title: Benchmarks for Support and Outcomes for Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Programs: A 5-Year Review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Combined internal medicine and pediatrics (medicine-pediatrics) residencies were Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited separately from their corresponding categorical residencies in June 2006.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated how ACGME accreditation of medicine-pediatrics programs has affected the levels of support (both financial and personnel), the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) match rate, performance on the board examination, and other graduate outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2009 through 2013 we sent an annual SurveyMonkey online survey to members of the Medicine-Pediatrics Program Directors Association. Questions pertained to program characteristics, program director support, recruitment, ambulatory training, and graduate data. More than 79% of responders completed the entire survey for each year (sample size was 60 program directors).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the time prior to accreditation of the specialty, there was an increase in program directors who are dually trained (89% versus 93%), an increase in program director salary ($134,000 before accreditation versus $185,000 in 2013, P < .05), and an increase in the average full-time equivalent support (0.32 before accreditation versus 0.42 in 2013, P < .05). There was also an increase in programs with associate program directors (35% versus 78%), programs with chief residents (71% versus 91%), and an increase in program budgets controlled by program directors (52% versus 69%). The 2013 NRMP match rates increased compared to those of 2005 (99% versus 49%). Performance on the American Board of Pediatrics examination was comparable to that for pediatrics residents. Since accreditation, a larger number of residents are choosing careers in hospital medicine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show widespread improved support for medicine-pediatrics programs since the 2006 start of ACGME accreditation.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aronica
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Princess E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Dennar
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Hopkins
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D019985:Benchmarking; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000592:standards; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000592:standards*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013044:Specialty Boards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires