The West Kendall Baptist Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program, an academic affiliate of Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, has been granted initial accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). With accreditation in place, the program is interviewing for its first class of residents.
“The Family Medicine Residency Program is a first for both Baptist Health South Florida and Florida International University,” said Javier Hernández-Lichtl, CEO of West Kendall Baptist Hospital and corporate chief academic officer for Baptist Health South Florida. “It represents our shared commitment to address the critical shortage of primary care physicians across the country. Since 70 percent of doctors remain in the communities where they do their residencies, this program will have a direct and positive impact on South Florida.”
Increasing the number of residencies in South Florida is one of the goals of the Wertheim College of Medicine, which will graduate its first class in April of 2013.
Residency education is the period of clinical education in a medical specialty that follows graduation from medical school, and prepares physicians for the independent practice of medicine. Residencies are accredited by ACGME, a private professional organization.
The new, state-of-the-art Baptist Health Medical Group Family Medicine Center at West Kendall Baptist Hospital, directed by Dr. Agueda Hernández, will serve as the primary training ground for the residency program. The program will eventually accommodate 12 residents serving three-year terms. The first class of four residents will begin their training in June 2013; additional classes of four residents will begin in 2014 and 2015. Positions will be filled through the National Resident Matching Program.
Prospective applicants may visit BaptistHealth.net/GME for more information on the West Kendall Baptist Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program.
