyponatremia after traumatic brain injury in pediatric population
• Effect of arrival time since referral to PICU on patient’s clinical outcome.
• Impact of primary care physician contact prior to Emergency Department visit on pediatric patient outcome
• First year residents’ perception of preparedness for internship year- a descriptive analysis
• Prevalence of functional constipation in children and adolescents based on Rome III Criteria
• Prevalence of catheter associated infections in children undergoing peritoneal dialysis in Puerto Rico
• Response to therapy in obese children with hypothyroidism
• Parents education and knowledge in the management of asthma in Puerto Rico
• Identification of cardiometabolic risk factors in childhood cancer survivor patients among Puerto Rican population
• Meaning of sex for the health professionals: Misclassification bias
• Risk factors for ITP recurrence
• Prevalence of bullying in children with chronic diseases

Residents’ Research Publications and Presentations

• Mayela Diaz MD and Brenda Mirabal MD. Traumatic Injuries in Children 0-19 Years Admitted to the PR Trauma Center from 2000-2011. Oral presentation at the 2015 XVI Latinoamerican Pediatric Infectology Congress (SLIPE) and the LXII Puerto Rico Pediatrics Society Annual meeting. San Juan, PR. 2^nd
• Wilfredo De Jesus Rojas, MD, Maristely Rodriguez, MD, Javier Mendez, MD, Beverly Di Giorgi, MD, Cristina Ramos, MD and Sylvette Nazario, MD. Food Skin Sensitivity Among A Sample Of Puerto Rican Children. Poster presentation at the 2015 European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Allergy School. Taormina, Italy. Poster presentation at the 2015 Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting. San Diego, California.
• Rosa L. Haddock-de-Jesús, MD; Anabel M. Puig, PhD, FCCP; Gilberto Puig, MD, FAAP; Ana R. Hernández-Javier; Christopher L. Ayala-Griffin; Rosa L. Haddock-de-Jesús, MD; Anabel M. Puig, PhD, FCCP; Gilberto Puig, MD, FAAP; Ana R. Hernández-Javier; Christopher L. Ayala-Griffin. Effect of arrival time since referral to PICU on patient’s clinical outcome. Poster presentation at the Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference . April 2015 in North Carolina. 1^st
• Marie Bernadine Hidalgo MD, María Dávila MD. The clinical and predictive factors for relapse after an initial event of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in children. Bol Asoc Med P R. 2013;105(4):33-36.
• Marie Bernadine Hidalgo MD, Gloria Colón MD, Eduardo Colón MD, Juan Bibiloni MD. Synchronous multicentric osteosarcoma in Puerto Rico: A pediatric case report. Bol Asoc Med P R. 2013;105(4):41-44.
• Sánchez L, García-Fragoso L. Determinant factors for acceptance of seasonal influenza vaccination among healthcare workers after the 009 Influenza A – (H1N1) pandemia in a hospital at the Metropolitan area of Puerto Rico. Bol Asoc Med PR. 2013;105(4):20-24.
• Pichardo C, Negrón J, Vicente W, Fernández M, García-Fragoso L. Factors associated to parents’ willingness to accept the influenza vaccine for their children. Bol Asoc Med PR. 2013;105(4):25-28.
• García-Fragoso L, Jiménez D, Ortiz N, Quintero M. Fathers’ attitude and knowledge about breatsfeeding. Bol Asoc Med PR. 2013;105(4):37-40
• K Bouet, N Claudio, V Ramirez, L Garcia-Fragoso. Loss of parental role as a cause of stress in the neonatal intensive care unit. Bol Asoc Med PR 2012:104(1):8-11.
• A Garcia-Puebla, L Garcia-Fragoso. Acute rotavirus gastroenteritis in children younger than 5 years of age after initiation of rotavirus immunization schedule. Bol Asoc Med PR 2012:104(1):4-7.
• L Garcia-Fragoso, M Medina, N Ortiz. Factors associated to continuing breastfeeding after returning to work in a group of mothers in Puerto Rico. Bol Asoc Med PR 2012:104(1):12-15.
• Gutierrez J, Gutierrez J, Negrón J, García-Fragoso L. Parental Practices for Prevention of Home Poisoning in Children 1-6 Years of Age. J Community Health. 2011 Oct;36(5):845-8.