University of Florida Program

Program Identity & Fit

The University of Florida Pediatric Residency is a large academic, university-affiliated program based at UF Health Shands Children's Hospital, a nationally ranked quaternary-care center handling over 170,000 outpatient visits and 9,000 inpatient admissions annually, giving residents exposure across the full acuity spectrum from primary care to complex subspecialty and ICU-level care. Research is deeply embedded in the department's identity (top-30 NIH-funded pediatrics department) and is formalized through a dedicated Research Track and eligibility for the ABP Integrated Research Pathway, allowing up to 11 months of protected research time and PhD pursuit during residency. The program is distinguished by a three-year longitudinal Advocacy Rotation with individual, community, and legislative-level curricula, a structured simulation program culminating in "Mega" simulations, and roughly half of graduates entering general pediatrics while the rest pursue fellowship, reflecting a genuinely balanced generalist-subspecialist output. Faculty messaging emphasizes adult-learning-theory-based individualized mentorship, equity/social-justice framing, and a close-knit community culture, with residents developing autonomy alongside subspecialty faculty and fellows.