MUSC Health Florence Medical Center expands resident program to 24

(FLORENCE, SC) March 24, 2025- MUSC Health Florence Medical Center is celebrating another year of Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs that are expanding patient care to a whole new level in the Pee Dee region. Sixteen outstanding new residents have joined the Family Medicine and Internal Medicine residencies having been selected through a rigorous national search to identify the next generation of exceptional physicians.

Although the Florence GME program is in its infancy, it stands on the shoulders of established MUSC (Charleston) residency and fellowship programs. Residents and fellows are mentored by nationally and internationally recognized physicians, scientists, and educators with more than 700 residents in 33 medical disciplines.

"These programs are dedicated to training highly skilled physicians who excel in clinical practice and are committed to advancing health care outcomes in their communities," said Tsveti Markova, M.D., MUSC Health chief academic integration officer. "Our residents will be well-prepared to serve South Carolina, particularly in rural and underserved areas where their expertise is most needed."

The hospital recently welcomed eight new residents into its newly launched Family Medicine residency program along with another eight joining the Internal Medicine residency program. Now in its second year, the Florence GME program includes a total of 24 residents who will help to address the physician shortage in rural communities and underserved populations in the Pee Dee.

GME Family Medicine Program director Kourtney Osorio, M.D., said she is ecstatic about all eight Family Medicine residency spots being filled. “It's a very big deal when you find out because the students also find out at the same time. Florence is a great place to get your training because you get the opportunity to do so much more. We do a lot of the things that specialists do, and we get to practice the full scope of Family Medicine. When you graduate and you go out into the community you decide to serve, you have a lot of experience with everything, and that's how you become a great Family Medicine physician.”

The Internal Medicine residency program received thousands of applications, ultimately inviting just over 100 highly qualified candidates for interviews. From that exceptional group, eight residents were carefully selected to join the program.

“This year, we are very proud that we had an increased volume of applications. These residents have been an integral part of providing care in the hospital as well as in the outpatient clinics,” said GME Internal Medicine Program director Ribal Al Aridi, M.D. “In our residency program, we incorporate current best practices into the curriculum, including point-of-care ultrasound, community outreach initiatives and quality improvement projects. It’s important for a resident when they graduate to be able to practice Internal Medicine at any level, whether it's in rural, academic or urban, so they can practice Internal Medicine with confidence.”

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About MUSC 

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates over 3,100 students in six colleges and trains 950+ residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health and research funding. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2024, for the 10th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $7.1 billion. The 31,000 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.