2008 Woodie Awards
Med school to improve economy
BRIAN MINK
Issue date: 1/25/08 Section: News
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"Of the 10 largest states, all but Georgia have at least three public medical schools," a 2007 report by the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce states.
The Board of Regents voted Monday in a special conference call meeting to accept a report by Pittsburgh-based consulting firm Tripp-Umbach for the purposes of planning the expansion of the Medical College of Georgia.
The plan calls for the expansion of MCG from 745 students to 1,200 by 2020. It also recommends that medical classes begin in Athens by 2009 or 2010.
MCG is the largest of five medical schools in the state. According to a 2007 report by the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce, there were 734 students enrolled at MCG in 2006-2007 and 99.5 percent of those were native Georgians.
In 2005, the American Medical Association approximated 51.3 percent of MCG's alumni practice medicine in Georgia. About 39 percent of medical school graduates nationally practice in the state in which they graduated.
The capacity of MCG has not kept pace with the growth of the state, according to Tripp-Umbach's report.
The joint venture between the University and MCG will offer an economic boost to Northeast Georgia and allow the state to increase the number of physicians it produces each year.
MCG's Augusta campus also will expand, but it does not have the space or resources to accommodate the statewide expansion necessary, the report says.
"Athens and Gainesville offer robust medical communities, including many physicians who are MCG alumni and are interested in teaching MCG medical students," according to a letter written by University System of Georgia Chancellor Erroll Davis, MCG President Daniel Rahn and University President Michael Adams, which is posted on the regents' Web site.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Kirk
posted 1/25/08 @ 7:00 PM EST
Nothing makes me more happy to hear that Athens is getting a Med school. As a current med student, and UGA alum, who hopes to become a surgeon one day I would love the chance to bring my practice to Athens. (Continued…)
Winfield J. Abbe
posted 1/26/08 @ 4:25 AM EST
The so-called "University" of Georgia has violated the rules of the scientific method and a true university. It has sought to fool its students, faculty and the public at large about the subject of cancer and the failure of the "War on Cancer" for over 30 years. (Continued…)
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