UCF-HCA Healthcare have announced a new transitional year residency program at HCA Florida West Hospital in Pensacola and are seeking applications to begin training this July.

The transitional year program is a one-year training that provides newly graduated M.D.s with comprehensive clinical skills before they go on to more specialized training in areas such as ophthalmology, dermatology and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

With the new program, the UCF-HCA Graduate Medical Education Consortium now has 41 residencies and fellowships across Florida, making it one of the fastest-growing programs in the state. With locations in greater Orlando, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Pensacola, Sanford, Fort Walton Beach and Ocala, the consortium is training more than 650 physicians across the state.

The program will accept 12 residents annually. Applications must be submitted through ERAS (NRMP Program Code: 1587999P3). Qualified candidates will be invited for interviews, with the program participating in the match week Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program if needed.

Transitional year residents will train in the hospital’s ICU, Emergency Department, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery and OBGYN areas and have experiences in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Additionally, the program emphasizes healthcare advocacy and the promotion of preventive healthcare services. UCF and HCA Healthcare leaders say the transition program also will create a coordinated, robust learning environment at HCA West Florida Pensacola, as its dermatology and physical medicine and rehabilitation residents can do their preliminary year in the same hospital system where they will get their specialized training.

Medical school graduates cannot practice independently until they receive residency training in their specialty of choice. Residency and fellowship programs are a key to addressing Florida’s physician shortage as a majority of doctors set up their practices where they do their graduate training.

“With the rising demand for skilled physicians across Florida and the nation, it is more important than ever to provide comprehensive training that supports the evolving needs of healthcare,” says Stephen Cico, the UCF College of Medicine’s associate dean for graduate medical education and the program’s designated institutional official. “The transitional year is designed to prepare residents with a solid foundation in clinical medicine, empowering them to pursue advanced training and make meaningful contributions to the health and well-being of their communities.”

Jack Ricketts will lead the program. Ricketts is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Surgeons and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. He has extensive experience in graduate medical education and clinical research and serves as an assistant professor at the College of Medicine. He said he is delighted to bring more doctors to Florida’s Panhandle region and provide a dynamic learning environment that offers residents outstanding mentorship and exposure to diverse clinical settings.