As the Program Director of the AdventHealth Transitional Year Residency Program, I’m excited to welcome you to our program. Our goal is to provide a supportive, well-rounded training experience that builds a strong foundation in clinical medicine and prepares you for success in your future specialty. We emphasize clinical excellence, lifelong learning, patient-centered care, and teamwork, ensuring you gain the skills and confidence needed to serve diverse patient populations.
At AdventHealth, we focus on whole-person care, recognizing the importance of treating not just the physical health of our patients but also their mind and spirit. Our residency culture is inclusive and supportive, where respect and professionalism are key values. We expect our residents to uphold these principles in all interactions—with patients, colleagues, and the healthcare team.
Our program follows a structured 4+1 schedule, allowing a balanced mix of rotations and protected ambulatory time to optimize both clinical and educational experiences. Instead of traditional 24-hour call, we use a night float system to maintain a structured, resident-friendly workflow. With a careful balance of autonomy and supervision, we ensure you develop strong clinical skills while being well-supported.
Our program is backed by AdventHealth Tampa’s expanding Graduate Medical Education department and has strong partnerships with Loma Linda University School of Medicine (CA), Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (FL), and Florida State University College of Medicine (FL).
If you’re looking for a supportive, hands-on, and academically strong Transitional Year Residency, we encourage you to explore AdventHealth. Our program will challenge and prepare you while providing the mentorship and resources you need to succeed in your specialty.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Muhammad Anwar, MD, MS
Program Director
About Our Program
At AdventHealth, we are committed to whole-person care, addressing not just the physical health of our patients but also their emotional and spiritual well-being. Our Transitional Year Residency Program provides a strong foundation in clinical medicine, equipping residents with the skills and knowledge needed for their future specialty training. As a one-year program, we offer a well-structured and supportive environment where residents gain diverse clinical experience while working alongside experienced faculty and dedicated healthcare teams.
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Expectations and Values
We value professionalism, ethics, honesty, and strong work ethic. We expect our residents to approach their training with a willingness to learn, grow, and work hard to achieve their goals. In return, we promise to provide you with a supportive and nurturing environment where you can thrive and develop into a confident and competent practitioner.
Our Philosophy
Our program philosophy centers around whole body care - addressing not just the physical health of our patients, but also their mind and spirit. Residents are placed in challenging clinical settings that require increasing levels of responsibility; all while being supported by experienced faculty who are passionate about teaching. We encourage resident autonomy in patient care but always provide guidance and support every step of the way.
Program Leadership
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Curriculum
The Transitional Year Residency Program at AdventHealth Florida (Tampa) follows a Four-Plus-One model comprised of eleven 5-week blocks. Each block includes four weeks of inpatient or specialty-based rotations and one dedicated week in the continuity Internal Medicine Clinic. This structure ensures sustained ambulatory care experience while offering flexibility for specialty preparation.
Program Compliance and Specialty Preparation
Our curriculum is fully compliant with the ACGME Fundamental Clinical Skills (FCS) requirements for all specialties that mandate a preliminary clinical year, including but not limited to:
Anesthesiology: Minimum 9 months of inpatient care, plus 1–2 months of both Emergency Medicine and Critical Care are included.
Radiology / Nuclear Medicine: At least 9 months of direct patient care is integrated, with radiology electives well within the 2-month limit and supervised appropriately.
Dermatology: Dermatology electives are capped at 2 months, with the rest of the year fulfilling the broad-based clinical exposure requirement.
Neurology: At least 8 months are dedicated to direct patient care in Internal Medicine and related fields, fulfilling the prerequisites for 36-month neurology tracks.
Ophthalmology: The program offers 9 months of diverse patient care and up to 3 months of ophthalmology if coordinated with sponsoring departments.
Radiation Oncology / PM&R / Preventive Medicine: The schedule meets the 9- to 12-month direct patient care minimums, with sufficient exposure across surgery, medicine, EM, and pediatrics.
Aerospace, Occupational, and Environmental Medicine: Compliant with requirements for 10–12 months of broad-based inpatient and outpatient clinical education
This structured and balanced curriculum ensures residents are well-prepared for advanced residency entry while fulfilling all ACGME-defined clinical experience criteria for PGY-1 across diverse specialties. Our program is ideal for residents pursuing specialty training with rigorous foundational skill-building and consistent clinical continuity
4+1 Rotation
Blocks
Internal Medicine
4 Blocks
ICU
1 Block
Emergency Medicine
1 Block
Electives
4 Blocks
Vacation
1 Block
Conferences
Noon Conference Schedule (12:00 PM – 1:30 PM)
Our structured noon conference series ensures comprehensive education aligned with ACGME requirements.
Sessions are scheduled as either:
- Two 45-minute sessions (12:00–12:45 and 12:45–1:30), or
- One 90-minute session depending on topic and format.
Conference
Description
Frequency
Subspecialty Didactics
Interactive lectures
by faculty from IM, Neuro,
EM, Surgery, & more
Weekly
Grand Rounds
Multidisciplinary
presentations on current
clinical topics & advancements
Monthly
Morbidity & Mortality
(M&M)
Structured case-based
review focused on safety,
outcomes, and
improvement
Monthly
Journal Club
Critical appraisal of current
medical literature and
evidence-based practices
Weekly
Case Presentations
Resident-led reviews of
interesting or complex
inpatient & outpatient
cases
Weekly
Research & QI Updates
Presentations on ongoing
scholarly and quality
improvement projects
Monthly
All sessions are protected educational time, and attendance is monitored electronically. Residents benefit from a variety of formats including didactics, simulation, peer discussion, and mentorship
Research
While there is no formal research requirement by ACGME or our program for Transitional Year residents, we encourage participation in scholarly activity. Residents are supported to engage in small Quality Improvement (QI) projects, collaborate on ongoing QI initiatives, or present posters at local and national conferences to enhance their academic development and professional portfolio.
Benefits
For more information on the many benefits offered across all programs, click here.
Eligibility
Complete applications must come through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
ERAS Program ID: 9991100009
Applicants must register with the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
NRMP Program ID: 1102999P0
Year of graduation within 5 years.
We sponsor J-1 and H-1B visas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the minimum USMLE/COMLEX Step 1 and Step 2 requirements? A: Step 2 – 230 or 450
Q: Do you accept the J1 visa or sponsor H-1 visa? A: We accommodate J-1 visas and offer sponsorship for H-1B visas.
Q: What is the graduation cut off? A: 5 years
Q: How will interviews be conducted for the 2024 cycle? A: The interview day will be conducted virtually.
Q: Do you have any Letter of Recommendation (LOR) requirements? A: We require a minimum of 3 recent LORs.
Q: How many residents do you accept each year? A: We accept 13 Transitional Year residents annually.
Q: What is your faculty-to-resident ratio? A: We maintain a 1:3 core faculty-to-resident ratio, ensuring personalized mentorship.
Q: What is your accreditation status? A: We are a new ACGME-accredited program, with initial accreditation effective from July 1, 2025.
Q: Do you offer Step 3 support? A: Yes, Step 3 is required, and the exam fee is reimbursed with protected time for preparation.
Q: Is research required? A: Research is not mandatory, but QI projects and poster presentations are encouraged.
Q: Where do residents complete clinical training? A: All rotations take place at AdventHealth Tampa and affiliated outpatient sites.
Q: What kind of clinic experience is provided? A: Residents participate in longitudinal Internal Medicine continuity clinic weekly.
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Richard Bennett, MD
Andres Cedeno, MD
Bindiya Desai, DO
Shaan Khan, MD
Hilmi-Musa Mustafa, DO
Shauna Patel, DO
Claudia Peterman, MD
Daniyal Qadir, MD
Sheikh Shami, MD
Gregory Smith, DO
Jay Talati, MD
Application Process
Join Our Resident Team
Our program will be accepting applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and will participate in the NRMP Match Process.
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