Essential Questions to Ask for Your Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Match

Medicine-Pediatrics (Med-Peds) applicants face a unique challenge on the interview trail: you’re evaluating two worlds—internal medicine and pediatrics—plus the integrated Med-Peds identity that sits between them. Knowing the right questions to ask programs can help you move beyond polished brochures and generic presentations to understand what day-to-day life and long-term outcomes really look like.

This guide focuses on questions to ask programs in Medicine-Pediatrics—what to ask Med-Peds program directors, chief residents, faculty, and current residents so you can build a realistic, nuanced rank list and approach the medicine pediatrics match with confidence.

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Understanding the Purpose of Your Questions

Before diving into specific questions, it helps to be clear about why you’re asking them. Every question should serve at least one of these purposes:

1. Clarify Training Quality and Breadth

   • Will you graduate as a confident, independently functioning Med-Peds physician?
   • Will you be truly dual competent in adult and pediatric care, inpatient and outpatient, acute and chronic disease?

2. Reveal Culture and Fit

   • How do residents treat each other?
   • How do faculty support (or fail to support) Med-Peds residents?
   • Is the atmosphere collaborative, competitive, or siloed?

3. Assess Logistics and Sustainability

   • What are the call schedules, cross-coverage expectations, and night float structures?
   • How manageable is life outside of residency—housing, cost of living, commuting, childcare, support for partners?

4. Understand Career Preparation and Outcomes

   • Do graduates match into the fellowships and careers you’re interested in?
   • Are there unique Med-Peds-specific opportunities (e.g., transition of care clinics, complex care, global health, health policy)?

5. Test Program Transparency

   • How directly and honestly do they answer tough questions?
   • Do their answers match what residents say?

When you think about interview questions for them, frame each one with these purposes in mind. You’re not just filling air time; you’re collecting data.

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Core Questions for Med-Peds Program Leadership (PDs, APDs, Chiefs)

These are your highest-yield opportunities to explore what to ask program director and leadership. They can speak to structure, vision, and outcomes in a way no one else can.

1. Training Structure, Identity, and Philosophy

Goals: Understand how the program conceptualizes Med-Peds and integrates the dual training.

Questions to consider:

• “How would you describe the identity of a Med-Peds physician at this institution?”

  • Listen for whether they see Med-Peds as:
    • A bridge between medicine and pediatrics
    • A primary care workhorse
    • A pipeline to subspecialty fellowship
    • Leaders in complex care and transitions

• “How do Med-Peds residents integrate with both categorical medicine and pediatrics programs?”

  • Ask about:
    • Rotation structure (e.g., 3+1, 4+2, block schedules)
    • Whether Med-Peds is treated as a distinct program or simply “extra residents” in each department
    • Joint conferences and teaching

• “What makes your Med-Peds program different from others?”

  • Strong programs can answer this concretely:
    • Unique clinics, community sites, transition programs
    • Special tracks (global health, advocacy, QI, leadership)
    • Specific strengths (e.g., complex care, urban underserved, refugee care, rural outreach)

• “How do you balance adult and pediatric training over the four years?”

  • Clarify:
    • Month-by-month breakdown across 4 years
    • How often you switch between medicine and peds
    • How they prevent skill decay on the side you’re off

2. Clinical Exposure and Autonomy

Goals: Will you see enough volume and acuity to be ready for independent practice or fellowship?

Questions to ask program director or chiefs:

• “What kinds of patients do Med-Peds residents typically care for on inpatient medicine and pediatrics?”

  • Probe for:
    • Tertiary/quaternary care vs. community exposure
    • Socioeconomic and demographic diversity
    • Breadth of pathology

• “How is resident autonomy supported and supervised at different stages of training?”

  • Listen for:
    • Increasing responsibility from PGY-1 to PGY-4
    • Opportunities to lead teams, cross-cover, run codes
    • The culture of attending supervision vs. micromanagement

• “How do you support residents who feel under- or over-challenged?”

  • Are there deliberate strategies to adjust clinical responsibility?

3. Program Outcomes: Fellowship, Careers, and Dual Board Pass Rates

Goals: Confirm the program can get you where you hope to go.

Key questions:

• “What have your graduates done in the last 5–10 years?”

  • Ask specifically:
    • Percentage entering primary care vs. fellowship vs. hospitalist vs. other (policy, public health, administration)
    • Examples of dual-trained or Med-Peds–friendly fellowships (e.g., combined adult/peds ID, rheum, pulm)

• “What fellowships do Med-Peds residents commonly match into from this program?”

  • Use this especially if you have an interest (e.g., cardiology, critical care, heme/onc, global health).

• “What support do you provide for fellowship applicants or job placement?”

  • Ask about:
    • Mentorship structure
    • Letter-writing
    • Mock interviews
    • Networking with alumni

• “What are your ABIM and ABP board pass rates for Med-Peds graduates over the last 5 years?”

  • You’re looking for:
    • Transparent numbers
    • An explanation if there were dips and what was done to address them

4. Program Support, Feedback, and Remediation

Goals: Understand how the program responds when residents struggle or need tailored growth.

Targeted questions:

• “How do residents receive feedback, and how often?”

  • Ask if:
    • There are formal evaluations after each rotation
    • Scheduled semiannual meetings with PD/APD
    • Use of milestones or competency-based assessments

• “How do you approach residents who are struggling—academically, clinically, or personally?”

  • Look for:
    • Non-punitive, supportive language
    • Access to coaching, tutoring, mental health resources
    • Examples (without violating confidentiality) of how they’ve helped residents succeed

• “How does the program support resident wellness and prevent burnout?”

  • Inquire about:
    • Protected wellness days or retreats
    • Coverage policies when residents are ill
    • Backup systems to avoid unsafe workloads

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High-Yield Questions for Current Med-Peds Residents

Talking to current residents is often the most revealing part of the interview day. This is your chance to ask the questions to ask residency that you won’t see on the website—and to verify what you’ve heard from leadership.

1. Culture, Morale, and Hidden Curriculum

Goals: Get an honest picture of day-to-day life.

Specific questions:

• “If you had to make the decision again, would you choose this Med-Peds program?”

  • Follow-up: Why or why not?
  • Listen closely to:
    • Hesitation or enthusiasm
    • Nuance in their reasoning

• “How would you describe the culture among Med-Peds residents?”

  • Probe:
    • Do they actually spend time together outside work?
    • Is there a sense of team vs. everyone for themselves?
    • How do senior residents treat interns?

• “How are Med-Peds residents viewed by categorical medicine and pediatrics residents?”

  • Ask about:
    • Inclusion in categorical social circles
    • Any tension over schedules, rotations, or roles
    • Respect levels on teams

• “What are the unspoken norms or expectations here that applicants wouldn’t see on interview day?”

  • This invites them to share the “hidden curriculum.”

2. Workload, Schedules, and Realistic Hours

Goals: Evaluate sustainability and honesty about work-life balance.

Essential questions:

• “What does a typical inpatient month look like for you in terms of hours and days off?”

  • Ask for:
    • Arrival and departure times
    • Weekend frequency
    • Realistic daily census

• “When do you feel most stretched thin? How does the program respond during those times?”

  • Do:
    • Chief residents help adjust schedules?
    • Attendings step in to help?
  • Or are residents simply expected to absorb it?

• “How often do you come in early or stay late to finish notes or other work?”

  • This tells you whether the stated hours match the actual hours.

• “How much time do you realistically have for studying, QI, or scholarly projects?”

  • Look for:
    • Protected time vs. “whatever you can squeeze in”

3. Med-Peds Identity and Opportunity

Goals: Understand whether Med-Peds is celebrated or overshadowed.

Key questions:

• “What unique Med-Peds experiences do you have here?”

  • Examples might include:
    • Transition clinics (peds-to-adult care)
    • Complex care clinics
    • Combined med-peds inpatient teams or consults
    • Care of adults with childhood-onset conditions (e.g., congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell)

• “Do you ever feel pressured to choose between your medicine and pediatrics interests?”

  • Ask how:
    • Scheduling
    • Mentorship
    • Fellowship guidance influence that.

• “Do faculty understand what Med-Peds is and what you want to do?”

  • You want to hear:
    • Faculty advocating for Med-Peds
    • Senior Med-Peds role models

4. Life Outside the Hospital

Goals: Residency is four years—you need to survive and grow as a person, not just a trainee.

Ask residents:

• “Where do most residents live, and how is the cost of living?”

  • Helpful follow-ups:
    • Do most rent or own?
    • Commute times and parking
    • Neighborhood safety

• “What do you do for fun on your days off?”

  • This gives insight into:
    • Regional lifestyle
    • Whether residents have enough time and energy to maintain hobbies

• “How does the program treat major life events—pregnancy, family illness, etc.?”

  • Ask for:
    • Real examples of accommodations
    • How colleagues and leadership responded

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Focused Questions about Curriculum, Clinics, and Rotations

Med-Peds training is all about breadth and integration. Use your interview questions for them to see how each program structures that breadth.

1. Continuity Clinic and Ambulatory Training

Goals: Assess your outpatient skills development and Med-Peds identity.

Questions for leadership and clinic preceptors:

• “Where is your continuity clinic, and what is the patient population like?”

  • Clarify:
    • Adult vs. pediatric mix
    • Underserved vs. privately insured patients
    • Language diversity and interpreter services

• “Is continuity clinic combined Med-Peds or split (medicine one day, pediatrics another)?”

  • Ask how:
    • They maintain long-term relationships with patients on both sides
    • Scheduling works around inpatient months

• “How much ownership do residents have over their clinic patients?”

  • Follow-ups:
    • Do you have your own panel?
    • Can you follow patients across years, hospitalizations, and subspecialty visits?

• “What kind of ambulatory curriculum or didactics do you have, especially around chronic disease management and transitions of care?”

  • Look for:
    • Structured teaching
    • Exposure to adolescent medicine, complex care, and transition planning

2. Inpatient Rotations and Special Med-Peds Experiences

Goals: Ensure a balanced inpatient experience for both medicine and pediatrics.

Ask:

• “What are the core inpatient rotations for Med-Peds residents on the medicine and pediatrics sides?”

  • Clarify:
    • General wards
    • ICUs (MICU, PICU, NICU, CCU)
    • Subspecialty services (e.g., heme/onc, cardiology, ID)

• “Are there any Med-Peds-specific inpatient rotations or consult services?”

  • Examples:
    • Adult congenital heart disease
    • Cystic fibrosis across the lifespan
    • Sickle cell transition care
    • Complex care unit

• “How are cross-cover and night responsibilities shared between Med-Peds and categorical residents?”

  • Ask whether:
    • Med-Peds is ever asked to “fill gaps” disproportionately
    • Cross-coverage respects duty hours and education

3. Scholarly Work, QI, and Professional Development

Goals: Gauge how the program supports your growth beyond clinical skills.

Questions to ask:

• “What are the expectations for scholarly activity, and how does the program help residents meet them?”

  • Clarify:
    • Required QI projects, research, or scholarly presentations
    • Protected time to work on these
    • Availability of statisticians, research mentors

• “Can you tell me about recent Med-Peds resident projects or publications?”

  • Look for:
    • Examples in areas that align with your interests (e.g., transitions, health equity, advocacy, global health)

• “What leadership and teaching opportunities are available for residents?”

  • Ask about:
    • Resident-as-teacher curricula
    • Leading conferences or journal clubs
    • Chief resident or leadership tracks

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Strategy: How to Use and Personalize These Questions

Knowing what to ask is only half the battle; you also need a strategy so your questions are focused, authentic, and efficient on busy interview days.

1. Do Your Homework First

Before each interview:

• Review the program website and any materials they send.
• Note key features:
  • Unique clinics or tracks
  • Size of the Med-Peds cohort
  • Community vs. academic focus
• Tailor your questions to go beyond what’s already available online.

For example:

• Instead of:
  “Do you have a Med-Peds transition clinic?”
  Try:
  “I saw on your website that you have a transition clinic for youth with chronic conditions. How involved are residents in that clinic, and how do you incorporate transition principles into other rotations?”

2. Prioritize Your Must-Know Areas

You won’t have time to ask everything. Before each interview:

• Identify your top 3–5 priorities, such as:
  • Fellowship placement
  • Primary care and continuity experience
  • Community vs. academic emphasis
  • Geographical or family considerations
  • Global health or advocacy opportunities

Then select 2–3 targeted questions per priority. Bring a small, discrete list so you don’t forget when time is short.

3. Customize by Audience

Use the right questions to ask residency stakeholders:

• Program Director / APD

  • Curriculum design
  • Outcomes data (boards, fellowship, jobs)
  • Program philosophy and future vision
  • Resources and institutional support

• Chief Residents / Core Faculty

  • Day-to-day function of the program
  • Scheduling, float systems, caps
  • How resident feedback changes the program

• Current Residents

  • Hidden curriculum and culture
  • Actual workload
  • Social life and support systems
  • Real experiences with wellness and difficulties

• Clinic Staff / Coordinators (if you meet them)

  • Clinic workflow
  • Support staff availability
  • Practical logistics (EMR, scheduling, call rooms)

4. Use “Story Questions” to Get Real Answers

Some of the most revealing interview questions for them invite stories instead of yes/no answers:

• “Can you tell me about a time when residents raised a concern and how the program responded?”
• “What’s an example of a change that’s been made recently based on resident feedback?”
• “Can you share a time when a resident was struggling and how the program supported them?”

Stories show you how the program behaves in real life, not just how it markets itself.

5. Watch for Consistency

As you ask your questions:

• Compare answers from:
  • Program leaders
  • Residents
  • Faculty across medicine and pediatrics
• Note:
  • Are they consistent?
  • Do residents quietly contradict leadership?
  • Are there issues that everyone independently brings up (good or bad)?

This helps you distinguish polished talking points from true program culture.

6. Take Notes Promptly

After each interview day:

• Jot down:
  • Key pros and cons
  • Memorable quotes or moments
  • Answers to your top questions
• Within a few days, rate:
  • How well the program matches your priorities
  • How comfortable you felt with residents and faculty

These notes will be invaluable when it’s time to finalize your medicine pediatrics match rank list.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How many questions should I ask during each interview?
Aim for 2–4 well-chosen questions per formal interview (e.g., PD, faculty) and a few more in resident-only sessions. Quality matters more than quantity. Prioritize depth and follow-up over trying to “get through a list.”

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2. Are there questions I should avoid asking?
Avoid:

• Questions easily answered on the website (e.g., “How many residents are in your program?”).
• Anything that sounds like you haven’t done basic research.
• Overtly negative or confrontational phrasing, such as:
  • “Why are your residents always complaining about workload?”
    Instead, you might say:
  • “How does the program handle feedback about workload and duty hours?”

You can still ask hard questions—but do so respectfully and constructively.

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3. When is the best time to ask about salary, benefits, and time off?
Most programs will present salary, benefits, and vacation policies during the interview day or on their website. If they don’t, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask the program coordinator or residents, rather than spending your limited time with the PD on these topics. Phrase it simply:

• “Where can I find information about salary, benefits, and parental leave policies?”

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4. How can I stand out while asking the same questions as other applicants?
You stand out not by having the most unusual questions, but by being:

• Thoughtful: Show you’ve researched the program.
• Specific: Connect questions to your interests (e.g., advocacy, global health, complex care).
• Engaged: Ask meaningful follow-ups based on their responses.

For example:

• Instead of: “Do you support research?”
  Try: “I’m interested in quality improvement around transitions of care. Can you tell me about any recent Med-Peds resident projects in this area and how they were supported?”

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Using the right questions to ask programs in Medicine-Pediatrics will help you see beyond glossy impressions and determine which environments will genuinely support your goals and wellbeing. Approach each interview with intention, listen for both what is said and what isn’t, and use this framework to build a rank list that aligns with the Med-Peds physician you hope to become.