Overview

The Medicine-Pediatrics program is designed to provide a balanced but consistently educational curriculum for our residents. Residents work along side their categorical colleagues as well as dedicated months with other medicine-pediatrics residents/attendings. Switches are every three months, with residents being able to individualize their curriculum through electives. Our intern year is 12 months, with supervisory roles starting during the second year.

During the PGY-1 Year, learning the basic skills of inpatient medicine/pediatrics is the emphasis of the year. At this time closely supervised interns work with upper level residents to develop diagnosis and management skills to serve as a foundation for their training.

During the PGY-2 year, house officers spend significant time with consult services and in intensive care settings to develop targeted clinical skills while still being supported by the faculty. Elective time is available for residents to individualize their education through research or specialty rotations. Residents begin acting in supervisory roles on internal medicine and pediatrics.

During the PGY-3 year, residents are again given elective time to individualize their education. Many of our residents create combined electives that involve both internal medicine and pediatric focuses. Also, during this year, many of our residents participate in various research projects with our faculty mentors. General experience focuses on ward supervisory months and outpatient medicine. This year residents are also exposed to the PICU and CCU. They also have the opportunity this year and during 4th year to participate in a Med/Peds combined general wards team. The team consists of two residents and a Med/Peds faculty member as well as students.

During the PGY-4 year, senior residents broaden their experience through supervisory roles and elective rotations. They enjoy a combination of inpatient and outpatient experiences and collegial interaction with faculty and community-based physicians, as they gear for the transition to either fellowship or attending practice after residency. Research is an important focus for the UT-Houston faculty, and senior residents have many opportunities to travel and present projects at local, state, and national conferences. House staff are encouraged to participate with a faculty mentor in projects in which they are interested.

Didactic Education

Med-Peds residents attend the morning reports, noon conferences, and journal clubs for the categorical disciplines they are on that month. In addition, med-peds residents come together for combined noon conferences regularly on Wednesdays, journal clubs, board review sessions focused on Med-Peds relevant topics, simulation session integration, and outpatient education with updated curriculum. Once a year all residents are required to take the individual in-service training exams for internal medicine and pediatrics. Performance is tracked during residency and assistance is offered early in training for those who need further preparation. In addition, the Department of Internal Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics provides each resident with MKSAP and PREP/NEJM+ materials to prepare to sit both Internal Medicine and Pediatric Boards.