UCF/HCA Ocala

By Emily Weeks Graham, MD, PGY-2

The new year in Ocala has kicked off to a very exciting start! We are thrilled to announce our faculty position changes, including the promotions of Program Director, Dr. Michael Falgiani, and Assistant Program Director, Dr. Samyr Elbadri, and our newest core faculty member addition, Dr. James Link Wilson. We are fortunate to have a strong core faculty team who are resident-centered and education focused, and cannot wait to continue to grow in the future!

In the past several months, our residents got to show that they were stronger than the average resident by completing the firefighter physical fitness entry exam. Used to putting out fires in the department, residents got the chance to put out real fires, tear off car doors, and rappel down buildings at our annual EMS day. Thank you, Dr. Fraunfelter and Ocala Fire!

However, not all days are this hectic. We regularly enjoy Ocala’s finest dining during our monthly journal clubs discussing the newest literature, medical and pharmacology advances, and monumental studies behind current standards of care.

We have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, including the completion of our new SIM center and welcoming our newest class of residents! We will be so sad to see our seniors go, but we are so proud of all that they have accomplished and all that they will achieve in their next endeavors, and cannot wait to celebrate together at our end of year graduation event! ■

the last couple of years for their arrival. We are also excited to welcome Sara Zagroba, MD this summer upon completion of her sports medicine fellowship at the University of Arizona. She will be a valuable addition to our EM team and residency. ■

HCA Florida Westside/ Northwest

By Matt Slane, DO, FACEP, FAAEM

Program Director

After a successful interview and match season, we are excited to welcome our inaugural emergency medicine class to HCA East Florida Division Westside/ Northwest. It has been a long process to get to this point. Preparations have been made for the residents through

UCF/HCA North Florida EM

By Katie Johnson, DO, PGY-1

What a season it has been! It has been a crazy time at North Florida the past few months. We have welcomed new interns and babies, all while saying goodbye to our beloved PGY-3s. In February, some of our residents and faculty made their way to Big Sky and Yellowstone for the National CME Conference of Wilderness Medicine. They spent a week on the slopes and in the classrooms, sharpening their wilderness medicine skills. While it was an amazing trip, the crew did say they were happy to be back in the warm Florida sunshine.

Not long after this, one of our most favorite events of the year happened: Match Day! This is always an incredibly special time for us, as it signifies new life in the program, new friends, and most of all, new beginnings — not just for our program, but for the eight individuals who chose North Florida as home. During this crazy time, Dr. Mariah Cruz, PGY-1 also welcomed our tiniest North Floridian into the world: her baby girl, Aña-Sofía Grace Cruz. We are already in love, and can’t wait to watch her grow over the next few years.

Lastly, while we have been celebrating our new members of the family, we have also been busy cherishing our last few months with our seniors. In April, we resumed our senior cruise. The PGY-3s spent a week in the sun, while the interns and PGY-2s stepped into new roles in the department. During this time we announced our new chief residents: Drs. Manna Varghese, SriHarsha Palakurti and Alex Basara. In the coming weeks, our new chiefs will officially begin their position while our PGY-3s will be packing their bags for the next adventure: attending life! ■