News and briefs: Med-peds ease transition of patient care

An increased number of physicians trained in both internal medicine and pediatrics (med-peds) can help with transitional care for chronically ill adolescents becoming adults and bring a more diverse base of medical knowledge, according to a recent online article in The Hospitalist.

A more broad-based training gives physicians a thorough background on caring for patients from newborns to older senior citizens. According to the article, the med-ped background is especially useful for moving patients from a pediatric provider to an adult provider. 

Entering graduate medical education as a med-ped gives residents an opportunity to pursue a wider range of subspecialty interests. Med-ped programs are now ACGME-accredited instead of having separate accreditations for internal medicine and pediatrics.

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