Welcome and thank you for your interest in our Pediatric Residency Program in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville! Our program was established in 1960 and is fully accredited by Accreditation Council of Graduation Medical Education (ACGME). We’ve been training residents for decades and know we will successfully prepare our graduates for the next stage of their careers, whether that be independent practice or fellowship training. We, along with our partners Wolfson Children’s and Nemours Children’s Health, serve a population of >200,000 children in the Jacksonville area alone, and with our additional large catchment area, our residents are exposed to a wide variety of typical pediatric presentations along with a broad population of children with medical complexities and rare diseases; this exposure leads to the development of excellent clinical and humanistic skills and the ability to care for all children. Although we are an urban center, our patients hail from inner city to rural surrounding areas in Florida and southern Georgia. We care for many children who are underserved, as well as migrant populations and children relying on Medicaid. At the start of training, every resident is paired with a faculty advisor who will help guide our residents through training, scholarly activity, career, and sometimes life!
Some highlights of our program:
- Our main teaching hospital, Wolfson Children’s, is a state-designated pediatric trauma referral center, with a state of the art quaternary PICU and level 4 NICU. View all of our facilities.
- Rotations at UF Health, which is a metropolitan hospital serving a large indigent population with a Level I trauma center and a Level III NICU
- Access to diverse and multi-cultural local populations, including refugees and families with non-English language preferences
- Protected time for faculty didactic teaching, simulation, mentorship, and board review
- Research and quality improvement opportunities to guide interested residents on scholarly work and assessments with knowledgeable mentors
- A focus on advocacy allowing exposure to health care in diverse settings with the opportunity for state and national involvement
- Longitudinal out-patient experiences that include UF and Baptist community-based offices, private practices, and local health department
- State-of-the-art simulation center used for clinical practice in a controlled and safe environment
- Strong emphasis on quality improvement, patient safety, and patient oriented scholarly activities with all residents participating in a quality improvement project prior to graduation
- Unique learning opportunities in complex care, ethics team consulting, and plenty of elective rotations
- Dedicated class retreats with an active and leadership supported wellness committee to maintain balance during training
In addition, Jacksonville is a great place to live! Cost of living is below national average and residents find plenty of housing options within a reasonable distance from the hospital with good school districts. There are many local activities including excellent restaurants, shopping, parks, weekend farmer’s markets, sports teams including NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, concerts and plays at local venues, and the beach is located only about 30 minutes from the main hospital.
We hope you consider our program for excellent training in pediatric care with the support of a caring team and co-residents. We also know that where you attending training is an important and thoughtful decision, so please do not hesitate to contact us if we can offer additional assistance.
Lisa M Awe M.D.
Jennifer A Hipp DO, MPH