TRENDS

A description has been given of the Child Health Center of the University of Washington, its staff and their functions, as well as the teaching program being conducted for medical students. The student working in such a Center is better able to integrate some of the basic principles of pediatrics, public health and psychiatry, thus making these areas more acceptable and interesting. The teamwork displayed by the staff who represent a variety of professional approaches is often remarked on by students. They seem to realize at last the functions of a public health nurse, a social worker, nutritionist, and others as represented by the Child Health Center staff and to recognize that they as physicians can benefit in terms of better understanding of their own patients from similar relationships with people from other fields. Perhaps even more significant, they begin to realize the other important phases which should be considered in following the growth and development of each child other than the physical. It has been indicated that for the medical student to derive maximum benefit from a Child Health Conference experience, his time must be allotted carefully to various phases of the program in operation. Then each student's time must be planned so that certain pertinent information is obtained on experience furnished. To cover the many aspects desired we are fortunate to have an organization such as the Child Health Center in which staff members from several different special fields cooperate in teaching the growth and development of a total child. It is suggested, however, that even with a less elaborate child health conference plan many of the same points can be made if sufficient time is given for the students and a smaller, but interested staff is provided.