HCA Florida Healthcare/USF Morsani College of Medicine GME - Tampa South Program

The Internal Medicine Residency Program at HCA Florida Blake Hospital, affiliated with the USF Morsani College of Medicine, offers an extensive training curriculum tailored for medical graduates aiming to advance their medical careers. The program’s structure is dedicated to fostering the next generation of physicians through a robust educational framework, clinical exposure, and individualized learning opportunities.

Program Overview

This residency program is ACGME-accredited, offering 71 categorical positions, split into 22 residents per year across a three-year categorical residency and an additional 5 positions for a preliminary year. Most of the clinical training occurs at HCA Florida Blake Medical Center, a 383-bed tertiary care hospital recognized as a Level II trauma center, with specialized facilities for burn care and comprehensive stroke management. The hospital also features three distinct ICUs: a medical/trauma ICU, a burn ICU, and a cardiovascular ICU, providing residents with ample hands-on clinical experience 1.

Curriculum and Rotations

The curriculum adopts a 4+1 rotation format that alternates four-week inpatient rotations with one week dedicated to continuity clinic practice. This structure allows residents uninterrupted exposure to outpatient care while maintaining the rigorous demands of inpatient responsibilities. Over the course of three years, residents engage in a diverse array of experiences, completing approximately 10 months of inpatient wards rotations, 4-5 months of ICU, and extensive outpatient training through continuity and specialty clinics 2.

Core rotations encompass inpatient wards, emergency medicine, and specialty rotations, including cardiology, geriatrics, gastroenterology, and infectious disease. Additional electives are available across both inpatient and outpatient settings, giving residents the flexibility to tailor their training to their professional goals. A dedicated night float rotation ensures that residents are not scheduled for shifts exceeding 12 hours, promoting a better work-life balance 2.

Educational Environment

The program emphasizes a comprehensive didactic curriculum, comprising not only faculty-led lectures but also resident-led presentations, fostering a collaborative educational culture. Mandatory protected didactic time is built into the schedule, totaling 7 hours per week and encompassing topics relevant across the medical spectrum. Notable educational components include a morning report, noon conferences, morbidity and mortality conferences, and a journal club, where residents engage with the latest in medical literature 2.

Research and Scholarly Activity

All residents are required to engage in scholarly activities throughout their training. This may include participating in leading didactics, presenting at patient safety events, and submitting research for publication. Each resident is assigned a research mentor who assists in their research pursuits, complemented by the availability of a dedicated research coordinator to facilitate project development. Funding is available to support residents' conference attendance and publication-related costs 2.

Salary and Benefits

HCA Florida Blake Hospital offers a competitive benefits package tailored to meet the diverse needs of its residents. Benefits include medical, dental, and life insurance, professional liability insurance coverage, paid time off, stipends for educational materials, and support for board preparation resources. Residents are also eligible for paid family leave, enhancing work-life balance during residency training 1.

Visa Support and Competitiveness

The program is equipped to sponsor J-1 and H-1B visas, making it accessible for international medical graduates seeking to complete their residency training in the United States. The program is characterized as friendly towards DO graduates and international medical graduates (IMGs), fostering a diverse training environment that enriches the educational experience for all residents 1.

Application Requirements

Applicants must have graduated medical school within a specified period, and there are caps on failed Step exams to ensure candidates' eligibility. These policies reflect the program's commitment to maintaining high educational standards and ensuring a successful residency experience for incoming trainees 1.