Peds360 gives undergraduate students an immersive introduction to pediatric medicine through experiences across the clinical, educational, and professional environments at Texas Children’s. Participants will observe pediatric care, experience medicine through simulation, practice introductory procedural skills, explore pediatric careers, and connect with medical students, trainees, and faculty—all within a one-week program designed to inspire and prepare the next generation of physicians.
About the Program
Peds360: Pediatric Observation, Simulation, and Inspiration is a one-week immersive summer program designed for undergraduate students interested in exploring careers as pediatric physicians.
Hosted by Texas Children’s and ºÚÁÏÉçÇø, Peds360 provides students with a 360-degree view of pediatric medicine through clinical observation, high-fidelity medical simulation, hands-on procedural experiences, interactive didactic sessions, professional development, and mentorship. Students will have an opportunity to meet and speak with medical students, trainees, and pediatric physicians throughout the week.
Participants will explore the breadth of pediatric medicine while developing a better understanding of the path to medical school and the many ways physicians can build meaningful careers dedicated to improving the health of children and families.
Program Highlights
Peds360 participants will have opportunities to:
- Observe pediatric physicians and healthcare teams in inpatient and outpatient clinical settings
- Participate in pediatric medical simulations
- Practice introductory medical procedures using simulation equipment and task trainers
- Learn about common and high-impact pediatric conditions through interactive educational sessions
- Explore the wide range of careers and subspecialties available within pediatrics
- Receive guidance on preparing for and applying to medical school
- Connect with medical students, residents, fellows, and pediatric faculty
- Build relationships with peers who share an interest in medicine and child health
Peds360 Activities
Experience medicine in a safe, interactive environment through high-fidelity pediatric simulation.
Participants will work through simulated clinical scenarios designed to introduce them to how pediatric healthcare teams evaluate patients, recognize changes in a child's condition, communicate with patients and families, and work together to provide care.
Students will also participate in hands-on procedural workshops using simulation equipment and task trainers. Experiences may include introductory practice with:
- Suturing
- Lumbar puncture
- Incision and drainage
- Other commonly performed clinical procedures
These activities are designed to provide an introduction to clinical medicine and build curiosity about patient care rather than develop clinical competency.
See pediatric medicine firsthand through clinical observation experiences at Texas Children’s.
Participants will be exposed to a diverse array of pediatric specialties and healthcare environments through both inpatient and outpatient shadowing experiences.
Students will observe pediatric physicians and interprofessional healthcare teams as they care for children and families and will gain insight into physician responsibilities, clinical decision-making, teamwork, communication, and family-centered care.
Clinical experiences are designed to demonstrate the extraordinary breadth of pediatric medicine—from preventive and longitudinal care to the management of acute, chronic, and complex childhood conditions.
Learn how pediatricians think about the health and care of children through interactive sessions led by pediatric physicians and other experts.
The Peds360 didactic series introduces participants to selected pediatric clinical topics and provides an introductory look at how physicians recognize, evaluate, and manage conditions affecting children and adolescents.
The goal is not to develop clinical expertise. Instead, these sessions are designed to spark curiosity, introduce participants to clinical reasoning, and demonstrate the variety and complexity of medicine involved in caring for children.
Participants will also learn about the many ways to build a career in pediatrics, including general pediatrics, pediatric subspecialties, hospital-based medicine, research, education, advocacy, and leadership.
Peds360 provides participants with practical guidance to help them navigate the path toward medical school.
Professional-development activities may include:
- Understanding the pathway to medical school
- Preparing for the medical school application process
- Personal statement development and workshops
- Building meaningful clinical, service, and educational experiences
- Finding and working effectively with mentors
- Exploring opportunities in research
- Developing professional communication and networking skills
- Learning from the experiences of current medical students and physicians
These sessions are intended to help students better understand the pathway into medicine and identify actionable next steps for their own educational and professional development.
Meet the people behind pediatric medicine.
Throughout Peds360, participants will have multiple opportunities to interact with medical students, residents, fellows, and pediatric faculty members at different stages of their careers.
Through formal and informal conversations, participants will learn about the path to medical school, medical education and residency training, pediatric career opportunities, and the many different ways physicians can build careers centered on improving the lives of children and families.
Experience Pediatrics from Every Angle
Peds360 brings these experiences together to provide participants with a comprehensive introduction to pediatric medicine:
Observe it. Simulate it. Practice it. Learn about it. Connect with the people who do it.
By the end of the week, participants should leave with a greater understanding of what it means to pursue a career in medicine, broader exposure to the possibilities within pediatrics, new mentors and professional connections, and a clearer sense of the next steps in their own journey.
Admissions
Applicants must:
- Be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at a college or university located in Texas or maintain a permanent residence in Texas
- Be a current college freshman, sophomore, or junior at the time of the program
- Be available to participate in the full one-week Peds360 program in Houston
- Have an interest in exploring a career as a physician
Prior physician shadowing, research, clinical experience, or experience working with children is not required.
Profile of a Successful Peds360 Applicant
Peds360 seeks undergraduate students who demonstrate a genuine interest in exploring a career in medicine and curiosity about the care of children and families.
Successful applicants demonstrate intellectual curiosity, motivation, maturity, and a willingness to actively engage in new experiences. We value applicants who can thoughtfully describe why they are interested in medicine, what they hope to learn through Peds360, and how participation in the program may contribute to their educational and professional development.
We recognize that students have different levels of access to physicians, mentorship, clinical experiences, research, and other opportunities to explore careers in medicine. Previous clinical experience, physician shadowing, research experience, or personal connections to medicine are not required to be a successful applicant.
Application Coming Soon
Applicants must complete the Peds360 online application by the published application deadline.
Students selected for Peds360 will be required to submit an official college transcript within 14 days of accepting their offer.
Additional onboarding documentation (including proof of up-to-date immunizations) is required before participating in clinical observation or other program activities.
Applications will be reviewed holistically, considering each applicant's experiences, interests, personal journey, educational opportunities, and potential to benefit from the Peds360 experience.
The Peds360 application will include:
- Applicant contact, demographic, and academic information
- Short-answer and essay responses describing the applicant's interest in medicine and pediatrics
- An optional opportunity to provide additional context regarding personal, educational, financial, family, or other circumstances that have influenced the applicant's educational journey and access to opportunities
- An unofficial college transcript
Peds360 does not expect applicants to have already decided to pursue pediatrics as a career. The program helps students explore whether medicine, and pediatrics in particular, aligns with their interests and goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peds360 is designed for undergraduate students from Texas interested in exploring careers in medicine and learning more about pediatrics. Participants do not need to have already decided to pursue pediatrics.
Applicants must currently attend a college or university in Texas or maintain a permanent residence in Texas. Additional eligibility requirements will be provided with the application.
No. Previous clinical experience, physician shadowing, research, or experience working with children is not required.
Students with a wide range of previous exposure to medicine are encouraged to apply.
No. Students from a variety of academic majors are encouraged to apply if they are interested in exploring a career in medicine.
Peds360 is a one-week, in-person program held in Houston, Texas. Participants are expected to attend all required program activities for the duration of the program.
No. Peds360 does not provide housing. Participants must reside in or arrange their own accommodations in the Houston area for the duration of the program.
No. Peds360 participants do not receive a stipend for participation.
Peds360 will provide participants with financial support for transportation associated with attending required program activities. Additional information regarding transportation support will be provided to accepted participants.
Yes. Lunch will be provided each day during the program.
Applicants do not have to permanently reside in Houston; however, accepted participants must arrange to reside in the Houston area for the duration of the one-week program. Peds360 does not provide housing.
Applicants must maintain a permanent residence in Texas or currently attend a college or university in Texas.
No. Participation in Peds360 does not guarantee admission to ºÚÁÏÉçÇø or any other medical school and should not be interpreted as providing preferential consideration in a future admissions process.
Peds360 includes clinical observation experiences in pediatric healthcare settings. The nature of individual experiences may vary depending on the clinical setting, institutional requirements, patient needs, and physician availability.
Participants will function as observers and will not independently provide patient care.
Peds360 is an educational career-exploration program and does not provide certification or clinical credentials. Simulation, procedural practice, and didactic sessions are intended to introduce students to pediatric medicine and the ways physicians approach patient care.
Yes. Because Peds360 is only one week long and activities build upon one another throughout the week, accepted students are expected to participate in the full program.
Yes. Students who are not selected are welcome to apply in a future application cycle as long as they continue to meet the program's eligibility requirements.
Peds360 anticipates receiving applications from many qualified students and has a limited number of available positions. A decision not to offer a position in one application cycle should not discourage an interested student from continuing to explore medicine, gaining additional experiences, and applying again in a future year.
Information for Accepted Applicants
Congratulations! Accepted applicants will receive instructions regarding how to accept their offer and complete required onboarding activities.
Accepted students will be required to submit an official college transcript within 14 days of accepting their offer.
Participants may also be asked to complete additional institutional requirements before participating in clinical observation and other program activities. Detailed instructions and deadlines will be provided following acceptance.
Accepted participants will receive additional information regarding orientation, daily schedules, locations, dress expectations, transportation, and other program logistics before the start of Peds360.
Participants will have exposure to a variety of pediatric clinical environments. Specific shadowing assignments will depend on physician availability, clinical schedules, institutional requirements, and program capacity.
Although individual placements cannot be guaranteed, Peds360 is designed to expose participants collectively to the breadth of careers available within pediatrics.
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