Frequently Asked Questions

Do the residents have combined Med-Peds clinic?

Yes! We have a standalone Internal medicine-pediatric combined clinic that houses our full-time Med-Peds clinic faculty as well as our Med-Peds continuity (resident) clinic. Our residents have a half-day of clinic once a week, which includes a pre-clinic conference. Our clinic is well organized, well run and is the highlight of the week for residents. During a clinic day, we see approximately 50/50 pediatrics and medicine patients. We facilitate the performance of various office-based procedures during resident continuity clinic.

Does the program provide only university based training experiences?

Our program is primarily university based, however we do have opportunities to rotate in the community in internal medicine, pediatrics, and combined Med-Peds practices. Examples include elective rotations in private primary care practices in the region as well as combined Med-Peds hospitalist rotations at our rural community hospitals affiliated with ECU Health.

Is Med-Peds well known in the hospital?

Yes! We are a large, highly respected combined program at ECU Health.

Are there any other combined programs at ECU?

Yes! In addition to Med-Peds, there are also Med-Psych and EM/IM combined residency programs. There are also combined fellowships which include adult ID/critical care and adult nephrology/critical care.

What are some of the teaching highpoints?

Internal Medicine

  • Morning Report is held Monday through Thursday morning and includes a periodic Chair Report with the Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine
  • Friday Afternoon Conferences which includes 3 hours of protected educational time each Friday to cover board-relevant topics as well as wellness and team-building activities
  • Grand Rounds every Thursday at noon held in person and virtual
  • Daily Teaching Rounds
  • Journal Club presentations
  • Free 24-hour access to an online library of resources through ECU Laupus Library including MD Consult, Online NEJM, and DynaMedex
  • Free MKSAP (Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program)

Pediatrics

  • Daily “Noon Report” Monday through Thursday and includes a periodic Chair Report with the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics
  • Morning rotation specific didactics on rotations such as NICU, Newborn, and Pediatrics Clinic
  • Daily Teaching Rounds
  • Grand Rounds every Friday at noon held in person and virtual
  • Friday Afternoon Conferences which includes 3 hours of protected education time each Friday immediately after Grand Rounds to cover board-relevant topics as well as wellness and team-building activities
  • Free AAP PREP materials including Pediatrics in Review
  • Free 24-hour access to an online library of resources through ECU Laupus Library as noted above

Med-Peds

  • Participation in and access to all the above
  • Dedicated Med-Peds Noon Conference every Monday to cover Med-Peds specific topics
  • Med-Peds POCUS Curriculum
  • Weekly Med-Peds Pre-Clinic Conferences following the Yale Primary Care Curriculum with additional sessions on billing & coding, community resources, social justice topics, LGBTQ+ health, and more
  • Transition Curriculum built into PGY3 Med-Peds Ambulatory rotation
  • Advocacy Curriculum build into PGY4 Med-Peds Ambulatory rotation
  • Nexplanon training

How many Med-Peds faculty are there?

There are 5 Med-Peds trained faculty practicing primary care at the ECU Adult and Pediatric Health Care Clinic. Several of these faculty members also round in the Newborn Nursery and on the General Internal Medicine inpatient teams, as well as participate in Night Medicine. In addition, we have a number of Med-Peds trained specialists on faculty in fields such as Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Heme/Onc, Adult Infectious Disease, Combined Adult & Pediatric Nephrology, Public Health, Pediatric Healthy Weight, and Hospital Medicine.

Are there combined Med-Peds electives?

Yes. We offer combined allergy/immunology and Med-Peds outpatient primary care electives. In addition, other combined electives may be designed with the guidance of our faculty. There are also options for community-based Med-Peds hospitalist rotations in surrounding counties.

Do you have a night float system?

We have a night float system in internal medicine and pediatrics. Night float allows for less overnight call during ward and subspecialty months.

What types of procedures and services do the residents provide in clinic?

We provide a range of office procedures including suture placement and removal, EKG interpretation, wart removal, joint injections, skin biopsies, pap smears, and Nexplanon insertions and removals. Our residents provide acute care management and health maintenance services to all patients from neonates to the elderly.

What is the patient population like?

We serve a diverse population from across Eastern North Carolina in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. In the Med-Peds clinic specifically, our patients are not only racially and ethnically diverse, but also financially diverse as our clinic serves both as a safety-net clinic as well as a well-respected primary care provider amongst ECU faculty, staff, and their families. Our clinic is also proud to serve as a primary care home for LGBTQ+ patients of all ages through our “Pride Clinic” that follows an integrative care model. Eastern North Carolina is also home to a large Spanish-speaking population as well and we have full-time interpreters available 24/7.

Can residents moonlight?

Yes, our residents can moonlight in the community after passing Step 3, completing their 16-month intern period, and with the approval of the program director.

Are there international electives?

Currently, formal university-sponsored rotations are in development. However, there are many opportunities to travel on medical missions trips with our pediatrics or medicine faculty. Our faculty have scheduled annual trips to places like Haiti, Honduras and Zambia, and love to bring residents along!

Are residents involved in medical student education?

Residents are a very important part of 3rd and 4th year medical student education. All our interns and residents assist with the daily teaching of students while on both pediatrics and internal medicine and in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Additionally, formal training is provided to residents on both the pediatrics and internal medicine sides regarding effective teaching of students and junior residents, helping our residents hone their academic skills. It It is worth noting that our residents have a long history of receiving medical student teaching awards and are recognized as some of the best teachers amongst the house staff!

What do residents do in their free time?

Greenville is small city that comes with the perks of a college town. We have a growing variety of local farm-to-table restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, and boutique shopping in our downtown, while also being home to “the basics” like Target and plenty of grocery stores (including a Trader Joe’s coming soon!). East Carolina University offers the excitement of NCAA Division I athletics, and our residents are often seen at football, basketball, or baseball games throughout the year (Go Pirates!). The university also offers a variety of cultural, artistic, and educational programs throughout the year, including choir and orchestra performances, plays, ballet and other dance performances, as well guest performers brought in from around the world for the Alexander Series that is open to the public. Greenville is also just minutes away from excellent fishing and outdoor trails in our Town Common and surrounding city parks like Wildwood Park and River Park North. For “Golden Weekends”, the famous Outer Banks and the beautiful North Carolina coastline are a quick drive away, as are the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains and Asheville, North Carolina. For quick day-trips, Atlantic Beach is a resident favorite, or an easy trip out to the Raleigh-Durham area to visit the museums or watch a NHL hockey game. Greenville has an airport locally with convenient flights to Charlotte, NC to make connections to anywhere in the world. In addition, you will find many of our residents participating in community service events, playing intramural sports (soccer, basketball, and volleyball are favorites!), and hanging out together at their community pool or homes. To learn more about Greenville and its charm, check out VisitGreenvilleNC.com.