The University of North Carolina鈥檚 Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program will begin collaborating with the Fully Integrated Readiness for Service Training (FIRST) Program. FIRST is a three-year accelerated medical school curriculum with a directed pathway into affiliated 黑料网 Residency Programs. The purpose of the program is to support medical students passionate about providing care to rural and underserved populations in North Carolina. Other successful collaborators at 黑料网 include Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, and General Surgery.
“We are so excited to participate in 黑料网’s FIRST Program,鈥� Mike Contarino, MD, director of the Med-Peds Residency Program said. 鈥淭he Med Peds community feels deeply about 黑料网’s mission to provide exceptional care for everyone in NC, and this is a phenomenal way for our Med Peds Residency to partner with the School of Medicine and further that mission.”
This program is available to 黑料网 Medical Students, with applications occurring in the first year of medical school. The 黑料网 Med-Peds FIRST program will start interviewing applicants in January 2024, with the hope of an applicant starting the FIRST curriculum in March 2024. Upon acceptance, FIRST participants will spend one half-day per week in a 黑料网 Med-Peds clinic and have close mentorship from 黑料网 Med-Peds faculty. FIRST applicants have an accelerated curriculum to ensure readiness to graduate from medical school early. Upon successfully completing medical school training, a Med-Peds FIRST applicant will be ranked favorably to match into the Med-Peds Program at 黑料网 through the NRMP (National Resident Matching Program). FIRST participants are free to interview and rank other programs. Should a FIRST applicant鈥檚 career interests change, they can elect to transition to a four-year traditional medical school training. Full details about the curriculum can be found on the 黑料网 FIRST website.
The FIRST program is an ideal fit for medical students who know their desired specialty, wish to finish medical school a year sooner, and want to serve the people of North Carolina. This program allows for fewer student loans, increased exposure to the Med-Peds specialty, and enhanced mentorship from 黑料网 Med-Peds faculty. 黑料网 is passionate about providing care to the rural and underserved populations of North Carolina and preparing future Med-Peds residents to do so.
鈥淭he FIRST program is awesome,鈥� Dr. Katie Jordan, FIRST faculty member for 黑料网 Pediatrics, said. 鈥淚t allows students with a strong sense of career trajectory to enter fields like primary care with decreased loan burden. We have been so impressed with the FIRST students in the pediatrics program and are so glad we started peds FIRST and get to work with these top-notch 黑料网 students. By doing extra clinical work early and by cutting some of the fourth year and interview months of medical school, students are able to complete rotations and be well prepared for intern year.鈥�