Resident Membership

Advocacy

As a pediatric resident, your voice matters—now and throughout your career. The AAP is here to help you turn your passion for child health into meaningful action, equipping you with the tools, knowledge, and community to advocate with confidence.​

For decades, the AAP has led advocacy efforts to support the health and well-being of children and families and the profession of pediatrics. The Academy’s advocacy is driven by its evidence-based policy, engaging at all levels of government to ensure children’s needs are heard and prioritized by policymakers. Pediatricians are uniquely suited to be effective advocates and can play a vital role in amplifying and advancing policies that make a difference for children and families in their communities and across the country.   ​

Whether you’re interested in shaping national legislation, engaging at the state level, or learning how advocacy fits into your daily clinical work, there are opportunities for you to get involved in ways that fit your goals and schedule.​

Here are several ways to learn more about AAP advocacy and how you can get involved:  ​

• Check out the Academy’s Advocacy webpage and visit the Advocacy Snapshot page for a quick rundown of how the AAP is advocating and ways to add your voice.  ​
• Look out for AAP advocacy emails – including the weekly Capital Check-Up and timely action alerts – for the latest child health policy news and opportunities. If you are not already receiving these, you can sign up here.  ​
• Visit the Academy’s Advocacy Action Center to contact your members of Congress on issues impacting children, families and pediatricians.  ​
• Take advantage of the AAP Advocacy Guide, which includes resources, tools and information on growing your skills as an advocate!  ​
• Learn more about the AAP Advocacy Internship Program for medical students, pediatric residents, and fellowship trainees. ​
• Connect with your AAP state chapter to learn more about how to get involved in advocacy efforts at the state level.  

Education & Board Preparation

High-quality education is a corner-stone of the mission of the AAP. If you haven’t already, bookmark PediaLink®, your home for all AAP education. ​

Learn and prepare with confidence through PediaLink's broad range of resources essential for every pediatric trainee:                                                       ​

• Access and complete PREP questions to excel in in-training exams and board exams​
  • PREP™ Blocks are a self-assessment tool that is great for everyday practice and an essential resource  when it comes time to take your Board exam. PREP Blocks, a new user-friendly interface with a mobile app, allows you to build a question bank by selecting blocks from content areas that match your goals. Each block delivers 20 case-based questions in a focused content area. 
• Complete your Individualized Learning Plan (ILP)​
  • Set goals, reflect on your progress, create achievable objectives aligned with your training milestones, track your learning over time, and get feedback from your Program Director or advisor. ​
• Access Professional Development resources to enhance core skills​
  
  
• Tap into Quality Improvement (QI) tools ​
  • EQIPP (Education in Quality Improvement for Pediatric Practice) courses are designed to teach and guide participants through quality improvement (QI) projects. Each EQIPP course focuses on a specific area of pediatric care and provides a structured, step-by-step approach to applying QI principles in real-world clinical settings.​
• Document scholarly activities to bolster your credentials​

Watch an overview of PediaLink here!

Financial Guidance

The AAP partners with trusted organizations to provide resources and guidance that help you make informed financial decisions—so you can focus on your training while planning for a strong financial future. Whether you're managing student loans, exploring refinancing, or preparing for your first contract, you’ll find support tailored to your needs.​

• Key Bank offers AAP members a complimentary 30-minute consultation with financial specialists who understand the unique challenges of healthcare professionals.​
• SoFi provides a convenient, on-demand webinar covering student loan options to help you choose what works best for your situation.​
• Resolve supports your transition out of training with tools for contract negotiation and salary insights, along with educational resources to help you explore career options in pediatrics and make informed decisions about your path.

Local Connection (Chapters)

Engage Through Your AAP Chapter​

Chapters bring the AAP’s mission to life in communities across the country—connecting pediatricians through regional networks that make a meaningful impact close to home. Working at the grassroots level, chapters advocate for children, support pediatricians, and drive change where it matters most. Most chapters align with state boundaries, with additional chapters representing pediatricians in the uniformed services and in larger states like California and New York. Whether you’re looking to get involved locally, build leadership skills, or make a difference through advocacy, chapters offer opportunities to engage in ways that fit your interests and career goals. 

Mentorship & Networking

Looking for a formal mentor relationship?​
Mentorship is one of the most important tools for professional development and has been linked to greater productivity, career advancement, and professional satisfaction. The AAP Mentorship Program offers 1:1 mentoring relationships and group mentoring options. Join as a mentee or mentor today. ​​

Looking to build informal connections?​ 
Access the exclusive AAP Member Directory to connect with more than 67,000 pediatric colleagues from multiple disciplines from across the country and around the world. ​

Interested in live networking activities? ​ 
Attending live meetings like the AAP National Conference provides an unmatched networking opportunity that can be energizing and help combat burnout.​

• Connection at AAP National Conference: This meeting is an amazing opportunity to grow your network, fuel your passion for pediatrics, and learn about  the latest developments. Residents can attend for a significant member discount on the registration fee! Just a few highlights include:​
  • SOPT H-Program: Come together with hundreds of other trainees to hear from the AAP President-elect, see the unveiling of the coming year’s Advocacy Campaign, participate in writing opportunities, meet award winners, and more. ​
  • SOPT & SOECP Reception: SOPT members are invited to attend this reception and network with early-career pediatricians and leaders from other AAP groups!

Opportunities for Leadership, Career Development & Funding

Looking for a way to stay inspired in your commitment to child health? Take an active role in shaping your future by engaging with AAP Member Opportunities. More than just a resource, this dynamic hub connects you to meaningful experiences designed specifically for pediatric residents and early-career physicians. From scholarships and grants to webinars and ECHO recruitment, you’ll find a variety of activities that change throughout the year. ​

Whether you’re looking to explore new interests, strengthen your CV, or begin your leadership path, you’ll find flexible ways to get involved—each designed to support your growth and help you contribute to the health and well-being of children everywhere.​

As part of the Section on Pediatric Trainees (SOPT), you’ll find specific opportunities for trainees to enhance leadership skills, participate in academic work, further career development, and so much more.         ​

On the home page of the SOPT Collaborate site, there is an announcements section where you can find:​

• Leadership Opportunities – District representatives, liaisons to AAP and external groups, abstract review, and more​
• Connection Opportunities – SOPT has over 300 members working across several workgroups and hosts around 40 webinars and workshops annually, making it easy for residents to connect with other trainees.​
• Grants and Scholarships – SOPT offers grants and scholarships to AAP conferences for Pediatric Interest Groups, advocacy work, leader recognition, and more!​
• SOPT Clinical Case Program – A unique opportunity for you to share compelling clinical experiences through the AAP’s online abstract submission process. The top 50-60 authors are invited to present their poster during the Poster Display at the AAP National Conference. 

Pediatric News, Policy & Updates

As a member of the AAP, you are part of an inner-circle whose mission is for you to have the latest and most trusted news and resources to take the best care of the entire pediatric population. To achieve that, there are several resources to be aware of:​

Delivered directly to your email:​

• The AAP Daily Briefing, produced with Bulletin Healthcare, offers AAP members a diverse and in-depth review of pediatric health care news, delivered first thing each weekday morning. This news briefing is packed with the latest in practice management and pediatric news, technology and health policy updates, and more! ​
• Also delivered directly to your email, AAP News OnCall comes out 3 times a week and brings together a summary of new policy, the latest news, new products, upcoming education, and so much more! ​
• Watch out for AAP advocacy emails – including the weekly Capital Check-Up and timely action alerts – for the latest child health policy news and opportunities. If you are not already receiving these, you can sign up here. ​

Available through your Digital Library:​

• Red Book Online® is a robust resource which supports quick, practical decision-making at the point of care—helping with diagnosis, prevention, and management across pediatric infectious diseases. Residents can use Red Book Online to stay current with outbreak guidance, reinforce pattern recognition and teaching with a large visual library, practice clinical reasoning through case-based, and reference key tables and interactive algorithms that simplify complex evaluation and treatment workflows.  ​
• Pediatrics® is an official peer-reviewed journal of the AAP. Pediatrics publishes original research, clinical observations, and special feature articles in the field of pediatrics, as broadly defined. Contributions pertinent to pediatrics are also included, from related fields such as nutrition, surgery, dentistry, public health, child health services, human genetics, basic sciences, psychology, psychiatry, education, sociology, and nursing. ​
• AAP News™ is your official newsmagazine, offering insightful news and analysis from today’s leaders shaping pediatric medicine, AAP policy implementation, coding updates, health trends, infectious disease snapshots, and more. This is also mailed monthly.​

Other resources available on aap.org: ​

• Pediatrics On Call is the AAP podcast by pediatricians for pediatricians that will make your commute fly by! Episodes feature a variety of topics from vaccine hesitancy, injury prevention, trending issues, and so much more. If you prefer to learn by listening, this podcast is for you! ​
• Campaigns & Toolkits: Help communicate the importance of child health using the wealth of tools and resources provided by the AAP. From videos and graphics for social media to policy and research, and parent information, you’ll find a wide variety of tools to help share messages. 

Pediatric Subspecialties and Other Interests

The AAP may seem large at first, but its sections and councils make it easy to find your place! These groups are organized around subspecialties and special areas of interest, offering flexible ways to get involved—whether you prefer to stay informed through newsletters or take on a more active role. They’re a valuable way to build connections and grow your career during training. ​

• Sections – Communities of members who share your subspecialty, career stage, and or special interests. ​
• Councils – Communities of members who represent the combination of a section and committee working in the same field.​

Whether you’re considering a future in neonatology, endocrinology, or adolescent health or just want to connect with others passionate about early education or global health, there’s a section or council where you belong! These groups provide a place where big ideas take shape—members help develop AAP policies, clinical guidance, education, and programs that improve care for children.​

Check out the full list of sections and councils here!​​

Residents are automatically added to the Section on Pediatric Trainees (SOPT) which offers a supportive community where you can build leadership skills, connect with peers, and explore meaningful opportunities—from webinars and workgroups to publications, grants, and scholarships. Whether you’re looking to stay informed, share your voice, or step into leadership roles, there are flexible ways to engage that fit your goals and schedule. ​​

• Check out the AAP SOPT website for a broad overview of initiatives, benefits, and more. ​
• Ready to get into the details? Visit the SOPT Collaborate website to access SOPT resources, webinar registrations and recordings, publications, workgroup sign- ups,  contact information for SOPT leaders, leadership opportunities, grant and scholarship opportunities, and more!​​

Many members may also find value in the Section on International Medical Graduates (SOIMG).  For trainees who wish to connect with others on the similar journey, you can join for $0 and start connecting today. 

Already know that you might be Considering Fellowship Training? We have great resources that can help you as you make the decision.​​