The statistics are startling.
Georgia routinely ranks in the top 10 states in the country in terms of population size and growth, yet we continue to rank near the bottom in the number of physicians per capita, at a dismal 41st.
Recent data show that roughly 185 Georgians die from heart disease per 100,000 state residents.
Meanwhile, 11.3% of adults in the state have diabetes.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in our state.
Georgia is in the “stroke belt,” an area in the southeastern U.S. with stroke death rates that are approximately 30% higher than the rest of the country.
Our health outcomes, particularly in the most underserved areas, where the supply of primary care physicians and other specialists is low, reflect that.
How do we fix this? As Georgia’s flagship medical school, and the only public academic medical center, I view it as one of our most important missions to find out.
The answer is actually quite simple: We must place more physicians in the places our state needs them most.
That’s why, several years ago MCG underwent one of the most significant changes to the curriculum since our founding nearly 200 years ago. We call it the 3+ Program and it provides our students the opportunity to tailor-make their educational experience. Students complete the core requirements for an MD in three years and can use their fourth to delve into research, spend more time gaining educational experiences in their chosen specialty, or even earn a dual degree, like an MD/MPH or MD/MBA.
Another option – which we call the 3+ Primary Care Pathway, sees students enter directly into a primary care residency program in Georgia after completing three years of medical school. They also commit to practice in a rural or underserved area of our state and, in return for their service, receive a scholarship for tuition. The program is generously supported by Peach State Health Plan (part of Centene Corporation), the State of Georgia and other MCG donors.
By creating a continuous pipeline of these Peach State Scholars — we are preparing to graduate our second cohort in May — we believe we can begin to put more frontline physicians in these areas. That will keep people out of hospitals, prevent readmissions and prevent and deal with chronic illnesses before they become a crisis.
We also know we must do even more.
That means relying on our statewide educational network, with campuses in every corner of Georgia, as well as our amazing community clinical faculty. This model allows us to offer students the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of medicine, from complex care hospitals to small-town solo practices.
With their support, we have also established a new program that aims to identify students at admission who demonstrate a true passion for health care in underserved areas. Those who commit to attend either the MCG Regional Campus in Albany or the one in Rome/Dalton — which are strategically located in some of the state’s most medically underserved areas — for the clinical years of their education are given admissions preference.
We believe that identifying this “cohort” of students at admission will give them the chance, early and often, to get to know the people and places that make MCG’s regional campuses so special and deepen the connection they have to the communities where they will live and learn and where they will hopefully one day serve.
Changing the health care trajectory in our state is and will continue to be a challenge, but we must be innovative and intentional in finding solutions. The people of Georgia are depending on us.
