Beyond Work

Our residents give back to Durham and the surrounding community through a number of activities.

In 2019, the Duke Med-Peds residency program hosted its first annual advocacy run to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in collaboration with other North Carolina med-peds programs. Since then, the program has organized an annual run to benefit local charities. The annual Duke Charity Auction is organized by the Internal Medicine residents and raises money for a local charity called Senior PharmAssist (where Med-Peds residents will visit while on Adult Community rotation). Residents regularly volunteer through the Resiteering Committee at Lincoln Community Health Center. Through the Pediatric Residency, there is the Advocacy and Community Council for Trainees which is a resident-led committee focused on improving the health and safety of the children of Durham. Read more. In addition to these opportunities, faculty and residents volunteer at the Samaritan Health Center, a local free clinic in Durham and Habitat for Humanity, among other community engagement opportunities.

The Engagement and Inclusion (E&I) committee is a collaboration between Med-Peds residents and faculty to promote an inclusive training environment, community engagement, and dedication to lifelong learning. Events include group trips to learn about the community we serve, the annual advocacy run, a health equity book club, and Listening & Learning sessions, quarterly meeting where residents and faculty engage in bidirectional dialogue about important health topics to learn from each other and provide better clinical care. 

Medicine-Pediatrics residents participate in social events in both categorical programs, including the Charity Auction, Humanities in Medicine events, ice cream socials, Durham Bulls baseball games, class retreats, hello-goodbye parties, and more. In addition, Med-Peds residents participate in a variety of other Med-Peds specific events, including switch parties, holiday parties, and senior end-of-year dinners. There are also two annual Med-Peds potlucks to which current and past residents and faculty are invited.

"Duke is a BIG FAMILY, which I believe is its biggest strength. It is a program where you feel supported, challenged, and encouraged to pursue all different avenues in medicine."

Sam Curtis, MD, Class of 2024, Pediatrics Chief Resident 2024-25

Journal Club and Business Meeting takes place three times a year.  Each class (except for the intern class) is responsible for selecting an article and “hosting” the Journal Club each year.  

Each year, one or two fourth year residents are peer-selected to act as Wellness Chief(s). This role is responsible for overall socialization and wellbeing of the residents. Other responsibilities include collaborating with program leadership to update and implement the Program Wellness Policy.