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For the current 4th years I know that many of you are preparing your materials for applications. As September nears, you're probably thinking about what schools to apply to and what are some things that you look for before, during and after your interview. I will highlight some of the FAQ's that I receive and will provide you with some guidance that I and many others have used to find the right program that fits your needs.
I will start with 2 questions:
#1 Where do I start looking to learn more about programs?
I always tell prospective students to start with the program's website. This is the residency's front door and generally provides you with a good overview of the mission and goals of the specific program. While all the Med-Peds programs will train you to be excellent Med-Peds physicians, each one will have a different approach to how they do that. Programs generally highlight their distinguishing features on the website. Another way that I have found useful to learn more about programs is to read the resident and faculty bios on each website. Their interests and future goals should clue you in on why that program was a good fit for you. This, in turn, should provide you with some information about which of these programs will be a good fit for you. One of the underused resources in the process is actually contacting the program to learn more. You can do this by reaching out to the program coordinator or contacting the individual residents to learn why they chose their program. Alumni of the individual programs may also be useful, giving you their personal experience on how their program got them to where they are today. However, I have found it difficult to find contact information for these individuals unless there is someone you personally know.
**Frequently I have found that some programs do not update their websites routinely and thus you must rely on your interview experience and contacts with residents
#2 What do I look for in a good Med-Peds program?
One thing to keep in mind with regards to Med-Peds programs is that they must be strong in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics to even have a Med-Peds programs. With that being said there are as many different Med-Peds programs out there as there are applicants. Some programs offer a Med-Peds continuity clinic while others have you rotate through the categorical outpatient clinics. There are programs that have you switch between Med and Peds every 4 months while others will do so more or less frequently. Location makes a difference as well. Where a program is situated will dictate the type of patients you will see and the demographics of your community. This is obviously no different for Med-Peds as it is for any other specialty. If you like research, then choose a program that highlights that either on their website or their resident bios. Other factors that residents have used to make their decisions is whether the program has specific strengths in the subspecialty that you are looking for. Probably one of the most important aspects about the process is learning which programs have a good Med-Peds community. While it is one thing to have a Med-Peds program, it is quite another to have a Med-Peds identity on the campus. What this means is that you want people at the hospital to know what the specialty is all about. You want a sense of community and not simply be part internal medicine and part pediatrics... you want to be Med-Peds. Lastly, another factor people consider is whether there is a dedicated Med-Peds program director. I believe most programs now a days have a dedicated PD. Historically PD's of the categorical programs used to run the Med-Peds programs. However times have changed as the number of Med-Peds graduates continue to increase and people enter the academic leadership. Today it is more the exception than the norm to not have a Med-Peds PD.
I will start with 2 questions:
#1 Where do I start looking to learn more about programs?
I always tell prospective students to start with the program's website. This is the residency's front door and generally provides you with a good overview of the mission and goals of the specific program. While all the Med-Peds programs will train you to be excellent Med-Peds physicians, each one will have a different approach to how they do that. Programs generally highlight their distinguishing features on the website. Another way that I have found useful to learn more about programs is to read the resident and faculty bios on each website. Their interests and future goals should clue you in on why that program was a good fit for you. This, in turn, should provide you with some information about which of these programs will be a good fit for you. One of the underused resources in the process is actually contacting the program to learn more. You can do this by reaching out to the program coordinator or contacting the individual residents to learn why they chose their program. Alumni of the individual programs may also be useful, giving you their personal experience on how their program got them to where they are today. However, I have found it difficult to find contact information for these individuals unless there is someone you personally know.
**Frequently I have found that some programs do not update their websites routinely and thus you must rely on your interview experience and contacts with residents
#2 What do I look for in a good Med-Peds program?
One thing to keep in mind with regards to Med-Peds programs is that they must be strong in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics to even have a Med-Peds programs. With that being said there are as many different Med-Peds programs out there as there are applicants. Some programs offer a Med-Peds continuity clinic while others have you rotate through the categorical outpatient clinics. There are programs that have you switch between Med and Peds every 4 months while others will do so more or less frequently. Location makes a difference as well. Where a program is situated will dictate the type of patients you will see and the demographics of your community. This is obviously no different for Med-Peds as it is for any other specialty. If you like research, then choose a program that highlights that either on their website or their resident bios. Other factors that residents have used to make their decisions is whether the program has specific strengths in the subspecialty that you are looking for. Probably one of the most important aspects about the process is learning which programs have a good Med-Peds community. While it is one thing to have a Med-Peds program, it is quite another to have a Med-Peds identity on the campus. What this means is that you want people at the hospital to know what the specialty is all about. You want a sense of community and not simply be part internal medicine and part pediatrics... you want to be Med-Peds. Lastly, another factor people consider is whether there is a dedicated Med-Peds program director. I believe most programs now a days have a dedicated PD. Historically PD's of the categorical programs used to run the Med-Peds programs. However times have changed as the number of Med-Peds graduates continue to increase and people enter the academic leadership. Today it is more the exception than the norm to not have a Med-Peds PD.