Difference between MED-PEDS VS. PEDS practice

[Asumi]

Can some of you who are already in medschool or beyond help me with this? I am a pre-med applying this year and the new AMCAS application has a "vision statement" essay about how you envision your medical practice 10 years from now. I am writing about my interest in a possible combined MED-PEDS residency because I have an interest in both internal medicine and pediatrics.

My question is what is going to be the main difference between a practicing pediatrician vs. a physician who finished a med-peds residency? Would the patient population be different? Am I correct in assuming a regular pediatrician would refer patients to a med-peds doctor for children with more complex medical problems? Any ideas would be appreciated. Unfortunately in my shadowing I have not met any med-peds docs to ask these questions to, so if you know - Thank you.

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[abbeydesert]

Also, here's a Med-Peds web site you may find relevant: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/anduril/medicine.htm

 

[abbeydesert]

Originally posted by abbeydesert:
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[qb]
My question is what is going to be the main difference between a practicing pediatrician vs. a physician who finished a med-peds residency?•

Internal medicine is ADULT medicine, i.e., age 18 and over. General internists may serve as primary care physicians for adults, whereas pediatricians serve as primary care physicians for children (usually under 21.)
Those who complete a 4-year med-peds residency can get board-certified in both pediatrics and internal medicine. Presumably, the 4-year curriculum covers all of the competencies of both a 3-year IM residency and a 3-year pediatrics residency, while eliminating duplication. So you would be equally qualified to treat both groups of patients.

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Would the patient population be different?
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Probably. If you're certified to practice both as a pediatrician and an internist, you would likely treat both adults and children vis-a-vis a pediatrician, who would treat only children. Most Med-peds doctors (~80%) work as primary care physicians for both adults and children.

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Am I correct in assuming a regular pediatrician would refer patients to a med-peds doctor for children with more complex medical problems?
•

Probably not, unless the med-peds doctor has pursued sub-specialty certification, e.g., endocrinology or cardiology, etc. Someone with dual certification in medicine and pediatrics is no more qualified to treat children than someone with only peds certification. If you needed to refer, you would do so to a specialist.[/QB]

 

[soggybottomboys]

What's the difference between MED?PEDS and Family Practice? Besides the two/three additional years of training.

 

[abbeydesert]

A FP practice residency is 3 years. So is an internal medicine or pediatrics residency, whereas MED-PEDS is 4 years.
The biggest difference is that residents in a family practice residency also do obstetrics. Though many family physicians choose not to practice OB (liability issues), all FP residencies require several months of training in OB, as well as rotations in surgery and orthopedics, etc. Essentially, FP residencies are designed to train all-around generalist primary care physicians, who treat all patients without regard to age, sex, condition, etc. This would be an especially appropriate choice for those interested in practicing in under-served, especially rural areas.
Someone who completes a med-peds residency will be an expert in general adult medicine and in general pediatrics, but typically wouldn't deliver babies. I don't know about peds, but I have heard from some internist friends that family physicians can manage about 80% of the problems that a general internist can. That makes sense, since internists spend 3 years studying nothing but adult medicine, whereas family physicians divide their time among adults, kids, OB, etc.

Originally posted by soggybottomboys:
•What's the difference between MED?PEDS and Family Practice? Besides the two/three additional years of training.•