|
Message from the Director
By the time I first heard about medicine-pediatrics I was already starting my fourth year of medical school with intentions to enter a residency in internal medicine. That fall, I embarked on an overseas elective at the Albert Schweitzer hospital in Gabon, West Africa, where I was assigned to care for sick children. It was a critical experience in that I discovered, just in time, that I did not want to exclude half of humanity from my life’s work.
For only one extra year, medicine-pediatrics brings extraordinary breadth to the depth already offered by internal medicine or pediatric residency. I often wonder why anyone considering these latter fields would not pursue Med-Peds training. Caring for people across the life spectrum opens so many windows emotionally, intellectually and professionally, and Med-Peds provides that opportunity without foreclosing future options.
One factor that may discourage some from training in Med-Peds is the view that combined training is especially intense and all consuming. I believe the perception is accurate and that it behooves combined programs to work extra hard to support and nurture residents during a particularly challenging phase of their lives. Here at UIC we take pride in supporting the Med-Peds housestaff to the highest degree possible, encouraging each individual to find their true path.
As you peruse our webpage you will see we have all the trappings of a mature program, one that is now over two decades old: a combined medicine-pediatric practice run exclusively by Med-Peds faculty and housestaff, our own chiefs who serve as liaisons to the parent programs and advocate for our residents, a distinct Med-Peds curriculum that is vital for board preparation in two fields, combined electives in HIV, neurology, rheumatology and ambulatory care etc…To appreciate the qualities we value most, however, you must visit us and meet our outstanding residents and caring faculty and staff who look out for one another in an environment that is supportive, respectful and fun.
Saul Weiner, MD, FAAP
Program Director
UIC Medicine-Pediatrics Program
|