Session 113 Dr. Aaron Leetch one of the program directors at the University of Arizona for a combined residency in pediatrics and emergency medicine. It's actually a very rare residency program with only four programs in the country that offer this. Find out more about this, how it's different and much more! Dr. Leetch is the host of the Arizona EMCast. Also, check out all our other podcasts on Meded Media. Listen to this podcast episode with the player above, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points. [01:27] Interest in Combined Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine Aaron has always been certain he was going to be a pediatrician as he loves working with kids. He also liked the compassion of it. It was when he started working at one of the local ERs as a scribe that he felt torn between pediatrics and emergency medicine. He loved the acuity and multitasking aspects of emergency medicine. In fact, he likens it to waiting tables which he used to do. Then he met the program director at the University of Arizona who trained at the combined emergency medicine and pediatrics program in Baltimore and started the program there. He asked Aaron why he wanted to do both and thought it was everything he had wanted to do. After five years of doing the training program, he still loved every minute of it and knew it was the kind of thing he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Aaron has always been amazed at people being torn between two specialties that are very dissimilar. For some people, pediatrics and emergency medicine are not the same. But he explains that there are aspects of both sides that he really liked. Aaron later realized that his pediatric training would be applicable when he sees children in the emergency department. To help them navigate that system in the ED is incredibly helpful to the patient.  [Related episode: What Does the Pediatric Residency Match Data Look Like?] [06:40] Traits that Lead to Being a Good Combined EM and Pediatrics Physicians You have to be patient considering that it's a five-year training. Be sure that you're willing to do five years since you can just do emergency medicine and still trained to see children. The first thing he looks for in applicants is why they want to do both programs. He also wants to know people have considered what they want to do after they're done with training. There are lots of EDs that can't afford to hire somebody who's only certified to see children and they need to see both. [Related episode: Advice From an Emergency Medicine Residency Director] [08:38] Getting Exposure for the Program Considering that there are only currently four programs doing this kind of training in the country, they're hoping to gain visibility through doing medical student podcasts. Plus, they also get the opportunity to talk to people about this. The most common for pediatric/emergency medicine is doing a peds or emergency medicine residency and then doing a fellowship. This is great as long as this is what fits with what you want to do. However, if you want to be a rural doctor and you want the general pediatrics knowledge or the subspecialty time with pediatric nephrology or neonatal ICU, you wouldn't be able to get this by just doing an emergency residency and the pediatric fellowship for two years. It would not give you the same level of intensity if you want to be a broader trained person rather than narrowing and being a specialist. [10:50] Types of Patients The types of patients you see depends on where you go. In Aaron's case, he does 60% peds and 40% adults. You have the potential to work in any emergency medicine department across the country. If you want to work in a pediatric-specific emergency department, that depends on the needs of that emergency department. You could open up your own clinic if you wanted to or work in places that need a general pediatric physician as a hospitalist. You can do a fellowship on the emergency side or on the pediatric side. Or you can do