JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –
Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonville’s award-winning Family Medicine Residency Program, now in its 51st year of continuous accreditation, graduated 25 physicians (12 residents and 13 interns) at a ceremony on June 30 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 18 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.
“This graduation celebrates excellence in patient care, scholarly research, and leadership,” said Capt. Teresa Allen, NH Jacksonville’s commander, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Jacksonville’s commanding officer, and a family medicine physician. “Like those who have gone before, these graduates now have the honor and privilege of providing the best care available to 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 and its five branch health clinics serve 175,000 active duty, active duty family members, and retired service members, including 57,000 patients enrolled with a primary care manager. NMRTC Jacksonville and its five units support warfighters' medical readiness to deploy and clinicians' readiness to save lives. To learn more, visit: https://jacksonville.tricare.mil.