With a long history of training physicians, the USA Health System provides training in 18 fully ACGME-accredited residency and fellowship programs to more than 240 physicians.
“The medical and administrative staff of the USA Health System and College of Medicine are committed to providing excellence in educational programs, culminating in the trainees’ ability to practice independently within the context of the health care delivery system,” said Dr. Samuel McQuiston, assistant dean for Graduate Medical Education at USA.
Residents and fellows in USA’s training programs are integrated into the USA Health System with the majority of their training centered at USA Medical Center, USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital and USA Mitchell Cancer Institute and their affiliated outpatient clinics.
Each facility plays a significant role in the training programs. USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital is a strength for the pediatrics and obstetrics & gynecology residency programs as well as the new child & adolescent psychiatry fellowship, while the surgery program is intensely involved in the trauma and burn services at USA Medical Center. The USA Regional Stroke Center and the USA Cardiovascular Diseases Center at USA Medical Center provide the learning environment for the neurology residency and cardiology fellowships. Furthermore, the pathology and radiology programs have the advantage of the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute added onto the hospitals' studies. Primary care programs, such as the internal medicine and family medicine residency programs, reach out into the surrounding community, providing health care in numerous outpatient settings throughout Mobile and Baldwin Counties.
Dr. McQuiston, who is also assistant professor of radiology and former co-director of the radiology residency program, said GME training is a process of learning by doing. “As residents and fellows gain experience and demonstrate growth in their ability to care for patients, they assume roles that permit them to exercise those skills with greater independence, allowing for graded and progressive responsibility,” he said.
The teaching environment USA provides is among the strengths of its training programs, according to Dr. McQuiston. “The fact that we are a teaching hospital motivates the faculty to remain current on the standards of care in their fields,” he said. “This definitively distinguishes teaching hospitals from all others.”
According to Dr. McQuiston, more than 60 percent of residents and fellows will practice within a two- to three-hour drive of where they train. “Many come here selecting the central Gulf Coast for the long term. Others move to the area for training, fall in love with the incredible lifestyle that living on the Gulf provides, and subsequently choose to stay,” he said. This impacts both the economy and quality of life in our region.
This year, USA recruited its 62 new residents from 37 different medical schools; only 17 of the 62 individuals were from outside the geographic south. USA and UAB were the largest schools represented with 13 and 5 individuals respectively.
“The USA Health System plays a critical role in supplying competent physicians for Mobile and the adjoining region,” Dr. McQuiston said. “This is an excellent example of the far-reaching positive impact academic health centers have in the surrounding community.”
