About Physician Training

The J.E and Z.B Butler Child Advocacy Center offers on-site child advocacy training for pediatric, family practice and other medical residents and fellows, as well as fourth year medical students.

What Every Physician Needs to Know About Child Abuse
Medical Training Overview

What Every Physician Needs to Know About Child Abuse

Every year in the United States more than 3 million children are reported neglected, battered or sexually abused. But actual incidence of child abuse is three times as high, say many pediatric experts.

As a pediatrician or internist, it's certain you'll treat children victimized by violence. But will you recognize their symptoms as abuse?

Will you be able to identify child abuse's subtle, ambiguous presentations and plausible explanations?

And will you feel confident managing abuse's wide spectrum of medical, ethical, psychosocial, familial and legal complexities?

Medical Training Overview

At Butler Center you'll find the comprehensive training you need to treat child victims of neglect and sexual and physical abuse.

Supported by the world-class medical and research resources of Montefiore Medical Center, Butler Center has trained more than 1,000 residents in pediatric forensic medicine.

Our comprehensive program includes:

• Direct supervision from the nation's foremost expert in medical child advocacy. Our Medical Director, Linda Cahill, MD, developed and personally oversees a rigorous, hands-on program that prepares physicians to confidently manage all cases of child abuse.
• Medical training that teaches you to expertly evaluate and treat injury and sexually abused pediatric patients—and to understand your role as an advocate for abused children
• Psychosocial training that lets you obtain a thorough history, understand behavioral symptoms of abuse, identify risk factors and inform yourself on child abuse reporting laws
• Work with a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, psychoanalysts, child services, law enforcement and other professionals

Like to learn more about medical training at Butler Center?  Explore our medical training curriculum.

Interested in applying to our program? Get application information for Butler Center's four-week residency training.

Want to meet our Medical Director? Learn about Linda Cahill, MD