Aiken Regional Medical Centers to have internal medicine residency program

May 8—Aiken Regional Medical Centers has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education for its second graduate medical education program, internal medicine. The program will attract, train and retain physicians to the Central Savannah River Area and provide Aiken and surrounding areas with increased access to care.

"Our team is committed to educating and training the next generation of physicians, and we are proud to be able to offer an additional residency training program at Aiken Regional," said Matt Merrifield, chief executive officer at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. "The continued growth of our residency programs is a huge benefit to Aiken and the surrounding communities, increasing access to high-quality care.

The comprehensive clinical capabilities in our community continue to be the foundation of medical education and are also what attract top talent to our residency programs and community."

Aiken Regional's Internal Medicine Residency Program is a three-year (36 month) postgraduate program. The program will welcome its first 10 residents in July 2023, with three years of structured, supervised training alongside highly qualified faculty and dedicated medical staff. By July 2025, Aiken Regional will have 30 internal medicine residents on staff and in training year-round in addition to its 18 family medicine residents.

"Our team is actively accepting applications for internal medicine residents to start this July," said Dr. Khalid Abusaada, internal medicine director at ARMC. "Residents will train alongside dedicated physicians in both the inpatient and outpatient setting to enhance their skills as clinicians, educators and leaders in the healthcare delivery system. Our program's mission is to train residents to practice evidence-based, patient-centered, compassionate care within both the hospital and community settings, and prepare competent physicians to continue into practice or fellowship opportunities."

The goal of Aiken Regional's graduate medical education program is to help address physician shortage concerns within the CSRA and nearby areas of South Carolina. According to the American Medical Association, following residency training, 58.9% of internal medicine residents practice in the same state in which they trained.

"Our goal with each of our residency programs is to attract physicians to the programs and our community, and provide advanced training," said Merrifield. "We hope that as they live in our community while in residency, they'll make the decision to reside and practice in our community longterm. It's a win-win for all."

Prospective residents interested in learning more about the graduate medical education program at Aiken Regional can visit aikenregional.com/GME.