Training tomorrow's doctors: MUSC launches first residency program in Florence with community and philanthropic support

Danny Aboujamra took a year off from medical school to care for his family during the COVID-19 pandemic. "My dad was in the hospital, and three of my uncles got sick,” Danny said. “I had to be at home, focusing on their health.”

While he’s grateful for the time he spent supporting his family, he admits it was tough watching his friends advance in their medical careers while he was sidelined. “It was challenging, but it taught me a lot about perseverance and my ability to keep moving forward,” he said.

Fast forward to March 15, when Danny matched with MUSC Health’s new internal medicine residency program in Florence, South Carolina. On June 1, he graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine, and by July 1, he and seven other interns began their residency training at MUSC Health Florence Medical Center.

Danny is excited to be part of the inaugural class, helping to shape the internal medicine curriculum. “I was thrilled to be part of a new program with only eight residents, working through it together,” he said. “We already made bonds that I feel will last a lifetime.”

So, what does an internal medicine doctor do?

“Many patients know cardiologists are heart doctors and oncologists are cancer doctors,” Danny explained. “Internal medicine doctors focus on the health of your internal organs. From the moment a patient is admitted until discharge, I take care of their everyday health needs.”

The Florence internal medicine training residency is the first graduate medical education (GME )program launched through the Regional Health Network, which encompasses hospitals across the state. MUSC’s GME office in Charleston oversees more than 85 ACGME-accredited programs, accommodating over 950 residents and fellows. Medical school graduates must complete GME programs, or residencies, to become licensed doctors. The U.S. currently doesn’t have enough residencies to accommodate all its graduating physicians, which contributes to an even bigger problem: A shortage of doctors. 

The American Association of Medical Colleges predicts a national shortfall of at least 13,500 physicians over the next decade, potentially exceeding 86,000. This is particularly concerning for South Carolina, where 27% of residents live in rural areas with limited access to health care.

To help, MUSC is working is creating residency training programs at hospitals in throughout its regional health network in South Carolina. Starting next year, MUSC Health Florence will offer a second residency in family medicine. MUSC Health will also launch an internal medicine residency in Lancaster in 2025, with a family medicine program set to follow in 2026.

These new programs would not be possible without our community and philanthropic partners – the Pee Dee Medical and Health Sciences Education Consortium, Hope Health, the VA and nonprofits such as the Darla Moore Foundation and The Duke Endowment. 

"With their support, we are developing a program that will transform this population,” Danny said. “By training doctors here, we can truly change what’s possible in health care."