Med-Peds

[VitaminK]

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I've done a lot of research about med-peds but I still can't get a good grasp about how competitive the specialty is. I've read that its more competitive than cagetorical medicine or categorical peds, but how much more? I'm strongly thinking about the field but want to stay only in Kansas City, MO. I've done fairly well in med school, A's and B's, 206 on Step 1, and good on rotations. Is it realistic to get into a good program? What do PDs look at on the interview trail?

PS - Why isn't there a Med-Peds forum?? It is a seperate specialty and I would think it would deserve its own forum!?!?!

 

[Kalel]

I know that this differs from program to program, but on a whole, I don't believe that med peds is more competetive then categorical medicine. Even though there are fewer programs, there are actually many programs within med peds that don't fill every year. I also know of students with below avg step 1 scores who were getting interviews at top med/peds programs as well, but were not getting interviews in these program's respective categorical internal medicine or pediatrics program. I don't know what percentage of students get their top choice in med/peds, this percentage may be skewed when compared with medicine simply because med/peds programs are smaller in size then medicine programs, but I do believe that almost all US students who want med/peds and only rank med/peds ultimately match.

 

[GO_MEDPEDS]

Glad to hear you are interested in Med-Peds!

I would say that Med-Peds tends to be more competitive than the categorical Medicine and Peds because several programs don't have many spots for Med-Peds (i.e. many of the places I interviewed at had only 4 spots). However, if you are applying to a program with several spots or, in your case, your home institution, it really isn't that competitive. There were more applicants this year than in the previous years, though, and this may also increase the competition if the number of applicants continues to rise but the number of spots does not increase.

I generally found that Med-Peds PDs were less interested in board scores and your academic prowess and more interested in your character and ambition... were you someone who was going to fit into their program, thrive within their program, and be happy in their program. Diversity and definite passions will be your selling points.

Although your board scores are below the national average, your good basic science and clinic rotation grades (coupled with some good letters of rec) will more than likely get you in. However, if you are that determine to stay in Kansas City, it may not be a bad idea to rank categorical Medicine or Peds there as well...

Good Luck!

Grant

(And yes... we should have a separate forum...)

 

[Square Pants]

any one hear rumors about Umass Med Peds any why they didn't match anyone ??(at least according to Scutwork)

It's a pretty good program. Just wondering what the scuttlebutt was all about.

 

[freelancewriter]

There is a related thread in the pediatrics forum:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=73975

 

[VitaminK]

Hey I was curious as to the pay scale for med-peds. I've been trying to decide between med-peds and FP and they are very similiar, yet are different. I know in FP I would have the opportunity to make extra money bc I would definitely do lots of procedures like colonscopies, derm, vasectomies, etc. So I was kinda pumped about the chance to actually make a good deal of money bc I am a hard worker. However can you make extra money like this in med-peds? I'm not going to decide between the salaries but just curious if I'd be able to have a happy lifestyle with choosing med-peds over FP. To me it would seem like med-peds would get paid similiar to FP but maybe less bc they do less procedures. Is this true?

 

[Kalel]

Hey I was curious as to the pay scale for med-peds. I've been trying to decide between med-peds and FP and they are very similiar, yet are different. I know in FP I would have the opportunity to make extra money bc I would definitely do lots of procedures like colonscopies, derm, vasectomies, etc. So I was kinda pumped about the chance to actually make a good deal of money bc I am a hard worker. However can you make extra money like this in med-peds? I'm not going to decide between the salaries but just curious if I'd be able to have a happy lifestyle with choosing med-peds over FP. To me it would seem like med-peds would get paid similiar to FP but maybe less bc they do less procedures. Is this true?

I think that your assumption is correct. The med/peds residency is designed to be as it sounds, an internal medicine residency combined with a pediatrics residency. Since most med/peds residencies are at academic medical centers, there usually isn't that much of an emphasis on procedural training that would tend to generate more income out in practice that FP's sometimes get. Also, FP's can substantially supplement their income by doing OB too. The pediatrics reimbursement rate for office visits/well child visits is usually lower then medicine/adult clinic visits too.

 

[edfig99]

i could be wrong about this but my sense during my specialty soul-searching was that people who do med-peds are typically people who want to consider either more inpatient based care, or people who want to achieve some type of double subspecialty certification. i haven't met any med-peds that do straight up primary care, but have met a couple that are either Hospitalists (both IM and Peds) or Med/Ped GI (one guy is double boarded in GI and has training in Hepatology for both and works on a transplant team) or Med/Ped Heme or Pulm. If you do the subspecialty thing then there is plenty of opportunity for high tech procedures limited to the subspecialty.