NYU Langone’s Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology offers a four-week elective for residents and medical students who have completed the core pediatrics clerkship. Trainees learn about typical presentations and diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases.

Trainees attend outpatient clinics and observe inpatient consultations to gain knowledge about food allergy, drug allergy, anaphylaxis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, angioedema, and primary immunodeficiency. They learn the value of a thorough history taking and careful physical examination to identify allergic triggers and stigmata. They receive hands-on training in diagnostic procedures specific to allergy and immunology: skin prick testing, serum measurement of allergen-specific antibodies, and ingestion challenges to foods and drugs.

Lower-risk ingestion challenges are performed at Fink Children’s Ambulatory Care Center, part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, while higher-risk ingestion procedures are performed in the post-procedure care unit at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital—34th Street. Trainees learn how to critically evaluate the results of laboratory allergy testing to minimize risk of inaccurate diagnosis. They also learn how to counsel patients and their caregivers about food allergy prevention, food and inhalant allergen avoidance, risks and benefits of allergen-specific immunotherapy and pharmacologic management, and natural history of allergic disorders.