Pediatrics Residency Program

From the Chief Residents

Dear Prospective Candidates,

As chief residents, we would like to welcome you to the Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Florida. Thank you for visiting this website and showing an interest in our program. We would like to take this opportunity to tell you about ourselves and about our program from a resident perspective.

Oneith was born in New York, but considers herself a South Floridian. She attended undergraduate school at the University of Miami and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychobiology. She then attended medical school at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and graduated in 2006. She knew very early that she wanted to continue her education at USF in this Pediatric Residency program. Next year, she hopes to pursue a career in Academic Medicine and utilize the teaching and mentoring skills she has learned through her years with USF. She is married and has a 3-year-old son and is another is on the way.

Beatriz was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She attended undergraduate school at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. She attended medical school at Ponce School of Medicine and graduated in 2006. She was fascinated with pediatrics very early in her education. After the hectic interviewing season, she decided that the USF Pediatric Residency Program was the one that suited her interests the best. One of her special interests is public health policymaking and management, hence she is currently finishing her Masters in Public Health. She would like to pursue a career in public health and work as a pediatrician in a community clinic for the underserved.

From our perspective, there are many positive aspects of this program. For starters, there is very strong representation of most pediatric subspecialties, with multiple faculty who are esteemed specialists in the fields of nephrology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, infectious disease, allergy & immunology, cardiology, hematology-oncology, neurology, endocrinology, adolescent medicine and genetics. We have weekly Continuity Clinic starting during the PGY-1 year allowing significant exposure to outpatient pediatrics even during internship. During the PGY-2 and PGY-3 years our residents have the opportunity to work in a subspecialty clinic each week so that they get to work closely with experts in that area. We also have two dedicated ambulatory clinic sites: our state-of-the-art Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, and a comprehensive Children’s Medical Services clinic that is an excellent resource of community/private teaching physicians. As one can see, there is substantial breadth and depth to this program.

There are many additional unique features to this program. One is that we offer the unique training experience of working in both a free-standing tertiary referral children’s hospital at All Children’s Hospital and a level one trauma general hospital at Tampa General Hospital. We are particularly excited about the grand opening of our new All Children’s Hospital Facility in December, 2009 and look forward to continuing our training at this beautiful and technically advanced site.

We do have a strong didactic lecture series including the Morning Report and Noon lectures given daily, Board Review given twice a month, PREP club which meets at the beginning of every month, and our Lessons Learned series presented by the Chief Residents and Grand Rounds at both facilities. The didactic lectures range from practical clinic patient problems, to core pediatric curriculums, to critical appraisal of journal articles. The didactics emphasize case-based, interactive education.

Dr. Valerie Panzarino, our residency director, is a strong advocate for our program as she was a previous resident here. She is dedicated to the continual improvement of the program and is always available for any needs we may have. She is an excellent teacher, nephrologist and role model for patient care. Our Chairman, Dr. Robert Nelson, is incredibly approachable and accessible, which is a rare finding. He also continues to serve as an attending in our NICU.

Last, but certainly NOT least, the strengths previously mentioned contribute to a cohesive group of residents from all over the globe. We are all professional colleagues and good friends. It is truly a “family-friendly” residency that stresses the importance of life outside the program; this approach fosters an atmosphere of unity and unparalleled cooperation amongst the residents.

Tampa Bay is a wonderful place that offers innumerable year-round activities including many festivals along the Bay, with the most famous being Gasparilla – the largest pirate invasion festival and parade in the world. There are also professional arts, museums, amazing history, beautiful beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, as well as our professional 2008 American League Championship baseball team, a former Stanley Cup Championship hockey team and former National Football League Super Bowl XXXVII Champions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has the resources of a large city, but the closeness of a small town. You can easily live in a vibrant downtown neighborhood or in a cozy suburban community or along the water with a short commute to work.

We hope by learning a little bit about us and about how we view this residency program, you will consider us as your training location. We look forward to meeting you at your interview. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Oneith O. Cadiz, M.D. and Beatriz Arvelo-Vélez, M.D.
Chief Residents, Department of Pediatrics University of South Florida

From the Chairman

Choices! You have just made one that will largely define your life - a career in Pediatrics. Congratulations, but now you have another defining choice to make - which of the many pediatric residency programs will best prepare you for the specific career you envision? This can be a tough one! There are 208 pediatric residency programs currently accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, including seven in the great state of Florida. As you sort through electronic and printed program material, speak with advisors, and interview at selected programs, you can be overwhelmed with information. To simplify your decision, I advise you to consider the following four items. Although sometimes overlooked, I maintain that these are core elements that identify those programs most likely to prepare you for a career in pediatrics:

• Look for Residents who are excited to learn. Look for residents that amaze you, not only with the knowledge they have, but also with their pursuit of more knowledge. 
• Look for science. What new information is coming forth from the faculty? Is it a university program? Is it a major research university? If you see yourself as a doctor and not as a scientist, look again. More than any specialty, pediatrics is a primary mixing place for science and medicine; you will surely see more scientific advances benefit pediatrics than any other area of medicine. To understand this, to be prepared for this and to be part of this, find a pediatric residency program integrally involved with science.
• Look for people who are energized and interested in sharing what they know.
• If you have a spouse or children, find a residency where they will be comfortable, safe, and happy. For the next few years (and maybe beyond) you will have less than optimal family time. Find a nice location for your training, where your family members will be happy. Don't ignore this one.

How does the University of South Florida pediatric residency program measure up? Actually, pretty well. I know of no pediatric program with our momentum toward increasing NIH funds, and increasing the number of pediatrician-scientists on campus. We have a USF research building at All Children's Hospital dedicated exclusively to pediatric science and we have seven endowed chairs in the department. We attract excellent students to become our residents. Some are drawn by the desire to work at a children's hospital and a large general hospital in the same training program. Most who rank us highly have considered the natural attractions and comfortable climate of this beautiful area of the country. My own family has found this to be a very friendly community with good schools, safe neighborhoods, and a comfortable not-too-fast pace of life.

If you are a very good to outstanding medical student, and the items mentioned above are important to you, I invite you to interview with us. Obviously, I hope you rank us very high on your match-list, but wherever you obtain your pediatric education, I bid you welcome to the field of pediatrics, and wish you a long and most rewarding career.

Robert M. Nelson, Jr., M.D., M.S.
Professor & Chair
Department of Pediatrics

From the Program Directors

Our USF Pediatric & Medicine-Pediatric Residency programs are a blend of great residents, engaged faculty, cultural diversity, robust educational environments, challenging variety of patients with medical conditions from simple to complex, flexibility, collegiality, and a supportive, caring staff. Our goal is to ensure both your professional and personal growth and success while here at USF, while at the same time meeting all the ACGME educational and work hour requirements. We welcome your visit, and encourage you to explore our program and the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Valerie Panzarino, MD, Director
Sharon Dabrow, MD, Associate Director
Jennifer Casatelli, MD, Associate Director
Laura Haubner, MD, Associate Director