Office of Graduate Medical Education

USA Health is committed to the safety and well-being of its residents and fellows as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The USA Health PPE Governance Committee with housestaff representation was established to ensure conservation and availability of PPE for all USA Health employees. We recognize the importance of strict compliance with ACGME work hours as an important component of the safety and well-being of our residents and fellows as we continue to navigate this global pandemic. The GMEC Well-being Subcommittee, which includes peer-selected residents and fellows, is focusing on building a robust institution-wide well-being program that supports all of our trainees.

The USA Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) oversees all graduate medical education training programs at USA Health. The GMEC is chaired by the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official (DIO) and the alternate DIO serves as the vice-chair of the committee. The Program Directors and Associate Program Directors of the GME training programs, representative core faculty, USA Health staff, and peer-selected residents and fellows serve on the Committee. The GMEC meets on the first Tuesday of each month, except for the month of July.

GME is committed to promoting the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the housestaff, faculty and staff in the GME programs at USA. We acknowledge the challenges that lead to burnout, depression and suicide, and we work to assist physicians as they strive for personal balance, professional fulfillment, and joy in their vocation. Below you will find a list of resources and contacts pertaining to well-being.

Well-being Contacts

When you feel that you need to seek support, you should reach out to one of the following:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

• Website: suicidepreventionlifeline.org
• Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK)
• Crisis text line: Text HOME to 741-741

Local Resources

• Your program director or faculty mentor
• Need someone to talk to?
  Contact the USA employee assistance program counselor 
  Fletcher Eaton
  gfeaton@health.southalabama.edu 
  Phone: (251) 410-7664
• Judy Blair-Elortegui, M.D., DIO and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education
  Phone: (251) 471-7206
• Psychiatric Services (no cost to housestaff)
  Student Health Center - Dr. Hal Veits
  Phone: (251) 460-7151 (Identify yourself as a resident or fellow when scheduling an appointment.)
• If you are not able to quickly obtain a needed appointment, please reach out to Danielle Haynes in the GME Office at daniellehaynes@health.southalabama.edu. She can assist in coordinating appointments. 

Self-Screening Tools

• Self Help from USA Counseling and Testing Services
• Anonymous Online Self-Tests from JagFIT@South

5th Friday Well-being Activities

This is an ongoing well-being initiative sponsored by the USA GME Office and USA Health to promote resident and fellow well-being. Fifth Friday events take place whenever there is a fifth Friday in a month.

Free Cab Service for Residents and Fellows Too Fatigued to Safely Return Home After Work

To request a cab:

1. Call the hospital operator at 415-1000.
2. Provide the operator your name, home address and where you would like to be picked up. (Pick up locations include USA Health University Hospital and USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital.)
3. Approximately 20 minutes after your call, vouchers for your ride home and a return trip to retrieve your car will be available from the lobby staff at the hospital where you will be picked up.
4. To retrieve your vehicle, call the number for the cab company on the return voucher and present the voucher to the cab driver when he/she picks you up.

Lactation Facility Locations

USA Health University Hospital

• Room #455, on the 4th floor near Physical Therapy

USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital

• Room #2185, near the NICU
• Room #4161, near the Peds Tower

USA Health Strada Patient Care Center

• 1st floor Peds waiting room

USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute

• Room #2006

Visiting Student URiM Diversity Scholarship Program

The University of South Alabama, Office of Graduate Medical Education is sponsoring the Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) Diversity Scholarship for visiting students to provide support for fourth-year medical students interested in participating in a four-week rotation at our academic medical center. The scholarship includes $2000 stipend to help offset the cost of travel, housing, fees, and incidental expenses. It is available for eligible rising MS4 students from underrepresented backgrounds who wish to rotate as a visiting student in any of our GME Residency Programs. The award aims to increase the number of Under-Represented in Medicine (URiM) trainees in the GME residency programs at USA Health. 

Eligibility

• Fourth-year medical student in good standing at an accredited U.S. allopathic/osteopathic medical school
• Student must self-identify as under-represented in medicine by race or ethnicity relative to our regional population).
• Students must have completed all core clerkships.
• Students must have successfully passed USMLE Step 1.

Scholars Receive

• $2,000 stipend toward travel, food and housing
• Matched with a resident mentor
• Matched with faculty mentor(s)
• One-on-one advisement with the Program Director
• Networking opportunities with faculty, residents and students interested in your success
• One additional $1,500 scholarship is available specifically for General Surgery rotations. Learn more about the Department of Surgery's Visiting Student Diversity Program. 

Scholar Responsibilities and Rotation Details

• One-month rotation in the following programs:
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
  • Neurology
  • OB-GYN
  • Pathology
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Radiology
  • Orthopaedics
  • Surgery
  • Urology

How to Apply

Please send the following to Amari Armour, GME Operations Specialist, at aarmour@health.southalabama.edu.

• Personal statement (500 words max) -- Tell us about yourself, delineate your professional and career interest regarding your selected rotation, your interest in the University of South Alabama, and why you qualify for this scholarship.
• Visiting Student URiM Diversity Scholarship Program Application Form [PDF]
• CV
• Letter of good standing from dean’s office
• Standard application through VSAS required

Visiting students can begin an in-person away rotation no earlier than July 17, 2023, which corresponds with Block 2 of the AY 2023-2024 M4 academic calendar. Applications must be received by May 31, 2023. Awards will be made by June 30.

GME Office Staff

Judy Blair-Elortegui, M.D.
Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME); ACGME Designated Institutional Official (DIO); and Chair, Graduate Medical Education Committee
jblair@health.southalabama.edu

Jill Garcia
GME Institutional Accreditation Specialist
jsgarcia@health.southalabama.edu

Danielle Haynes
GME Institutional Administrator
daniellehaynes@health.southalabama.edu

Laura Kessler
GME Institutional Accreditation Specialist 
lkessler@health.southalabama.edu

GME Office Functions

• GME Committee Meetings
• Program Coordinator Meetings and Workshops
• Institutional Policies
• ACGME Accreditation
• National Residency Matching Program (NRMP)
• Program Letters of Agreement
• New Innovations
• American Medical Association GME Competency Education Program
• Verification of Training Status

Verification of Training

The Graduate Medical Education office can assist with requests for training verifications. The turnaround time is generally 10-14 days. Requests to the GME Office can be made via the following methods: 

• In Person: The GME office is located in the Mastin Patient Care Center (directly behind University Hospital) in Room 212. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
• U.S. Mail: Graduate Medical Education, 2451 University Hospital Drive, 212 Mastin Patient Care Center, Mobile, AL 36617-2293
• Email: jsgarcia@health.southalabama.edu, daniellehaynes@health.southalabama.edu or lkessler@health.southalabama.edu

NOTE: Programs may charge a service fee for training verification requests for alumni who completed training 5 or more years ago.