Other Aspects of the Internal Medicine Residency Program
Research and Mentoring
Throughout the Department of Medicine, residents have the opportunity to conduct basic science or clinical research. Residents are helped with finding research mentors early in their Intern Year. Elective time during the residency can be used for research opportunities. As mentioned, several members of the faculty have NIH and Educational Grants and are always willing and able to mentor residents. Residents present their work at state and national conferences. Many have developed publications and have gone on to have substantial careers in academic medicine. The University of Florida also has the Clinical Research Center (CRC) to help facilitate the translation of basic science into state-of-the-art clinical research. Funded by the NIH for over 30 years, the CRC is a 5,000 square foot, 10 bed unit that is dedicated to implementing clinical research protocols in a variety of patient populations. For further information on Research please visit http://www.med.ufl.edu/research/
Ancillary Services
Blood drawing: Blood-drawing teams at both hospitals draw all blood samples. Blood-drawing and IV teams are available at Shands and the VAMC 24 hours a day.
Arterial punctures: Samples for blood gas analysis are drawn by respiratory therapists on request or by house officers or medical students if so desired.
Electrocardiograms: Electrocardiograms are performed at all times by technicians (Shands) and nursing staff (VAMC).
Laboratories: The central laboratories at both hospitals perform all laboratory studies including emergency studies at night and on weekends.
Radiology: A radiologist is present at night at Shands Hospital and is also responsible for reading studies at the VAMC. Emergency procedures such as CT scans, ultrasonography, nuclear medicine studies and angiography can be performed throughout the night, if indicated.
Educational Resources and Computer Services
The Department of Medicine and both Shands Hospital and VAMC have invested into computerized patient care and educational systems. At Shands, the patient medical record is web based and can be accessed from home. In addition, all radiographic studies are available on-line for easy reference and review both on and off site. The VAMC has the national VA CPRS electronic medical record system. Both hospitals have team rooms and call rooms equipped with several computers and printers.
Upon arrival to the Department of Medicine each resident is given an email account through the department. The University of Florida also provides home internet access through a dial-up service called Gatorlink. Many of the day to day activities of residents can be found on-line at the residency home page at http://www.medicine.ufl.edu/resid/
Finally, the office of Graduate Medical Education provides every resident access to Up To Date (on line medical reference) from any Shands Computer. In addition, the University of Florida Health Sciences Library has access to hundreds of on-line full text medical journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Benefits
2008-2009 Salary
PGY-1: $43,964/year
PGY-2: $45,277/year
PGY-3: $46,897/year
There is an anticipated cost-of-living adjustment added each year.
Vacation: All housestaff receive three weeks of vacation each year. It occurs in a 2 week and 1 week blocks.
American College of Physicians (ACP): Annual membership to the ACP is paid for by the Department.
Insurance and Fees: The Department of Medicine provides malpractice insurance and pays for life insurance, accidental death insurance, health insurance and major medical coverage. Dental coverage is not provided.
Meals: The VAMC provides dinner to house officers on call. At Shands Hospital, a Housestaff Lounge supplies free beverages and snacks 24 hours a day. Meal tickets are provided to house officers when on call. Lunch is provided nearly every day in conjunction with noon lecture meetings or seminars.
Parking: House officers are eligible to obtain Health Center parking that is convenient to both hospitals. There is a fee deductible from the paycheck prior to taxes.
Beepers: All house officers are provided with Alpha-Numeric pagers free of charge.
Uniforms: White, full-length, monogrammed labcoats are provided for all interns and residents free of charge.
On-Call Rooms: Individual on-call rooms are located immediately adjacent to the medicine services at both hospitals. Each call room includes private bathroom and shower facilities.
Educational Fund: All residents are given an allotted educational fund. It is $300 in the PGY 1 year and $150 for the PGY 2 and 3 year. This fund can help pay for approved educational items.
Moonlighting
If a resident is in good standing, has attended greater than 60% of conferences, and has a valid Florida or outside state medical license, then there are several opportunities for moonlighting through Shands Hospital and the VA Medical Center.
Fun and Games
Throughout the year the residents in the Department of Medicine gather for activities outside of the hospital. Every fall there is a picnic and field day for all residents and their families. Every year residents celebrate the holiday season at the annual Holiday Party. Often residents gather at local restaurants to share a relaxed night out for dinner and fun. They can all be seen together at football, baseball, and basketball games enjoying the best that Division I NCAA athletics has to offer. At the end of the year there is a large party for all the residents and their families to enjoy.
Internship Requirements & Applications
Currently, the Internal Medicine Residency Program accepts 24 Categorical and 15 preliminary interns each year. Two of the preliminary positions are offered to residents continuing their training in the Dermatology Program.
Following the Association of American Medical College guidelines, we use the ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) for the Match. We will not be accepting applications outside of the ERAS program. Applications should be made through the Dean's Office at your medical school or, for IMG applicants, through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medial Graduates (ECFMG) office. The Department of Medicine adheres strictly to the NRMP guidelines and does not accept applicants "out of the match." Applicants with unique situations (such as physician candidates or those matching with a spouse) should notify this office early in the application process.
A medical school transcript and three letters of recommendation are also required. The "Dean's Letter" will suffice as one letter of recommendation. Faculty members who have had an opportunity to observe the applicant's performance in a clinical setting provide the most meaningful information, but letters from individuals with whom the applicant has worked in a laboratory or another research setting are also welcomed.
Interviews with those applying for PGY-2 training in either Neurology or Dermatology are coordinated with the appropriate specialty to minimize travel. Coordination of these events is necessary and applicants should identify their special needs. Those requesting a preliminary year before beginning training in other disciplines (radiotherapy, neurology, radiology, anesthesiology or ophthalmology) also should inquire about interview times reserved for such applicants.
An interview is required, but in special cases alternatives to the traditional interview can be arranged. It is also strongly suggested that letters of recommendation precede the visit. Interviews must be arranged in advance and are held on Mondays and Fridays from 7:15 am to 2pm.
All information must be received and interviews completed six weeks before the date of the match.
Direct applications and requests for information to: N. Lawrence Edwards, M.D. Department of Medicine University of Florida P.O. Box 100277 Gainesville, Florida 32610-0277 Attn: Susan Major, Program Administrator (352) 265-0239 / FAX (352) 265-1107 or e-mail Susan Major, (majorsa@medicine.ufl.edu)
