The Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside Family Medicine Residency program, renowned for its long-standing history of training hundreds of physicians within our community, is celebrating a significant milestone: its 50th graduating class. This month, alumni from various years are gathering to commemorate this remarkable achievement.
Dr. Sonya Dominguez, the Assistant Program Director, who’s an alumna and a program educator for more than 20 years, attributed the program's enduring success to its strong culture.
“As physicians and educators, we owe it to our communities to instill graduates with confidence, knowledge and skills they will need to take care of patients,” Dr. Dominguez said. “We’ve created this really special culture that draws people here because they want really well-rounded, excellent training.”
A family medicine residency is a postgraduate program that prepares doctors for board certification as family medicine physicians, covering a broad range of patient care in hospital-based and outpatient settings. This training focuses on developing compassionate, skilled physicians for all aspects of family care in diverse settings.
Residents provide patient care under the close supervision of experienced, licensed physicians. This intensive postgraduate training allows residents to gain advanced knowledge and refined skills, preparing them to practice medicine independently.
Family medicine physicians are needed across the state of Florida. In 2023, more than 1 in 3 Floridians (over 7.5 million) lived in an area with a shortage of primary care physicians, according to the Florida Council of 100, a network of business leaders who work together to enhance the economy and quality of life for all Floridians. This shortage leads to a lack of critical preventative care and an overreliance on expensive ER treatment.
Many of the program’s graduates have applied their skills right here in Northeast Florida. Drs. Chris Scuderi and Michael Edwards, who are now family medicine leaders in our region, credited the program for preparing them for their medical careers.
Dr. Scuderi, Medical Director of Northeast Florida for Millenium Physician Group, said the scope of training and access to different care specialties provide students an advantage.
“The residents at Ascension St. Vincent’s really were involved in so many aspects of care throughout the hospital," said Dr. Scuderi. “The faculty does a great job of challenging and supporting new physicians to be their best and grow.”
Dr. Edwards, the Chief Medical Officer for Coastal Health Primary Care, echoed the sentiment. He said the broad scope of training not only benefits doctors but patients, too.
“Family medicine doesn’t require a breadth of knowledge, but a depth of knowledge to be able to offer care in a comprehensive way,” said Dr. Edwards. “There are no competing programs in the hospital, giving residents unparalleled access to education.”
Patients benefit greatly from the extensive network of physicians fostered by this program. Graduates stay connected, frequently involving current residents in training, thereby forming a community of healthcare professionals. This network ensures that patients receive timely referrals to the care they need.
“Having these relationships means I can pick up the phone and call someone that I have a personal connection with to get my patient the care they need,” Dr. Edwards said.
The program is well-established, but it isn’t finished growing. It has recently expanded to now host 12 residents per class, up from 10. Dr. Dominguez said they’re blessed to add more talented individuals to bolster the healthcare pipeline in our region.
“The talent we are fostering within these walls are seeds that take root in our communities,” Dr. Dominguez said. “They’re going to blossom into gifts for patients and their families. There’s nothing else like it.”
The St. Vincent’s Family Residency Program was established in 1972 at St. Vincent’s Riverside. The three-year program is accredited by the ACGME Family Medicine Residency Review Committee and holds Osteopathic Recognition accreditation.
