AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It’s been over a year since Wellstar Health System and Augusta University Health System merged.
Since then, they have seen an increase in medical students.
Augusta University says MCG’s class size is one of the top five in the country with more than 300 students in each class.
We spoke with a doctor about how this growth is helping Georgians.
The Medical College of Georgia is the 13th oldest medical school in the country.
After years of maturing, the college’s current first year class is projected to be the fifth largest in the country.
MCG officials say the growth is positive for pipelining more medical professionals in Georgia.
From the lab to communities, Wellstar MCG is making headway into the future of investing in Georgia’s medical workforce.
Dr. Natasha Savage with the Medical College of Georgia says her journey through the medical field has come full circle, now being able to educate the next generation.
“I’m a graduate of the Medical College of Georgia. I know how much our faculty cares about our residents, about our students and about our patients,” said Savage.
She says expanding specialty programs is what’s keeping MCG competitive in critical areas of healthcare like their newest program, maternal-fetal medicine.
“That is a three-year fellowship under the state under the program of OB/GYN and is fully supported by the state. Maternal-fetal medicine specialists help ensure that we have great care for our moms and their children,” she said.
MCG says they’re not slowing down because the need to grow the medical pipeline is more important than ever.
“Whether that be pediatricians or OB/GYNs or pathologists, etc. There’s many areas of the state of Georgia that have no OB/GYN or no psychiatrist and so we’re really working to fill that void,” said Savage.
Savage says MCG retains about 50% of its students each year, which is a positive sign for the future landscape of Georgia healthcare.
“We hope to maintain them, keep them here and continue to improve healthcare through optimal teaching, research and excellence in care,” she said.
According to the Georgia Department of Community Health, more than 140 counties in Georgia are medically underserved.
With a high retention rate, officials hope to continue to bridge that gap in healthcare.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25672934/Metaphor_Key_Art_Horizontal.png "There’s a reason Metaphor: ReFantanzio’s battle music sounds as cool as it does")
