How to apply
- ACGME#: 1101100001
- NRMP#: 2232110C3
Welcome from our Program Director
It is a pleasure to welcome you to Emergency Medicine as the founding Program Director of our Residency at HCA Florida Westside Hospital . We could not be more excited about your interest in our program.
Our split facility model and membership in the East Florida Emergency Medicine Consortium will provide the resources for producing strong academic and clinical emergency medicine physicians prepared to be the leaders of the specialty in the future.
Welcome Letter
Program overview
Our newly ACGME-accredited Emergency Medicine program is a three-year training program offering residents a unique opportunity to learn using educational and practical experiences. HCA Florida Westside Hospital is a 250-bed full-service acute care hospital certified by the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (ACHA) as a Comprehensive Stroke Center that sees over 60,000 patients/year. Residents will also rotate through the Emergency Department of HCA Florida Northwest Hospital a 289-bed medical center that also sees over 60,000 patients/year. HCA Florida Northwest Hospital is known for its comprehensive cardiovascular, maternity, orthopedic and 24/7 emergency care, as well as its Level III NICU, Comprehensive Bariatric Center of Excellence, minimally-invasive and robotic-assisted surgery programs, and more.
When not in the Emergency Department, our residents will be exposed to four months of critical care training, dedicated time learning anesthesia, ultrasound and gaining five months of pediatric emergency medicine experience. The academic component of training is emphasized by a regular schedule of conferences with mandatory attendance. Progress in the program is monitored by evaluations for each rotation, as well as annual participation in the Emergency Medicine In-Service examination. This robust curriculum will allow our residents to be well trained physicians, ready for any practice environment upon graduating.
Program highlights:
- Accepting thirteen new residents per year
- 100% Emergency medicine board-certified staff
- Comprehensive Stroke Center at HCA Florida Westside Hospital
- Dedicated in-depth ultrasound education with fellowship trained ultrasound director
- Significant resources available for resident training and medical education
- Diverse residency tracks, including EMS, international medicine, administration, Simulation, Ultrasound, Research and Wilderness
- Diverse patient population
Curriculum and rotation schedule
Our expertly crafted programs are designed to provide resident physicians with all the experiences and training necessary for professional success.
See Our Schedule
Our Program Director and staff
Our team is comprised of skilled experts with deep experience and knowledge from which residents and fellows can benefit.
Matthew Slane, DO, FACEP, FAAEM
Program Director
Core Faculty
- Nikkitta Georges, MD - Ultrasound Director
- Theresa Greene, MD - Core
- Colin Hagen, MD - Core
- Craig Kushnir, DO - EMS Program Director
- Jerome Wilkerson, MD - Core
- Sara Zagroba, MD - Associate Program Director
Salary & benefits information
Salary
| Year |
Salary |
Meals |
Total |
| PGY-1 |
$61,318 |
$950 |
$62,268 |
| PGY-2 |
$63,461 |
$950 |
$64,411 |
| PGY-3 |
$65,686 |
$950 |
$66,636 |
Benefits
- Health and disability insurance on first day of employment
- Four weeks of PTO
- Educational allowance as per GME policy
- Conference attendance as per program policy
- Paid BLS/ACLS/PALS/ATLS as required by the program
- Meals provided while working in the clinical environment
- Lab jackets
- Other items based on specific program need
Mission statement
The HCA Florida Westside Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency program’s mission is to develop the next generation of physicians and physician leaders.
As a part of HCA Healthcare, we are driven by a single mission: Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.
This program is designed to offer residents a rewarding, educational environment where residents are provided individualized learning opportunities by faculty and staff who support and sustain one another throughout quality care delivery. Our faculty are committed to ensuring the residents' clinical experience and educational needs are fulfilled while expanding residents' perspectives to be inclusive of cultures, values and ideals.
Frequently Asked Questions about our Emergency Medicine Residency Program
Find answers to the most common questions about our program!
There are a total of 39 residents with 13 per class.
Shifts are 10 hours long. Residents typically work 18 shifts in a four weeks-long block to ensure that there is time for study and scholarly activity while ensuring wellness and work-life balance.
Every Wednesday from 8:00am to 1:00pm, residents have protected time to attend conference. In addition to standard didactic material, residents participate in case conference, M&M, journal club, procedure lab, simulation lab and oral board review and two-dimensional simulation case management. There are grand rounds presentations almost every month delivered by both emergency medicine faculty and many other specialties.
Yes, there is a four weeks-long orientation block for new interns in July. All new emergency department interns will work a reduced number of clinical shifts in July and participate in an extended number of labs, simulations and orientation activities to help in the transition from senior medical students to functioning emergency medicine interns.
HCA Florida Westside Hospital and HCA Florida Northwest are the primary rotation sites for adult emergency medicine. There is also the opportunity to rotate in a free-standing emergency department to gain experience in this work environment. Palms West Hospital is the primary rotation site for pediatrics emergency medicine.
Our program reviews the applications of anyone who applies to the program. International students are considered if their training has included all of the typical elements of a United States medical school education as well as all requirements for a visa can be obtained. It is helpful to the review committee if an international student has done a clinical rotation with us so that we have had a first-hand observation of their clinical skills. We do require that international students have some clinical experience in the United States with a letter of recommendation from that experience.
We do not have a specific cut off value for board examination scores. Each application is reviewed in its entirety and holistically. We also do not provide information regarding the average scores of applicants and/or current residents.
Yes, we consider DO applicants and have had DO residents in our program in the past. It is preferable if a DO applicant has taken the USMLE examination as a head-to-head comparison with the MD applicants.
No. We interview many more applicants than have rotated with us. Although a percentage of residents from each class come from students that have rotated here, this is not unique to our program and likely has to do with students prioritizing places where they have had clinical experience when making their rank list.
It is helpful for us to have SLOEs in an applicant's file as this a standard evaluation used by clerkships and EM residency programs throughout the country. However, not all schools or rotation sites use these when evaluating their students so they are not mandatory. We do require at least one emergency medicine faculty letter. We would consider an exception to this for a resident who is transferring from another specialty. In total we require three letters of recommendation. It is preferable if at least two of these are from EM faculty members.
We are continuously reviewing applications. If you have not heard from us that we are declining an interview offer it means that your application is still under consideration.
We consider all applicants as stated above. This includes transfers from other specialties. However, if you have been outside clinical practice for an extended period of time, we will likely not consider your application. There is no set period of time as a cut off.
November 1st is our application deadline. Given the number of applications we receive, the earlier you apply the better, as we offer interviews on a rolling process.
We do not have any specific cut off point. However, the longer you have been away from clinical medicine, the more challenging it will be for us to assess your current skill set.
We do not have a minimum score, although emergency medicine has become much more competitive. We will consider an applicant who has had to take the examination more than one time, but in our application pool failure of the boards will make your application less competitive.
Please see answers for USMLE Step 1.
We require some clinical experience in the U.S. so that a U.S. faculty member has evaluated you and provided you with a recommendation.
Step 2 scores are not required by the time of application, however, if your Step 1 score was lower, an improvement on Step 2 will work in your favor.
We interview applicants routinely who are participating in the couples match.