Future Gators: Pediatric Residency Recruitment Season is Open

A message from Nicole Paradise Black, M.D., M.Ed., Pediatric Residency Program Director

Our fantastic pediatric interns arrived in July and are well established in their new roles.  It is hard to believe that in September we began the process again to find the best and brightest interns to join our program next July.

Pediatric residency recruitment begins in September, when applications start coming in, and concludes in March, when Match Day occurs.  This year we have already received nearly 1,500 applications from students across the country and throughout the world. And applications are still rolling in!  After wading through all of these applications, we will ultimately interview approximately 160 applicants for just 16 internship positions.

We host applicant interviews from late October through early February. The process of meeting, greeting and getting to know the applicants is the result of the hard work of many great individuals in the department, including our medical education coordinator, Cynthia Powell, and one of our Associate Program Directors, Arwa Saidi, M.D., M.Ed., who spearhead the entire recruitment mission.   They commit countless hours and organize everything from faculty interview assignments to hotel reservations and welcome packets.

The residents also take it upon themselves to organize portions of the interview day, and help make the applicants feel especially welcome.  This year’s resident recruitment leaders are Ryan Stokes, M.D., Kendall Riley, M.D., Hannah Renno, M.D., Daphna Barbeau ,M.D.  and Kristin Johnson, M.D. The residents host the pre-interview dinner, conduct hospital tours and have lunch with the applicants.

Numerous faculty members spend time interviewing and providing valuable feedback on candidates, as well.  The candidates experience our team-based morning report system and also spend time with the department chair, program director and chief residents.

Altogether, they gain a great sense of understanding of what it is like to be a Gator!

We are excited to have the interview season well under way, and it is an honor to have the opportunity to get to know these interesting and talented aspiring pediatricians.

We strive to find individuals who demonstrate academic excellence, advocacy and compassion, as well as show interest in and dedication to teaching and scholarly activity. Our program prides itself on training the next generation of pediatricians who maintain a lifelong commitment to learning and the promotion of children’s health care.  We are continuously looking to add to the bright, gifted, diverse, caring, fun and down-to-earth group of residents that make up the University of Florida Pediatric Residency Program.

Please click here to learn more about the UF Department of Pediatrics Residency Program.