Get the answers about some frequently asked questions about the Penn-CHOP Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Program.

How many residents do you accept?

There are six positions available for each intern class beginning in 2022.

Do you offer away rotations?

Please see the Perelman School of Medicine site for visiting students for information, forms, visiting student elective catalog, and requirements to complete the process of requesting an elective. If you do any medicine or pediatrics elective you may join Med-Peds events while here. In addition, we offer an elective specifically on Transitions from Pediatric to Adult Focused Care (PEDS320).

Is there a Med-Peds Chief Resident?

Yes. There is a dedicated fifth-year Med-Peds chief resident, whose core responsibilities focus on Med-Peds clinical teaching in the inpatient and outpatient settings, Med-Peds conference planning, categorical conference teaching, committee involvement and administrative oversight of the Med-Peds program. The Med-Peds chief resident works alongside the categorical chief residents at both HUP and CHOP, ensuring smooth operations for our residents as they rotate among the various hospitals.

Where do Med-Peds residents work?

Our residents rotate at three sites: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (Presby).

CHOP has nearly 600 beds and is a tertiary referral center located in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia. It is the oldest children’s hospital in the United States. It serves the children of Philadelphia and acts as a referral center for children requiring sub-specialty care from the region and around the world. CHOP has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top children’s hospitals in the United States for many years.

HUP is an 800-bed, tertiary referral center located next door to CHOP in University City. HUP is consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Presby is a nearly 400-bed hospital located in West Philadelphia. Med-Peds residents rotate at Presby on the acute care for the elderly service as well as general medicine.

Where do Med-Peds residents have continuity clinic?

Our residents have their Medicine clinic at the Penn Edward S. Cooper General Internal Medicine Practice. Our Pediatrics clinic is at the CHOP Cobbs Creek Pediatric Care Center. Both clinics have a long-standing tradition of providing primary care to the West Philadelphia community.

The resident clinic experience is aimed at promoting autonomy in caring for clinic patients. Our residents are the true primary care provider for their patients.

Participating in these continuity clinics allows us to ensure a 50-50 split of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine patients and to take advantage of learning from our categorical colleagues and preceptors as well as fellow Med-Peds residents and preceptors.

We are on an X+Y schedule with six weeks of inpatient care followed by two weeks of outpatient care, which combines both Pediatric and Internal Medicine clinics and experiences.

How often do residents rotate between Medicine and Pediatrics?

For the most part, interns and residents spend six weeks on one side, with two weeks of outpatient, then six weeks on the other side.

In the final two years of residency, it is possible to be more flexible in order to accommodate specific electives, career interests, global health rotations or personal requests.

Will I be on service with other Med-Peds residents?

Yes. At any given time, approximately half of our Med-Peds residents are on Medicine and half are on Pediatrics. We strive to pair-up Med-Peds interns with upper year Med-Peds residents whenever possible.

Is there a formal mentoring program?

Yes. Each resident is assigned to a mentor family that is comprised of a faculty mentor and a resident in each year of Med-Peds training. Each faculty mentor is Med-Peds trained and meets with their residents in their mentor family as a group and individually throughout the year. Faculty mentors provide career planning advice and help residents find other career-specific mentors at HUP or CHOP as needed. Within each mentoring family, fourth years serve as advisers to interns and third years serve as advisors to second years, to provide rotation-specific tips and advice on transitioning between roles and hospitals. At all levels we provide psychosocial support and wellness.

Are there Med-Peds trained faculty?

Yes. There are many Med-Peds trained faculty members at both HUP and CHOP, and the Med-Peds community is growing all the time! While there are too many to list here, the program keeps a running list of Med-Peds trained faculty that we share with residents. Med-Peds residents often appreciate their insight as additional mentors, career counselors or supervisors on research projects.

What is your curriculum?

Each year we re-evaluate and update our rotation-based curriculum to provide our residents with the very best experiences available to residents at Penn and CHOP.

In addition to the rotation-based curriculum above, we have Med-Peds curricula that supplement the learning that is offered at both Penn and CHOP. These include

• Med-Peds Primary Care Core Curriculum: This curriculum spans the four years of Med-Peds residency and is presented during an academic half day once weekly when residents are on Med-Peds primary care (MPPC) rotations. This is protected teaching time that allows residents to participate in didactic sessions focused on foundational Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Primary Care topics.
• Med-Peds Noon Conference: This weekly noon conference is for Med-Peds residents and includes a variety of interactive learning opportunities including case reports, journal clubs, didactic lectures and a resident wellness series. It is time for our residents to learn from faculty experts as well as each other and a great venue for both residents and core Med-Peds faculty to convene weekly.

Both the Internal Medicine and Pediatrics programs also have multiple curricula that our residents participate in including ultrasound, evidence-based medicine, medical education and quality improvement. Both of our clinic sites also have their own dedicated outpatient curriculum that our residents participate in.

Is there a Med-Peds specific conference series?

Yes. We have a weekly noon conference for Med-Peds residents that includes a variety of interactive learning opportunities, including case reports, journal clubs, didactic lectures and a resident wellness series. It is protected time for our residents to learn from faculty experts as well as each other and a great venue for both residents and core Med-Peds faculty to convene weekly.

Is there flexibility in the schedule?

Yes. Elective time is built into the schedule to allow residents opportunities to explore career interests, perform research, participate in subspecialty clinics and pursue global health electives.

Will I be able to do research?

Yes. Every resident gets exposure to advocacy work and quality improvement through our curriculum. Additional research opportunities are available and supported by the program in basic science, clinical research, health policy, health services, advocacy and global health. Many residents collaborate on research projects with scholars throughout the University of Pennsylvania.

Are there opportunities for international health experiences?

Yes. Med-Peds interns are invited to apply for the highly rated Global Health Equities Track. Med-Peds residents who participate in the track have the opportunity for fully funded travel for global health electives yearly during the second, third and fourth years. The Penn-CHOP partner sites for the Global Health Equities Track are in Botswana and the Dominican Republic. For residents who are not in the track, opportunities are still available for international rotations during third or fourth year. Many residents also elect to rotate with the Indian Health Service.

What else is unique about the Penn-CHOP resident experience?

Penn and CHOP are constantly looking for innovative ways to improve the education of their residents.

There are several advanced skills that Med-Peds residents can acquire during their residency. Med-Peds residents are invited to apply to the Internal Medicine Global Health Equities, Medical Education, Quality Improvement and Health Policy tracks. Med-Peds residents are also invited to apply to and participate in the pediatric advanced skills programs in bioethics, medical education, integrative medicine, health policy, clinical informatics, behavioral and mental health, business of medicine and practice management, or quality improvement. There are also several unique opportunities for Med-Peds residents to get involved in projects and training regarding transitions from pediatric to adult care for patients with pediatric-onset chronic illness including a consult service and quality improvement initiative on transitions at CHOP.

What are the best parts of your program?

The best parts of our program are our colleagues (both Med-Peds and categorical) and our phenomenal faculty mentors and teachers. They are some of the most supportive, brilliant, fun and kind physicians in the country. We also feel lucky to have access to all the resources afforded by the large CHOP and Penn categorical programs, while still being able to maintain a close-knit bond that the smaller Med-Peds program provides.