When medical school students across the country are matched next month with post-graduate residency programs, up to 172 may end up in West Central Florida, thanks to continued growth in BayCare’s graduate medical education (GME) programs, including its first ever Emergency Medicine residency program. For the 2025-26 academic year, BayCare has received approval to launch seven new GME programs. Besides Emergency Medicine, the health care system will also be opening four more Internal Medicine programs, another transitional year program and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry.  The expansion brings to 16 the number of GME programs at BayCare hospitals. BayCare sponsors 12 of the programs; Florida State University and University of South Florida sponsor two each. Across all programs, BayCare will have about 280 residents systemwide in 2025-26, more than twice as many as the current year. BayCare expects to grow to 650 residents by 2029.