Three South Florida hospitals for the first time will get dozens of new doctors in training, as Florida Atlantic University debuts its new physician residency program.

The 36 recent medical school graduates are expected to help ease a resident shortage and an anticipated physician shortage in the coming years, FAU officials said. About a quarter of Florida's physicians are over age 65, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

These young doctors, as well as their supervising faculty, will help transform three community hospitals Boca Raton Regional Medical Center, Delray Medical Center and Bethesda West near Boynton Beach into academic teaching hospitals.

"I think it's going to be an incredible benefit to the community to have well-trained physicians being developed from the community," said Dr. Bernardo Obeso, director of the FAU program. "They will learn the culture of the community and in the end will improve the quality of care and safety throughout the area."

In addition to serving hospital patients, the residents will provide primary care at two new FAU outpatient clinics that will be established at Boca Raton Regional and Bethesda West. They'll also conduct wellness programs within the community, Obeso said.

Even though the physicians will all be based in Palm Beach County, Broward County is likely to benefit as well.

"Most people live and work throughout the area. Nobody limits themselves these days to one or two zip codes," said Linda Quick, president of the South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association.

The students will arrive June 23 for training and start work July 1. While they come from all over the world, 39 percent have Florida roots, officials said.

The residency program is the second major part of the FAU College of Medicine's physician education program. The medical school opened in 2011 with 64 students. Those students won't be eligible to be residents until they graduate next year.

Its first class of 64 students won't graduate until 2015, so they weren't eligible.

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FAU medical school debuts residency program