The combined Med-Peds Program curriculum has been carefully planned to provide the structured educational and clinical experiences necessary for residents to develop clinical competency in inpatient, outpatient and subspecialty areas of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics over the course of 48 months. Residents begin with core inpatient and outpatient rotations and are given progressive responsibility and graduated autonomy over the 48 months of residency. Continuity clinics begin in the first month of training and are maintained for the duration of the program.

Residents complete 24 months of training in each specialty, switching from internal medicine to pediatrics in four month blocks. First-year residents spend a total of eight months in each specialty functioning at the intern level. The initial blocks of the first-year take place in clinical areas that are heavily supervised (i.e. inpatient wards, ambulatory clinics, ICU, emergency departments), providing a rich exposure to fundamental elements of internal medicine and pediatric care.

Adult cardiology and adult neurology rotations include inpatient and ambulatory experiences in the internal medicine block. Subspecialty experiences are gradually added through electives, allowing residents access to subspecialty areas in both fields that offer the clinical experience they will need to practice primary care or enter a subspecialty fellowship program. If a resident has a special interest or desire to complete a Global Health Rotation, a unique elective experience can be designed with program director approval. We have a number of rural health rotations available throughout the state of Arizona and as far away as Alaska.

Leadership and mentorship are important elements of the training program. Prior to completion of internship, and again early in the PGY2 year, residents participate in specially designed workshops focused on teaching and leadership, as they prepare to take the role of senior resident supervisor. As residents progress in the program and competency has been established, they function with more autonomy and have the responsibility of supervising junior residents.

Residents actively participate in our didactic curriculum and simulated learning opportunities to develop skills in procedures and clinical reasoning. Our residents provide care for a large volume of diverse patients and this provides the rich clinical experience that is fundamental in making them incredibly competent physicians ready for unsupervised practice at the completion of their training.