Current positions of graduates of internal medicine pediatrics training programs

Objective: To determine what positions graduates of internal medicine-pediatrics programs currently hold. Design: A survey of the program directors of residencies in internal medicine-pediatrics. Participants: Program directors of the 85 internal medicine-pediatrics training programs listed in the 1993-1994 Graduate Medical Education Directory. Main Outcome Measures: A 1-page survey that described the current positions of trainees graduating between 1987 and 1993. Results: Seventy-four (87%) of the 85 program directors completed the survey. Of the 708 graduates reported on, 68% were practicing as generalists. The generalists of this cohort (n=480) were primarily in private practice settings (n=390, 81%) and most were practicing internal medicine-pediatrics (n=416, 85%). Only 12% of the generalists had chosen to practice either pediatrics or internal medicine. Twenty-one percent of the total graduates had entered subspeciality training. Conclusions: To our knowledge, the sample of 708 graduates is the largest survey of graduates of internal medicine-pediatrics programs to date and shows that 68% of graduates are practicing in primary care fields. Graduates of internal medicine-pediatrics programs should be considered as an important source of primary care physicians.