Curriculum
Our educational mission is to prepare our graduates to become leaders in their respective field of practice whether it is primary care, academic or subspecialty practice, or research. Although many of our graduates have historically gone on to practice primary care, an increasing number have pursued subspecialty training or academic fellowships during the past five years. Through our well-rounded training, we are able to provide you with an excellent foundation to prepare you for any career path. Even more importantly, as one of our graduates, you will be equipped with additional skills in advocacy, teaching and leadership that are essential for future practice.
Our curriculum is divided into three-month blocks, alternating between Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. During the first year, emphasis is on the care of inpatients, while providing exposure to the newborn nursery, ambulatory clinics and emergency room. After completing a 12-month internship, Med-Peds residents take on supervisory roles in inpatient and outpatient settings identical to the responsibilities assumed by residents in the categorical programs. During the remaining three years of training, our residents have a balanced educational experience between general and subspecialty Internal Medicine and Pediatrics in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Sample Med-Peds Schedule
| HO1 | HO2 | HO3 | HO4 |
| General Ward | Elective/Vacation | Elect | Cardiology |
| Elect/Vac | Geriatrics/Hospitalist | General Ward | Elect/Float |
| Subsp Ward | Elect | Vac/Float | Ambulatory |
| General Ward | Behavioral/Developmental | General Ward | General Ward |
| ER/Vac | ER/Float | ER/Float | Adolescent |
| NICU | PICU | Elect/Vac | PER |
| Subsp Ward | General Ward | Med ICU | Elect |
| Med ICU | Ambulatory | Elect | General Ward |
| Cardiology | ER/Hospitalist | Ambulatory | ER/Vac |
| Hem/Onc | Elect/Vac | Elect/Vac | Elect/Vac |
| Newborn | NICU | NICU | Elect |
| General Ward | MP Ambulatory | PER/Elect | Elect/Vac |
| Internal Medicine | Pediatrics |
Residents receive 4 weeks of vacation each year.
To complement our well-balanced clinical experiences, our residents have dedicated monthly Med-Peds conferences to address topics related to the combined practice of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Our conferences are coordinated by our Med-Peds chief resident and provide a wonderful opportunity for resident-resident teaching to occur with faculty support. We are fortunate to have strong departmental support in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, and each year our departments sponsor 1-2 Med-Peds Grand Rounds.
Preparing you for the future
Finally, our departments and program prepare our residents for the future by emphasizing critical evaluation of the literature and evidence-based medicine (EBM). We offer journal clubs, and specific teaching about EBM and medical informatics. Our program also provides our residents with the essentials of practice management for the 21st century: health care finance and delivery, patient safety, quality improvement, and communication skills.
