HCA Healthcare welcomes record class of residents and fellows in 2021

According to a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States could see a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033. HCA Healthcare is proud to tackle the U.S. physician shortage head-on by directly training the next generation of practicing doctors.

Six years ago, HCA Healthcare began building a network of graduate medical education (GME) training programs, where newly minted doctors could complete their medical training and most importantly, take great care of our patients. As one of the nation’s leading providers of quality, patient-centered care, HCA Healthcare is also the largest sponsor of GME programs in the U.S. We train more than 5,000 residents and fellows across 61 teaching hospitals in 16 states.

Earlier this month, we welcomed a record class of 1,982 residents and fellows — the largest group to ever onboard at HCA Healthcare and the highest number among other healthcare systems in the nation.

Dr. Jonathan Perlin, HCA Healthcare’s chief medical officer and president of clinical operations, recently addressed the newest residents and fellows saying, “At HCA Healthcare, you are part of something bigger, a national network of clinicians and colleagues committed to the care and improvement of human life. Welcome to HCA Healthcare. We look forward to working with you, and we’re so very glad you’re here.”

The 10 top programs this year are:

Meet the doctors

Dr. Connor Talbott, an incoming resident from the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, explains why he is excited about joining HCA Healthcare’s GME program, saying, “I chose the emergency medicine residency at Riverside Community Hospital because the facility has high volume and acuity in an environment that is truly supportive of the resident.”

“I felt during my interview, and time spent talking to current residents, that the program truly values wellness and having work-life balance during residency, which is super important to me,” Dr. Talbott continued. “Riverside Community Hospital is a Level I Trauma Center and has great leadership. It checked all the boxes I was looking for in a program and had strong endorsements from friends who rotated and current residents.”

Another incoming resident, Amanda Chavarria, is making a full circle as she starts her obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) residency at the hospital where she was born — now known as Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.

Dr. Chavarria explains how she was inspired by the OBGYN her mom had when she was pregnant, saying, “Hearing the stories about my mom and how comfortable she was with her OBGYN was a really great story to hear, and it allowed me to take the right path and get the right idea of exactly what kind of doctor I want to be.”

In 2004, high school student Yasimin Taheri worked as a volunteer at HCA Healthcare affiliate Los Robles Health System. Earlier this summer, she returned to the hospital as Dr. Yasimin Taheri, a member of the inaugural GME class at Los Robles Regional Medical Center.

Dr. Taheri said she is beyond thrilled to join the hospital and once again serve her community. Prior to joining the GME program, she also volunteered at the hospital between college and medical school.

She says her mom, a respiratory therapist, is her hero and her inspiration for entering the medical field. “I used to go with my mom to see patients when I was young,” Dr. Taheri told the Thousand Oaks Acorn. “I was always fascinated and impressed by how she treated patients; they simply adored her. I decided I wanted to help others as well.”

“I guess you could say that I love Los Robles,” the HCA Healthcare GME resident continues. “I love the environment and the physicians who are so humble and phenomenal. It really was my dream to come work here.”

Visit HCAhealthcare.com to learn more about our graduate medical education training programs.