JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –
Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonville’s award-winning Family Medicine Residency Program, now in its 50th year of continuous accreditation, graduated 24 physicians (12 residents and 12 interns) at a ceremony on June 25 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville’s Hangar 117.
The graduation also served as a kick-off to the program’s new academic year, which begins July 1 with 45 residents and interns.
All program participants are physicians who have completed medical school. By the end of the first year, each has completed training rotations in primary and inpatient care, emergency medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, general surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, urology, and dermatology.
“It is a distinct privilege for me to celebrate our 50th class of graduates,” said Capt. Teresa Allen, NH Jacksonville’s commander, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Jacksonville’s commanding officer, and a family medicine physician. “As a proud graduate of this residency program myself, I share with you the honor of caring for our nation’s heroes and their families.”
To become board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), physicians must be licensed and successfully complete three years of residency training in a program (like NH Jacksonville’s) that’s accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Additionally, physicians must meet all board requirements and pass the ABFM board certification exam.
Upon completion of the first year of study, some residents choose to go directly into the fleet to serve as general medical officers, flight surgeons, or undersea medical officers. Those who stay continue for two additional years of training in key areas of family medicine such as obstetrics, pediatrics, internal medicine, sports medicine, neurology, mental health, trauma, and intensive care. After completion of the residency, the residents become board certified family medicine physicians, assigned as staff ─ providing care to active duty, retirees, and families across the globe.
Naval Hospital Jacksonville and Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Jacksonville deliver health care and readiness. NH Jacksonville (which includes five branch health clinics across Florida and Georgia) serves 175,000 active duty, active duty family members, and retired service members, including 57,000 patients enrolled with a primary care manager. NMRTC Jacksonville (which includes five units across Florida and Georgia) ensures warfighters' medical readiness to deploy and clinicians' readiness to save lives. To find out more, visit https://jacksonville.tricare.mil.