Research and Mentoring
Within the Department of Medicine, residents have many opportunities to conduct basic science and/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 resulting in publications and kickstarting 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 Fully Computerized Electronic Medical Records
The Department of Medicine, Shands & UF, and the VAMC utilize computerized patient care and educational systems. Both the inpatient and outpatient charts at Shands/UF are in Epic, an electronic medical record system. All radiographic studies are available through Epic, as well as labs, daily notes, clinic notes, and studies creating a fully integrated patient care system.
The VAMC has the national VA CPRS electronic medical record system. Both hospitals have team rooms and call rooms equipped with multiple computers and printers. Upon arrival to the Department of Medicine each resident is given an email account through the department. Many of the day to day activities of residents can be found on-line at the residency home page at http://residency.medicine.ufl.edu/. Finally, the office of Graduate Medical Education provides every resident access to Up To Date (on line medical reference) from any Shands Computer and their personal mobile device. 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, which are accessible from home through remote login.
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 32 Categorical and 14 preliminary interns each year.
Following the Association of American Medical College guidelines, we use the ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) for the Match. 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.
For the 2022-2023 application cycle, our program will be participating in the supplemental ERAS application offered through the AAMC’s ERAS program. Applicants will be required to complete the MyERAS application, and participation in the supplemental ERAS application is optional. We also encourage submission of the Structured Evaluation Letter (SEL) with the application.
A medical school transcript and three letters of recommendation are 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 will be held virtually on Zoom from October 24, 2022-January 11, 2023. Categorical applicant interviews are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Preliminary application interviews are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Osteopathic candidates:
The University of Florida College of Medicine Internal Medicine residency welcomes applications from students of AOA-approved Osteopathic Medical Schools. We strongly encourage candidates to arrange elective rotations at UF in Internal Medicine or its subspecialties to familiarize yourself with our program. Additionally, our residents are able to fulfill their AOA requirements for licensure if needed.
International candidates:
The University of Florida Department of Medicine welcomes residency applications from outside the United States. Please be advised that the University of Florida College of Medicine will only sponsor J-1 (visitor exchange) visas. Resident aliens who already have permanent work authorization are welcome to apply. All applications must be filed through the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS).
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:Jenika Christmas, Program Administrator (352) 265-0239 / FAX (352) 265-1107 or e-mail Jenika Christmas, (jenika.christmas@medicine.ufl.edu)