SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Medical College of Georgia has teamed up with St. Joseph’s/Candler to tackle the pressing issue of physician shortages in Georgia. Their solution: a groundbreaking residency program in Savannah aimed at training and retaining doctors within the Coastal Empire.
This innovative residency program, the first of its kind in the area, offers medical school graduates a local opportunity to complete their residency training. By providing this option, officials hope to significantly boost the likelihood that these newly trained physicians will choose to stay in the region over the long haul.
Spanning three years, the program reflects a strategic approach based on research indicating that physicians often settle in the communities where they complete their residencies. Leaders are optimistic that this initiative will strengthen Georgia’s medical workforce.
The need for such a program is underscored by Georgia’s current standing as 41st in the nation for the availability of primary care physicians, according to program officials.
“There’s about a 70% chance that when a medical student completes both their education and residency in the same city, they will remain there,” explained Elizabeth Gray, dean of the Medical College of Georgia Armstrong Campus. “We are thrilled to train our students here to understand our specific health needs and to encourage them to continue their practice locally for the long term.”
Gray said the collaboration is expected to bring more doctors to the state while also improving patient outcomes.
“We know that having graduate medical education in a health system increases the quality of care,” Gray said. “Just having a resident or a medical student on your team makes you less likely to have medical errors when you enter the hospital.”
The program is currently accepting applications and will begin its interview process this fall.
Residents will learn where they are matched on St. Patrick’s Day, and St. Joseph’s/Candler expects to welcome its first class of 20 residents in summer 2027.