When the Pediatric Residency program began in 1997, there were only 7 trained pediatricians in Laos. Since then, 57 pediatricians have completed the three-year residency program, with 6 new residents selected every year. We continue to work toward the ultimate goal of having at least one trained pediatrician in every province, while also graduating outstanding teachers who can continue to train more doctors in Vientiane.

The residents complete a rigorous three-year training program based on the Western model, rotating through the inpatient pediatric wards, the PICU, NICU, nursery, emergency room, laboratory and outpatient clinic. Rotations are done at Mahosot and Setthathirat Hospitals. Lao Pediatric Teachers and Health Frontiers volunteers lead daily teaching rounds and provide care for patients from all over the country. Residents also rotate through a Well-Child Clinic once per month and participate in a Health Education Curriculum at Mother and Child Hospital.  Pediatric residents all complete several months of subspecialty training at Khon Kaen University in Thailand.

Regularly scheduled teaching activities include:

• Weekly Case Conferences presented by pediatric residents
• Radiology Conference
• Journal Club meetings
•  Topic Reviews presented by senior pediatric residents
• Didactic teaching sessions by Lao teachers and volunteers
• Grand Rounds presentations by experts from Khon Kaen University in Thailand

The Social Pediatric Curriculum was developed help the pediatric trainees develop skills and knowledge to address the health of children in the community.  All residents attend a one-month didactic course on public health and preventive medicine. Second year residents complete a community survey project together, in which they address an important public health issue in Laos. During the third year, each resident spends one month in a remote location, learning about implementation of public health initiatives and providing capacity-building to local staff through their pediatric expertise.

After graduating, all residents have gone on to become Pediatric Teachers in the residency program, or have returned to their home province where they are actively involved in patient care and administration of their local pediatric wards. This growing group of pediatricians has been internationally recognized by the International Pediatric Association, and more recently by the ASEAN Pediatric Federation.  In 2007, Dr. Kongkham Sisouk, one of the first graduates of the pediatric residency program, was the first Lao doctor to attend an International Pediatric Congress.

Health Frontiers has collaborated with Deseret International Charities to support Neonatal Resuscitation Training  for graduates and other physicians from around the country. Graduates from the provinces were given the skills and the equipment to do this training in their home province. As a result, a national Neonatal Network has formed, and trainings are ongoing throughout the country.