Chief Residents’ Message

Welcome from the Chief Residents in the Department of Anesthesiology, at the University of Florida!

The University of Florida (UF) Department of Anesthesiology Residency offers superior clinical training across many environments. The majority of our learning sites are associated with UF Health: UF Health at Shands Hospital (North, South, and HVN towers), UF Health Florida Surgical Center (FSC), Children’s Surgical Center (CSC), and UF Chronic Pain Clinic. We also rotate through the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Hospital, located adjacent to the main Shands Hospital campus. UF Health is a Level 1 Trauma center with more than 50 operating rooms across the three main towers, in addition to interventional radiology suites, cardiac catheterization labs, GI-suites, and a labor and delivery ward with adjoining operating rooms. Additionally, the Department of Anesthesiology has a strong presence in the critical care setting, with residents and interns rotating through the Cardiovascular ICU, Surgical ICU, Burn ICU, and Pediatric Congenital Heart ICU throughout their residency. The Malcom Randall VA Hospital, with over 10 operating rooms and its own Surgical/Cardiac ICU, is one of the busiest surgical departments among VA hospitals across the country. Across this vast spectrum of learning environments, we provide anesthesia for nearly 35,000 patients a year. UF residents graduate from residency with exposure to some of the nation’s sickest patients, most innovative procedures, and newest technology.

Our large pool of faculty comes from diverse training backgrounds ranging from decades spent in academia to those experienced in private practice anesthesiology. As a result, we receive excellent training across all anesthesiology subspecialties. Many of our faculty are known nationally and internationally for their exemplary teaching, as well as their groundbreaking research and publishing careers. Our program trains residents not only to be exceptional clinicians, but also provides opportunities to work on research and/or quality improvement projects.

Life in Gainesville consists of year-round outdoor activities, plenty of sunshine, and a relatively low cost of living. Gainesville is a small, family-friendly city, and the large university offers plenty of activities for residents. Major cities such as Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville, as well as Atlantic and Gulf Coast beaches, are within a two-hour drive. Since residents average three full weekends off per month at UF Health, there is time to enjoy much of what Florida has to offer.

Our residency is a diverse program, with residents and faculty coming from across the United States and abroad. We currently offer 20 “categorical” positions that match residents starting their PGY-1 year, as well as several “advanced” positions for those matching to begin in their PGY-2 year. Of note, these advanced spots are primarily reserved for military personnel and candidates who have already completed an internship. Those who complete a residency at UF are highly sought after as consultants and competitive for academic and private practice positions, as well as fellowships. 

Thank you for expressing interest in our residency program. We invite you to come see firsthand what UF Health has to offer you for your educational and personal growth endeavors. ​

Sincerely, 

Alex Horowitz, D.O., Georgeanna Tsoumas, D.O., Bobby Houston, M.D.

Doctors Horowitz, Tsoumas, and Houston