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Family Medicine

Residency Program

Chief Residents

Letter from the Chiefs

Thank you for your interest in The University of South Florida-Morton Plant Mease (USF/MPM) Family Medicine Residency Program. We are so excited that you’ve chosen to become a Family Medicine Physician! Our residency aims to create compassionate, innovative, full-spectrum Family Medicine physicians by fostering individual experiences that will allow you to thrive in your future practice. As an unopposed program affiliated with BayCare, a large non-profit organization, and an academic affiliation with the University of South Florida (USF), we provide a foundation for residents to pursue a variety of paths, as evidenced by the diverse job positions held by our graduates. We pride ourselves in being one of the oldest residency programs in the area, which has allowed us to create deep roots within our community and better provide you with the opportunities and resources you need to achieve your goals. Through our core curriculum, versatile elective opportunities, extracurricular tracks, and nationally recognized academic and community faculty, at the USF/MPM Family Medicine Residency Program, you will train to become the family medicine physician you want to be.

Being an unopposed program allows us to provide one-on-one teaching with outstanding faculty both at our flagship hospital, Morton Plant Mease, and at our continuity clinic, the Turley Family Health Center. Our elective opportunities include a myriad of rotations, many of which have been developed by previous residents. Our program will allow you to create elective experiences that suit your passions and future career goals.

We have a variety of tracks including Wilderness Medicine, Integrative Medicine, and Obstetrics. We also have informal tracks focusing on Leadership in Medicine, LGBTQ health and Advocacy, sports medicine, practice management, academic medicine, mental health, and weight loss medicine. In Wilderness Medicine, residents become certified in Advanced Wilderness Life Support, with topics including lightning, dive, mountain, animal bite, toxicology, rescue, and wound medicine. Our Integrative Medicine curriculum focuses on evidence-based information from the Andrew Weil center for integrative medicine, including topics on adjunctive medical therapies such as supplements, diets, and holistic medicine. The Obstetrics track is designed for a resident to get experience in vaginal deliveries, C-sections, and outpatient obstetric care to prepare them for application for fellowship or full spectrum practice at the time of graduation. Our other informal tracks are built into the curriculum, and those with particular interest have opportunities to get additional experience. Although Hospital medicine does not have a track, we receive exceptional training under the direct supervision of critical care pulmonologists on our teaching hospital medicine service and many of our graduates go into hospital medicine. We are also passionate about Lifestyle Medicine, and are soon to break ground on a brand-new Teaching Kitchen and a Prescribed Exercise Program with in-site physical trainers for our patients.  

In addition to our tracks, we have integrated point-of-care ultrasound technology into our clinical learning though a variety of didactics and hands-on learning, with additional learning and teaching opportunities at USF ultrasound symposiums and boot camps. Our program also provides training in telemedicine, ultrasound-guided musculoskeletal injections, casting and splinting, dermatologic procedures, and women’s health procedures like IUD/Nexplanon placement and colposcopies. There is also the opportunity to learn inpatient procedures such as central line placement, rapid sequence intubation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, paracentesis, and thoracentesis. We also work with medical student rotators from many schools in the area and beyond, positively influencing their learning. For those with a passion for teaching, we have other opportunities to work with learners such as an Academic Medicine elective and precepting USF's Doctoring 1 course in which medical students learn foundational skills.  

Residents come to our program not just for an exceptional education but also to experience everything the Tampa Bay area has to offer. With Clearwater’s convenient location near both Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg, residents can easily explore a variety of activities. Spend weekends soaking up the sun at Clearwater Beach, consistently ranked as one of the top beaches in the U.S. Biking and running enthusiasts can take advantage of the 38-mile-long Pinellas Trail, while sports fans will love cheering for local teams like the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team. The region is rich in food, music, festivals, and art. Plus, while there's plenty to keep us entertained here, the Orlando theme parks are just a two-hour drive away, and Busch Gardens is right in Tampa. Consider picking up some moonlighting shifts to earn extra cash and make the most of your time in Tampa Bay!

Thank you once again for considering us on your journey to becoming a family physician. We truly believe our residency is among the best available. Our program offers a unique work-life balance, along with a personalized curriculum tailored to your individual goals and aspirations. As chiefs, we are dedicated to supporting our residents’ wellness and success while fostering the family-like culture that has been a cornerstone of our program for years. We hope our residency meets both your professional and personal needs. At the USF-MPM Family Medicine Residency Program, we are here to help you unlock your potential and become an exceptional family medicine physician!

Sincerely,

Mausam Mehta, MD

Kirstyn Thomas, MD