With its vote on February 13, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the University of Georgia to establish a new independent School of Medicine in Athens.
The initiation of a school of medicine at Georgia’s flagship university comes at a time when the state faces a significant shortage of medical professionals. In recent years, Georgia’s population has surged to approximately 11 million residents, straining existing medical infrastructure and resulting in longer wait times for appointments and reduced access to care. Georgia—the nation’s eighth largest state—is forecasted to experience further population growth in the coming years, while nearly one-third of the state’s physicians are nearing retirement.
The UGA School of Medicine will build on the success of the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, which has been educating physicians in Athens since 2010. The AU/UGA Medical Partnership is currently the longest-serving medical partnership in the United States; others founded around the same time have already transitioned to independent medical schools, which is the natural evolution for such arrangements. UGA will continue to work closely with the Medical College of Georgia to ensure a smooth transition for current medical students as UGA seeks accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
