Welcome to the Med-Peds Residency Program at UMass Chan Medical School-Baystate.
Beyond making lifelong friends and colleagues, a successful residency is about preparing outstanding physicians in any of the diverse career paths available to Med-Peds trained physicians. We are excited for you to explore why we are so proud to be here for our training.
The Education
Resident education at UMass Chan-Baystate is unique in that the primary responsibility of both our academic Internal Medicine and Pediatric attendings is to teach residents.
We have an innovative Learner-Manager-Teacher educational model that allows us to develop graduated autonomy and confidence in caring for our patients. As Learners, we are supervised by our senior residents and attendings who help foster our practical and clinical reasoning skills. In second year, we become Managers and work one-on-one with our attendings, which allows us to develop our own approach to patients. Then as Teachers, we come full circle, focusing on our own teaching skills as we help instruct our junior residents in caring for patients.
We are proud to be an integral part of our dedicated med-peds clinic, Mason Square, which was one of the first combined med-peds residency clinics in the country! Mason Square not only strives to provide excellent primary care for one of the lowest income and medically complex neighborhoods in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. You will find many of our graduates in careers ranging from local to global, urban to rural, generalist to sub-specialist. We truly believe no matter the career you are working towards, UMass Chan-Baystate will readily prepare you and help advance your journey toward your goals.
The People
If you were to poll our residents about what brought them to Baystate, you will often hear about the people.
Here, we foster educational growth and medical competency in an atmosphere that equally emphasizes resident wellbeing. Our culture at Baystate places a strong emphasis on wellness and support which comes in a variety of forms. Every intern is paired with a Med-Peds peer mentor from the beginning of the year to guide them through residency. Outside of our own program we form strong relationships with our categorical residents and have a dedicated EAP counselor for residents across all programs. When we’re not at the hospital, you will find us having dinner together, hiking, visiting any of the local orchards/wineries/breweries, enjoying Thunderbirds games, going to the beach, or exploring nearby cities!
And when we’re not at the hospital, you will find us having dinner together, hiking, planning birthday parties, visiting any of the local orchards/wineries/breweries, enjoying Thunderbirds games, going to the beach, sailing or exploring nearby cities!
Our supportive family does not stop with the residents. Our program directors and coordinators all provide unending guidance when we need it most with an open door policy. Not to mention, the Med-Peds office is always well-stocked with espresso and snacks! Being one of the largest residency programs at Baystate, we are fortunate to have an established presence where we are taught by many med-peds trained faculty who have graduated from Baystate as well.
The Community
Western Massachusetts is a fantastic place to live!
Springfield itself has many things to offer including museums, the Basketball Hall of Fame, and a variety of delicious restaurants to hit up after work. As you head north into the Pioneer Valley, you can find yourself exploring the bustling New England towns of Easthampton, Northampton, Holyoke, Hadley, and Amherst, each with great eats, bakeries, or ice cream.
There are many nearby areas for hiking, swimming, skiing, and biking to keep you busy at all times of the year. Our location makes it convenient to travel for a day or weekend away to cities such as Boston, Saratoga, Providence, and NYC. We are 30 minutes away from Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, which makes long-distance or international travel very accessible.
We Welcome Your Questions
No matter where you end up training to become an Internal Medicine-Pediatrics physician, it is an extremely rewarding and worthwhile career. If you have any questions about Baystate or Med-Peds in general, we would be happy to help you! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions.
Sincerely,
Sara, Jamie, and Jessica
Med-Peds Chief Residents, 2022-2023