Medical Partnership welcomes six new faculty members to Athens

The AU/UGA Medical Partnership is excited to welcome six new, top caliber faculty members to the Athens campus.  They were attracted to this program for its progressive mindset and sense of community, and it is certain that they will each bring their unique expertise to the program.  It remains the Medical Partnership’s goal to provide high quality education in an intimate setting by keeping our faculty-to-student ratios low, and with the addition of these faculty members, we will be able to continue doing so.

Below is a complete list of the six faculty:

• Dr. Andy Albritton, campus director of clinical skills and professor of medicine. Albritton completed his internal medicine residency with the Medical College of Georgia in 1990, and he has served many roles at MCG over the past 27 years.  For the past 17 years, he served as the associate dean and senior associate dean for curriculum.  Albritton was a strong supporter in the development of the Medical Partnership campus.  He will be directing clinical skills across all four years of medical students, assisting in student and resident education, and precepting residents in the continuity clinic.
• Dr. Jo Albritton, assistant professor of psychiatry.  Albritton completed her undergraduate career with Augusta University before attending the Medical College of Georgia.  After finishing her residency in psychiatry at MCG, she became a part-time faculty member while entering private practice.  Later transitioning to a full-time faculty position, Albritton has made the move to Athens to support the Medical Partnership campus.  Albritton will be teaching small group learning and clinical skills.
• Dr. Lia Bruner, assistant professor of family medicine. Following her undergraduate career at Iowa State, Bruner was a Rhodes scholar who attended the University of Oxford before attending the Harvard Medical School. She completed her family medicine residency and became Chief Resident at the Boston University Medical Center.  Bruner will facilitate small group learning and clinical skills, and she will supervise residents in the continuity clinic.
• Dr. Matthew Crim, assistant professor of medicine. Crim attended the University of Georgia before receiving further education in Medical Ethics at Kings College in London.  He then attended medical school and completed his internal medicine residency at John Hopkins. Crim recently completed his cardiology fellowship with Emory University. He will be assisting with clinical skills, providing mentoring in research, and teaching basic science modules and medical ethics.
• Dr. Rene Mackay, assistant professor of medicine. Mackay attended the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras before moving to New York for his internship and residency in internal medicine at the New York Medical College’s Metropolitan Hospital Center.  He then completed in fellowship in nephrology at the New York Medical College’s Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center. Mackay has joined the internal medicine residency program at St. Mary’s as a core faculty member where he will be assisting resident education.
• Dr. Neil Taylor, assistant professor of OB/GYN. Taylor is a Medical College of Georgia alumnus (class of 1976) as well as a graduate from the University of Georgia and Georgia Institute of Technology.  Taylor is returning to Athens following his retirement from nearly 30 years in private practice in Georgia, Oklahoma, and even Thailand. He will be working with students during small group learning and assisting as a Community Health coach.