New physicians join The Gator Nation
New residents and fellows begin their training July 1 at UF Health.
June 29, 2017 — The UF College of Medicine welcomes 491 physicians who will start residency or fellowship programs in Gainesville, Orlando, Jacksonville and Pensacola on July 1. In addition to programs at UF Health in Gainesville and Jacksonville, UF sponsors residency programs at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola and Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando to respond to the need to train physicians in our state and nation. We welcome 335 residents and fellows in Gainesville, 122 in Jacksonville, and 17 each at programs in Pensacola and Orlando.
“We’re so excited you chose this moment in time to be at UF,” said UF College of Medicine Dean Michael L. Good, M.D., during the new resident and fellow orientation June 30, noting the continued growth of the UF Health system, from the upcoming opening of the UF Health Heart & Vascular and Neuromedicine hospitals to the expansion of clinical services at UF Health Springhill.
Good also offered four pieces of advice to the new residents and fellows:
- Spend time with your patients
- Engage with your faculty
- Read every day
- Engage with the larger health care team, including nurses, pharmacists and therapists
Timothy Flynn, M.D., senior associate dean for clinical affairs, echoed Good’s advice to engage with patients.
“It’s been 43 years since residency orientation for me,” Flynn said. “As I close my career, I can’t imagine a more fulfilling life than what I’ve had. I envy you because you’re on the front end of it. When you get to my age, you’ll say, ‘I did some good.’ And that’s a wonderful thing.”
Exploring a new home: Resident bucket list challenge encourages work-life balance
This summer, UF Health will be teeming with an influx of new residents and fellows from across the nation and beyond. To assist the new physician trainees with their transition into The Gator Nation, the UF College of Medicine Resident and Fellow Event Committee, in conjunction with the UF College of Medicine Alumni Affairs and Graduation Education offices, created the Ultimate Resident and Fellow Bucket List Challenge.
The residents and fellows are encouraged to venture out into the community and enjoy what makes Gainesville and North Central Florida unique. The 50 activities suggested in the challenge also provide much-needed opportunities to relieve stress.
Items on the list range from sporting events to nature sites to beloved local eateries. In addition to Gainesville attractions, the list also recommends nearby historical sites in Micanopy and St. Augustine. Residents and fellows who complete at least 20 items on the list within two years will receive a UF Health fleece.
Neurology resident David Ho, M.D., Ph.D., and his wife, Yi-Wen Su, explored Lake Wauburg, one of nearly 50 activities on the Ultimate Resident and Fellow Bucket List Challenge.
Photo by Yi-Wen Su
Fourth-year general surgery resident David Hall said when residents engage with UF and the city of Gainesville, they establish a sense of belonging in the community.
“As residents, it’s easy for us to just go to work and then home to sleep, but forming a relationship with the community around us leads to a greater appreciation for the city, and we’ll enjoy aspects of it we might not have otherwise known existed,” he said. “The bucket list challenge was created to allow people to get a true sense of what the University of Florida and Gainesville have to offer.”
Below are a handful of selections from the Ultimate Resident and Fellow Bucket List Challenge.
Join the fun and see which items residents and fellows have checked off the list by following the #UFCOMBucketList hashtag on Facebook.
- Satchel’s Plaza – Tucked away in mostly residential northeast Gainesville, this long-standing local favorite offers pizza, salad and desserts in an unique environment. While you wait to eat inside of a 1960s VW bus, peruse art installations made of yesterday’s technology. Bring cash, and slap on a free bumper sticker when you leave.
- City of Gainesville Free Fridays summer concert series – Nearly every Friday evening from April to October, the city hosts free live music in Bo Diddley Plaza downtown. Highlights include veteran Gainesville singer-songwriter Michael Claytor on July 7 leading The High Nooners in a musical tribute to the American West. On July 21, Wax Wings weaves together folk-punk, jazz, honky tonk and classical.
- Annual resident and fellow family BBQ – Scheduled for Oct. 21, residents, fellows and their loved ones can bond over brisket at this annual networking barbecue held at the George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building. The event features a full spread, a costume contest, face airbrushing, pumpkin painting, corn hole and a photo booth.
- La Chua Trail – Situated at the north end of Paynes Prairie, The La Chua Trail is home to alligators, horses and all manner of birds. Stroll along the elevated boardwalk or hike out to an observation tower to watch the action.
- Kika Silva Pla Planetarium – Santa Fe College’s planetarium regularly holds both scientific and musical events. The Music 360 series continues with Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite “The Planets” July 1 and “Sounds of the Underground” August 25, featuring dance and rave music from Benny Benassi and Kraftwerk.
- Ichetucknee River – For days when the ocean seems impossibly far, hitch a plastic tube to the car and head 40 minutes north to the Ichetucknee River in Fort White. Otters greet floaters and kayakers who travel underneath shady Spanish moss.
