What Is "Med-Peds"?
Med-Peds is a shortened term for “Combined Internal Medicine & Pediatrics”.
After completing four years of medical school, a physician must then complete further years of training (residency) to be fully licensed in most states in the U.S.
Helpful Links
- Check out the American Academy of Pediatrics summary of Internal Medicine & Pediatrics
- Residency Guidelines outlined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
Internal Medicine is a three year residency program leading to Board Certification in Internal Medicine. Pediatrics is also a three year residency program leading to Board Certification in Pediatrics. While there is no Med-Peds board, once a physician successfully completes a four year Med-Peds residency program they are eligible to complete the board certification exams in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Med-Peds programs are accredited by the ACGME and AOA as a combined program instead of separate accreditation in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.
While Med-Peds residency provides exceptional training for Primary Care, Med-Peds training also leaves open the option of pursuing a subspecialty in either Internal Medicine or Pediatrics or both (e.g. Cardiology, Infectious Disease, Pulmonary/Critical Care, Women’s Health, Sports Medicine, etc). This allows over 20 fellowship possibilities for graduates as well as Primary Care and Hospitalist Medicine.
Note that while Med-Peds Primary Care training provides comprehensive primary care, it differs both structurally and philosophically from Family Medicine. A physician trained in Med-Peds can care for the newborn to the geriatric patient. Med-Peds prepares a physician well for private practice, academic medicine, hospitalist programs, and fellowships. Med-Peds is a versatile, exciting, and fulfilling career choice that we hope you will consider.
Med-Peds Fact Sheet
- More than half of the pediatric residency programs in the US also have Med-Peds programs.
- Med-Peds residents score identically to categorical residents on both the Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Boards.
- Med-Peds residency programs match a higher percentage of US medical students than Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Family Practice.
- Med-Peds has been in existence for 40+ years — it’s as old as Family Practice.
- Studies show that Med-Peds physicians do continue to practice primary care for both adults and kids.
- A higher percentage of Med-Peds residents go on to practice primary care than Internal Medicine or Pediatrics residents.
- More than half of all Med-Peds physicians have some type of academic appointment.
- Those medical students interested primarily in Med-Peds list Internal Medicine as their most common second choice, followed by Pediatrics and then Family Practice.
More Information
MedPeds Indepth Guide
Origin, residency info and more
Program Map
Explore a map of Med Peds residencies