Overview of Med-Peds | Mission Statement
Letters: Alice Kuo |
Resident Letter
An Overview of Medicine-Pediatrics
The combined field of
medicine-pediatrics (med-peds) has existed as a specialty since 1967. This
field combines the strengths of both internal medicine and pediatrics, producing
physicians who are knowledgeable and skilled in the diagnosis and management of
illnesses across the spectrum of the life span. Med-peds physicians are as
comfortable in the newborn nursery as they are in the nursing home, inpatient
ward settings, intensive care units, emergency departments and most importantly,
the ambulatory clinic or office. Currently, 93 med-peds training programs
provide training for over 1700 residents across the country. More than
two-thirds of graduates practice primary care. This is a field that has a track
record of producing highly-trained physicians with the flexibility to care for a
wide range of populations in multiple settings.
One unique aspect of med-peds
training is the ability to care for multiple generations of patients within the
context of the family. Med-peds physicians are uniquely positioned to
understand the complexities of family dynamics and its effects on illness, the
epidemiology and public health aspects of disease, and the impact of disease and
illness at all ages. Because of this special perspective, a portion of med-peds
physicians seek specialized post-residency training in public health, health
services research, health care administration, medical education, and a number
of sub-specialty fields. Med-peds physicians choose sub-specialties in which
they can bring their unique focus, for example, in cardiology with adults with
congenital heart disease or in endocrinology with the growing population of
pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes.
Med-peds physicians fill a
very important niche in academic medical centers, which is the ability to
understand issues regarding transition of care of patients with chronic
illnesses from pediatrics to internal medicine. Med-peds physicians also have a
better understanding of adolescent medicine and the issues pertinent to this
population. Finally, med-peds physicians maintain the inter-disciplinary
integration within medical centers and facilitate communication between
departments.
Here at UCLA, while the field
of med-peds might be newer, the business of training residents is not. We have
the resources and capabilities to produce excellent med-peds physicians. We
have a med-peds-trained Program Director with a doctoral degree in education and
years of curriculum development experience. Our Associate Program Director is
also med-peds-trained and has a Master’s in Public Health as well. We have an
Advisory Board with med-peds faculty who oversee all aspects of the program. We
have the commitment of both departments to make this program the best that it
can be. And finally, we have all the resources that UCLA has to offer—excellent
training facilities in multiple settings, some of the best subspecialty
divisions in both pediatrics and medicine, world-renowned and recognized
research in medicine and public health, and a campus with strong schools of
public health, education, public policy, business, and law for residents
interested in pursuing further inter-disciplinary training.
