UCF and HCA Florida Healthcare Launch Internal Medicine Residency Program in Tallahassee

The UCF College of Medicine and HCA Florida Healthcare announced a new Internal Medicine Residency Program at HCA Florida Capital Hospital in Tallahassee, addressing Florida’s primary care physician shortage. The program received ACGME accreditation and will welcome its first class of 12 residents in July 2026, expanding to 36 trainees at full capacity.

Program Structure and Training Focus

The three-year residency emphasizes evidence-based, patient-centered care, interprofessional collaboration, and scholarly inquiry. Residents will gain experience across hospital, outpatient, and subspecialty settings including critical care, cardiology, endocrinology, infectious disease, and primary care.

Dr. Saquib Anjum, program director, outlined the mission to develop physicians who combine clinical excellence with leadership capabilities. Training components include case-based learning, journal clubs, and simulation-based education designed to strengthen diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making skills.

Internal medicine represents one of the largest residency specialties, with graduates pursuing careers in primary care, hospital medicine, and various subspecialties. The healthcare workforce pipeline depends on adequate residency positions to train physicians serving diverse practice settings.

Addressing Florida’s Physician Shortage

Dr. Stephen Cico, the College of Medicine’s associate dean for graduate medical education, emphasized internal medicine physicians’ role in diagnosing complex diseases, promoting preventive health, and coordinating care across specialties. Primary care represents a critical physician shortage area across Florida, particularly affecting rural and underserved communities.

The Association of American Medical Colleges projects Florida among states facing the most significant physician shortages over the next decade. According to AAMC workforce projections, Florida could face shortfalls in both primary care and specialty physicians as population growth outpaces physician supply.

Training physicians in Tallahassee positions them to practice in North Florida communities following residency completion. Research shows physicians often establish practices near their training locations, making residency program placement strategically important for addressing regional workforce needs.

UCF-HCA Florida Healthcare Consortium Expansion

The new residency joins the UCF-HCA Florida Healthcare Graduate Medical Education Consortium, described as Florida’s fastest-growing GME program. The consortium now oversees 47 residency and fellowship programs training more than 700 physicians across multiple specialties.

Consortium training sites include HCA hospitals in Greater Orlando, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Ocala, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola, and Sanford. This geographic distribution addresses physician workforce needs across different Florida regions, from urban centers to smaller communities with limited specialty access.

Teaching hospitals play essential roles in workforce development while managing the financial complexities of graduate medical education. Medicare funding through direct and indirect medical education payments helps support residency training costs, though hospitals often supplement these amounts.

Internal Medicine Training Requirements

Internal medicine residency programs follow standardized ACGME requirements covering clinical experience, education, and competency assessment. Residents complete rotations in general internal medicine, critical care, and various subspecialties while developing skills in patient management, clinical reasoning, and communication.

The program received accreditation and NRMP code 1587140C6, allowing medical school graduates to rank it during the annual match process. The National Resident Matching Program coordinates how approximately 40,000 medical students and graduate physicians find residency positions each year through a computerized algorithm that matches applicant preferences with program choices.

Financial Implications for Teaching Hospitals

Graduate medical education programs affect hospital financial performance through multiple channels. Teaching hospitals receive Medicare GME funding covering portions of resident salaries and training costs, though these payments typically do not cover full program expenses.

Teaching hospitals balance GME program costs against benefits, including enhanced patient care capabilities, improved quality metrics, and workforce recruitment advantages. Resident physicians provide clinical services under supervision while learning, contributing to hospital operations alongside training activities.

HCA Florida Capital Hospital’s decision to sponsor residency training represents a strategic investment in both workforce development and organizational capacity. Teaching hospitals often experience improved clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction scores, factors increasingly affecting Medicare reimbursement under value-based payment models.

Primary Care Workforce Development

Internal medicine residency graduates pursue diverse career paths, with significant percentages choosing primary care practice as general internists. Others complete fellowship training in subspecialties including cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, pulmonology, and infectious disease.

Florida’s growing and aging population creates sustained demand for internal medicine physicians across practice settings. Primary care physicians serve as first-contact providers managing chronic conditions, coordinating specialist referrals, and delivering preventive services that affect long-term health outcomes and healthcare costs.

The program’s emphasis on primary care training aligns with state workforce priorities. Training 36 physicians over three years, with classes entering annually, will produce a steady stream of internists prepared for Florida practice beginning in 2029 when the first class completes training.

Application and Selection Timeline

The program will participate in the 2026 residency match cycle, with applications accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service. Medical students typically submit applications in September, interview with programs during fall and winter, and submit rank lists in February before Match Day results in March.

ACGME accreditation allows the program to offer positions through the standard match process, providing assurance to applicants that training meets national standards. Programs compete for applicants by highlighting faculty expertise, clinical experiences, geographic location, and program culture.

Healthcare organizations developing graduate medical education programs need advisors who understand both educational requirements and financial implications of teaching hospital operations. The James Moore healthcare team helps hospitals and medical centers plan GME program investments that support workforce development while maintaining operational sustainability. 

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