From the Desk of the Dean
It’s been an exciting year at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, and the future couldn’t be brighter here in Athens.
On February 13, 2024, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the University of Georgia to establish a new independent School of Medicine. The announcement came on the heels of Governor Brian Kemp allocating $50 million to support the construction of a new medical education and research building for the new School of Medicine.
The addition of a second public medical school will further advance our fight against the ongoing and growing physician shortage across Georgia. Medical students wishing to stay in Georgia for medical school will soon have two affordable public medical school options.
So, what does this mean for our campus? I will remain the campus dean of the Medical Partnership, but in March, I was humbly asked to serve as the founding dean of the future UGA School of Medicine. The task of acting as the founding dean of your future medical school is an extreme honor, and I thank President Morehead and Provost Hu for entrusting me with this role.
Over the next two to three years, the UGA School of Medicine will work towards its own LCME accreditation. The campus will coordinate closely with the Medical College of Georgia on the timing of the inaugural class of UGA students which is entirely dependent on receiving ‘preliminary accreditation’ from the LCME. The LCME will also help guide us in this transition from the Medical Partnership to eventually the UGA School of Medicine.
Our goal will always remain the same—educating our medical students to become the best 21stcentury practicing physicians they can be and attracting them to stay right here in Georgia.
You can read more about the University of Georgia School of Medicine and our journey forward beginning on page 12.
In March, the Medical Partnership celebrated another year with a perfect match rate! Students from our Class of 2024 will be going to 22 different states plus Washington D.C. in 19 different specialties. This is a talented group of doctors, and we are excited to see what they accomplish in their careers.
This year also marks a decade of Match Days here at the Medical Partnership! We have dedicated a section of this edition in honor of our past Match Days, so I hope you enjoy reliving those fond memories.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the Partnership Pulse which is filled with so many tremendous accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students over the past year.
Thank you for your continued support of our campus, and we can’t wait to embark on this exciting journey with all of you.
Michelle A. Nuss, MD Campus Dean for the AU/UGA Medical Partnership Founding Dean for the UGA School of Medicine
MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP LEADERSHIP
UGA PRESIDENT Jere Morehead, JD
UGA PROVOST S. Jack Hu, PhD
AU PRESIDENT Brooks Keel, PhD
AU-MCG DEAN David Hess, MD
AU/UGA MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP CAMPUS DEAN & UGA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FOUNDING DEAN
Michelle A. Nuss, MD
PUBLISHER
DESIGNER
Selected articles are courtesy of UGA Today
EMAIL mpmedia@uga.edu
WEBSITE medicalpartnership.usg.edu
Articles may be reprinted with permission from the editor.
Copyright © 2024 by the AU/UGA Medical Partnership. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without permission from the editor.
The AU/UGA Medical Partnership is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.
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Nuss awarded LAMARTINE HARDMAN CUP from Medical Association of Georgia
By Lindsey Derrick
Dr. Michelle Nuss, campus dean of the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, was named the recipient of the 2023 Lamartine Hardman Cup from the Medical Association of Georgia.
One of the highest honors from the Medical Association of Georgia, the award recognizes a physician who has solved a problem in public health or made a contribution to the science of medicine, including but not limited to excellence in the field of medical education.
Nuss was recognized by the Medical Association of Georgia at a ceremony on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Savannah.
“I am truly grateful to be recognized with this award,” said Nuss. “The Lamartine Hardman Cup is renowned among healthcare professionals across Georgia. To be named the 2023 recipient is such an amazing and humbling honor.”
In 2016, Nuss became dean of the Medical Partnership, where one of her major accomplishments has been tackling the physician shortage in Georgia.
The Medical Partnership expanded its enrollment from 40 students per class to 50 in 2020 and eventually to 60 per class in 2021. The Medical Partnership will have a total of 240 students in 2024 compared to 160 when the campus opened in 2010.
Nuss has also been instrumental in expanding graduate medical education (GME) statewide. She led the development of new residency programs and teaching hospitals across Georgia in her work with the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
In 2013, the USGBOR formed the GME Regents Evaluation and Assessment Team (GREAT) committee. Nuss was appointed to the GREAT committee and worked closely with the chair to develop a process to build new residency slots across the state. She advocated for state funding to support GME hospital start-up funds and led
The Lamartine Hardman Cup is presented to a physician who solves a problem in public health or makes a discovery in surgery or medicine or the science of medicine.
the development of the grant process for the new teaching hospitals.
“We know that getting doctors to come to Georgia for residency training is a big step in getting them to remain in state and practice,” said Nuss, “so establishing more residency programs in new locations is critical to our mission of addressing the growing physician shortage.”
Nuss’ advocacy for these new programs led to multi-year funding from FY13 – FY19 ($19.6 million over seven years). In 2016, she was appointed chair of the GREAT committee and has continued to oversee the project.
Upon completion of the GME project, there will be nine new teaching hospitals, 31 new residency programs, and close to 800 new resident positions across the state.
Nuss also works closely with the Georgia Board for Healthcare Workforce and currently serves as the chair of Georgia’s statewide Medical Education Advisory Committee that advises the Board on various issues regarding Georgia’s medical education system. Nuss also serves as the Area Health Education Centers co-chair of the Statewide Primary Care Taskforce to help address the growing shortages of health care providers in rural areas and serves as vice president for the board of directors for the Foothills AHEC.
Athens Free Clinic wins national AAMC award
By Lindsey Derrick
The Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership’s Athens Free Clinic was named the recipient of the 2023 Star of Community Achievement award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
The Star of Community Achievement award is a nationally recognized honor presented to a campus that has improved the health status of its community or achieved its social mission through collaboration with its community.
“I am personally humbled,” said Dr. Suzanne Lester, director of the Athens Free Clinic. “It is rewarding to see that the close collaboration amongst our patients, medical students, faculty, and university and community partners has positively impacted the community. To receive recognition from the AAMC is incredibly meaningful.”
The Athens Free Clinic was established in 2018 and became an integral part of the Community and Population Health curriculum at the Medical Partnership the following year. The clinic’s mission is to bring primary care to the underserved and underinsured population of Athens-Clarke County.
The clinic is staffed by Medical Partnership students, faculty, and staff, and travels to various sites and neighborhoods within Athens-Clarke County to bring health care directly to patients who may lack access to transportation.
Athens Free Clinic sites currently include Acceptance Recovery Center, Advantage Behavioral Health Systems, Bigger Vision Community Shelter, Cedar Shoals High School, Clarke Central High School, Clarke Middle Health Center, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Foothills Charter High School, Nuci’s Space, Pinewoods Community, Potter’s House, and Project Safe.
“It is such a privilege for our Athens Free Clinic/
The Star of Community Achievement award is a nationally recognized honor presented to a campus that has improved the health status of its community or achieved its social mission through collaboration with its community.
Community Population Health medical student and faculty teams to serve and learn in the Athens community,” said Lester. “The importance and value of educating medical students through service to others is one of our firmly held beliefs. In our experience, this form of service-learning is empowering for our medical students, patients, and faculty alike. We are very thankful to all of those who have contributed to the success of this curriculum. We would not be here today without them.”
Since March 2018, the Athens Free Clinic has provided over $850,000 of care to more than 3,400 patients.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinic also conducted 3,500 COVID tests and administered 4,000 COVID vaccines.
“We are extremely honored that our Athens Free Clinic and Community and Population Health curriculum have been recognized with this prestigious award,” said Medical Partnership campus dean, Dr. Michelle Nuss, “The clinic has had a tremendous impact in the Athens community by addressing health disparities and providing health care to those in need.”
The Athens Free Clinic was recognized for the award at the AAMC Annual Meeting in Seattle on November 3. The clinic’s work will be presented at the AAMC’s Regional Medical Campuses Conference in Washington, D.C., in June 2024.
Black patients less likely to receive lifesaving stroke treatments
By Leigh Hataway
Almost 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. African Americans and other people of color have a substantially higher risk of experiencing a stroke than their white counterparts. And they’re also significantly more likely to die from those strokes.
But Black patients are significantly less likely to receive the gold standard of stroke care, according to new research.
“Racial disparities exist in all levels of stroke care,” said Delaney Metcalf, lead author of the study and a third-year medical student at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership. “There are many studies that show quality of medical care in general can be poorer in minority populations. But as healthcare professionals, we are not doing a good enough job of getting these lifesaving treatments to these patients.”
Black patients have longer hospital stays after receiving stroke procedures
The researchers analyzed data from more than 89,000 stroke patients across the U.S.
Their data showed that Black patients were significantly less likely to receive tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a clot-busting medication that helps restore blood flow to the brain after a stroke.
Additionally, Black patients were less likely than white patients to undergo endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), a minimally invasive procedure in which the blood clot is surgically removed.
When minority patients do get needed treatment, the researchers found non-white patients had substantially longer hospital stays, which may signify poorer health outcomes or lower quality of care.
Minority patients may lack access to lifesaving stroke care
tPA and EVT are the go-to medical treatments for ischemic strokes, which are caused by blood clots. They dramatically reduce death after a stroke and lead to significantly better health outcomes.
But both options are extremely time sensitive.
To be effective, tPA should be given within a few hours of a stroke.
And patients requiring the EVT surgical procedure need to be on the table within about six hours.
For rural patients or those living in underserved areas, that’s a tall ask.
Black patients experience longer wait times
Previous research has shown that Black and minority patients are less likely to call emergency services for an ambulance, which can delay medical care significantly.
But even once they arrive, Black and minority patients experience longer wait times to be seen by health care providers to get brain imaging. Brain scans are necessary to determine a treatment course.
“Why is that? It could be that the hospital is really overrun and doesn’t have the staff to be able to do it in a timely manner,” Metcalf said. “There can also be implicit racial biases that lead to health professionals not treating their Black patients the same way they treat their white patients and not taking minority patients’ symptoms seriously.”
And not every hospital has the staff, medicine, and equipment to make sure stroke patients receive this specialized care. That lack of access can have deadly consequences.
“This is a problem, but it’s a targetable problem,” Metcalf said. “Increasing education on what a stroke looks and feels like is one tiny thing we can make an improvement on.
“There are many small things we can do to make advances in minority stroke care. Increasing community education on recognizing stroke symptoms may help patients get to treatment centers faster. Additionally, providing the training and technology needed for these treatments to underserved areas can improve access to stroke care.”
Published by the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, the study was co-authored by Donglan Zhang, an associate professor at NYU Long Island School of Medicine and a former assistant professor in UGA’s College of Public Health.
Delaney Metcalf
By the numbers A look into Georgia’s physician shortage
40th in the nation for the ratio of active patient care physicians to population
18 40 65 82
90
By 2025 it is projected the state will see:
15 new teaching hospitals, 39 new GME programs, & 966 new residency positions.
41st(out of 41)
Of the 41 states that do have a public medical school, Georgia ranks last (41 of 41) with a rate of only 9.1 students/100,000 capita.
Georgians lives in a county with no more than one doctor. counties have no family medicine physician counties have no internal medicine physician counties have no pediatrician counties have no OB/GYN counties have no psychiatrists
Nine counties don’t have a physician at all.
1 in 10
Statistics show that where a doctor completes residency is a key factor in their career. A majority of medical residents (57.1%) who completed residency training from 2011 through 2020 continue to practice in the state where they completed their residencies.
cover story
Looking to the Future
Becoming
the UGA School of Medicine
UGA to launch new School of Medicine
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.
“This is a very important decision by the Board of Regents and a historic moment for our state and university,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “As a land-grant and sea-grant research university, our commitment to Georgia is unwavering, and the new University of Georgia School of Medicine will expand our positive impact on Georgians in many critical ways. The School of Medicine will significantly expand the pool of medical professionals in Georgia, attract more top-tier scientists and researchers to the state, and produce more physicians to serve underserved and rural Georgia communities.”
Building on success, meeting a critical need
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 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).
“I am thrilled by the Board of Regents’ decision to authorize UGA to seek an independent school of medicine,” said Dr. Michelle Nuss, campus dean of the AU/UGA Medical Partnership. “By expanding the pipeline of students in medical education, the UGA School of Medicine will help Georgia produce more highly trained physicians, alleviating physician shortages and improving the state’s ability to provide quality health care for its citizens.”
Georgia currently ranks No. 40 among U.S. states for the number of active patient care physicians per capita, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), while it ranks No. 41 for the
number of primary care physicians and No. 44 for the number of general surgeons per capita. The shortage of medical providers is particularly acute in rural and underserved areas, where access is even more limited.
The university will leverage its vast public service network — which already serves all 159 counties in the state — to partner with local health care providers, rural hospitals, and clinics to extend the school’s impact throughout Georgia. Additionally, area health systems across the state have more than sufficient capacity to serve as additional clinical training sites and have expressed their eagerness to do so.
The School of Medicine will benefit from robust internal demand for medical education among UGA undergraduates. The University of Georgia is the ninth highest producer of medical school applicants in the United States, according to the AAMC.
Fueling discovery and economic development
“The UGA School of Medicine will help address the health care needs of Georgia while also serving as a springboard for economic development that advances our state,” said UGA Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Jack S. Hu. “The school will attract additional researchers and scientists as well as biomedical companies and startups, fueling discovery and commercialization that create new opportunities for Georgians.”
The School of Medicine will add to the University of Georgia’s burgeoning research enterprise. In fiscal year 2023, UGA’s total R&D expenditures reached an all-time high of $570.9 million. Over the past decade, total R&D
expenditures at UGA have increased 61%, while federally funded R&D has risen by 76%.
Driving these gains have been increases by several federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, which funds a significant portion of America’s biomedical research. The University of Georgia receives the largest amount of NIH funding among all of Georgia’s public research universities and is the largest recipient of NIH funding among American public universities without a medical school.
UGA scientists already work closely with several research universities and medical schools in Georgia, and the addition of a new stand-alone medical school will strengthen those partnerships and enhance opportunities for future collaboration. Faculty in several colleges and schools on campus already engage in research on Parkinson’s, COVID-19, malaria, and other conditions such as stroke. Their discoveries have led to new treatments and vaccines that are among the 1,100 products developed from UGA research to date.
Fortified by public and private support
In addition to funding from state government, strong private support will fortify efforts to create a School of Medicine at UGA. Donors have demonstrated robust support for UGA initiatives in recent years. In fiscal year 2023, UGA raised over $240 million in gifts and pledges from alumni, friends, and foundation and industry partners. The university’s three-year rolling fundraising average is now a record $235 million per year, with annual contributions exceeding $200 million for the past six consecutive years.
Nuss named founding dean of UGA School of Medicine
By Mike Wooten
Dr. Michelle Nuss, campus dean of the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, has been named founding dean of the University of Georgia School of Medicine.
Nuss has served as campus dean of the Medical Partnership since 2016. In her new role, she will lead the establishment of an independently accredited school of medicine on the campus of Georgia’s flagship university.
“The creation of the School of Medicine at the University of Georgia is an extraordinary milestone for our state and our institution, and we are grateful to the Governor, the Chancellor, the General Assembly, and the Board of Regents for their strong support,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “There is no one better equipped to lead this important initiative than Dr. Michelle Nuss, with her exemplary, widely recognized leadership in medical education. I look forward to working with her as we seek LCME accreditation and build an outstanding medical school in the coming years.”
“It’s an honor to serve as the founding dean of the UGA School of Medicine,” said Nuss. “The School of Medicine will build upon the strong foundation we have already established in Athens and will have a tremendous impact in addressing the ongoing physician shortage. I’m excited to lead this next chapter of medical education at the University of Georgia and look forward to collaborating with partners both on and off campus.”
The Medical Partnership established a regional medical campus in Athens in 2010, initially educating 40 students per class. During Nuss’ tenure as campus dean, the Partnership has expanded its enrollment to 60 students per class and now enrolls a total of nearly 240 students.
Nuss also has been instrumental in growing graduate medical education (GME) statewide through her work with the University System of Georgia Board of Regents’ GME expansion program. As chair of the GME Regents Evaluation and Assessment Team (GREAT) Committee since 2016, she has led the development of new residency programs across Georgia. By the time the project is completed in 2025, there will be nine new teaching hospitals, 31 new residency programs and
nearly 800 new resident positions in the state.
Additionally, Nuss works closely with the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce and chairs the statewide Medical Education Advisory Committee, which advises the board on issues regarding Georgia’s medical education system. She also serves as co-chair of the Area Health Education Centers’ Statewide Primary Care Taskforce that is working to address the growing shortage of health care providers in rural areas.
“Dr. Nuss has expertly served as campus dean of the Medical Partnership, and she has been a powerful advocate for expanding access to medical education in Georgia,” said S. Jack Hu, UGA’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Her experience as a leader in medical education and her work with the oldest public medical school in the state uniquely position her to lead UGA’s School of Medicine.”
Nuss joined the Medical Partnership in 2010 as an associate professor of internal medicine and psychiatry and associate dean for graduate medical education. In that role, she helped establish an internal medicine residency program in partnership with St. Mary’s Health Care System and supported Athens Regional Medical
Center (now Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center) in the development of its residency program.
Nuss is the recipient of several prestigious awards for leadership and teaching. In 2023, she received the Lamartine Hardman Cup from the Medical Association of Georgia. One of the organization’s highest honors, the award recognizes a physician who has solved a problem in public health or contributed to the science of medicine, including excellence in the field of medical education.
The Georgia Chapter of the American College of Physicians presented its Mark Silverman Award to Nuss in 2019. The award recognizes a physician who has demonstrated excellence in bedside skills and teaching and has served as an inspiration for younger physicians to advance their knowledge and training in medicine.
Nuss received a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Purdue University and earned her MD from West Virginia University. She completed her residency at West Virginia University, where she served as chief resident in internal medicine and psychiatry.
UGA breaks ground on new medical education & research building
By James Hataway
On April 19, the University of Georgia broke ground on a new medical education and research building that will significantly expand teaching and research capabilities at the university’s future School of Medicine.
Located on UGA’s Health Sciences Campus, preliminary plans for the building include medical simulation suites, standardized patient rooms, clinical skills labs, a gross anatomy lab, and a medical library. The building will also feature student support spaces like conference rooms, study spaces, lounges, and faculty and staff offices dedicated to student support.
In total, the proposed building would measure approximately 92,000 square feet. Roughly 67,000 square feet of the building will be dedicated to medical education while the remaining 25,000 square feet will house biomedical research laboratories.
The new building will complement existing facilities and provide the UGA School of Medicine with capacity to expand from 60 students per class to 120 in the future.
“Today is an exciting and transformative moment, as we usher in a new era for our university and the state of Georgia,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “As a land-grant university and Georgia’s flagship research institution, the University of Georgia is uniquely positioned to address the health care needs of our state through world-class medical education, research and community outreach.”
Following the recommendation of Governor Brian Kemp, the Georgia General Assembly passed a fiscal year 2024 amended budget that includes $50 million in funding for a new University of Georgia School of Medicine facility.
The $50 million in state funding will be matched by private contributions to fund the $100 million medical education and research building.
“The fact is, Georgia needs more doctors, and we need them now,” said Dr. Michelle Nuss, founding dean of the UGA School of Medicine. “The new UGA School of Medicine will increase the number of medical students in the state, translating to more practicing physicians to help address
Georgia’s greatest health care challenges.”
The creation of the UGA School of Medicine marks the natural evolution of the longest-serving medical partnership in the United States. Similar programs founded around the same time have already transitioned to independent medical schools.
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).
The development of a new public school of medicine at UGA promises to help address a significant shortage of medical professionals. Georgia’s growing population now tops approximately 11 million residents, straining the state’s existing medical infrastructure.
Now the nation’s eighth largest state, Georgia is forecasted to experience further population growth in
the coming years, and nearly one-third of the state’s physicians are nearing retirement.
“Georgia is growing,” said Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia. “We may only be only eighth today, but in just a few short years Georgia could be the fifth largest state. And that means we are going to need more health care, and people are going to get it here and across the state.”
UGA faculty are already engaged in human health research, and the establishment of a school of medicine will bolster their efforts.
“Our flagship institution, the University of Georgia, is tasked with the vital mission of educating and preparing the next generation of leaders,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “To that end, one of our top priorities is building a strong health care workforce pipeline. This UGA facility will be an essential part of those efforts.”
students
A Decade of Match
A look back at Medical Partnership Match Days from 2014-2024
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2014 Match list
Clockwise from top:
• Peter Karempelis celebrates his match to the University of Minnesota in otolaryngology.
• Students scramble to get their Match letters.
• Rachel Taylor, Xiao Li, Lance McLeroy, Bijal Vashi, Zach Balest, and Josh Hendrick await high noon!
• Anna Bunker, Lum Frundi, Rutvi Patel, Rachel Weaver, and Hammad Aslam gather to reminesce at the Match Day brunch.
• Must...open...letter...now.
Clockwise from top left:
• Joanna Eldredge, Nick Fitzpatrick, and Monica Gavaller take their Match letters to be opened at noon.
• Logesh Dharmar, Ari Levine, Forrest Sherman (Co2016), and Boris Kovalenko at the Match Day brunch.
• Michael Schecter, Kristina Falkenstrom, and Nigel George at the brunch.
• Students grab their letters.
• Brian Brewer places a sticker on the map to show off his match in internal medicine at the Medical Partnership.
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2015 Match list
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2016 Match list
Clockwise from top left:
• 5...4...3...2...1! Open those letters!
• Joseph Vinson and Kalie Deutsch pose in the photobooth with their Match letters for Emory University.
• Gang's all here! Classmates pose with family and friends before the main event.
• Match letters were placed in paper lanterns for Match Day 2016.
• Confetti falls on the Class of 2016.
Clockwise from top:
• Thumbs up....it's Match Day!
• Zach Elstad awaits his match with his sister, Dr. Cristina Elstad, Medical Partnership alumna from the Class 2014.
• Meghan Murphy spreads the word of her match at Vanderbilt University in pediatrics.
• Amelita Woodruff and family celebrate her match to the Mayo Clinic in family medicine.
• Students display their Paper Plate Awards.
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2017 Match list
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2018 Match list
Clockwise from top left:
• The Class of 2018 chose a Kentucky Derby theme for their Match Day.
• Mark Zapata opens his letter. Zapata matched in general surgery at Boston University.
• Another Boston match: Justin Belk matched in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
• Luci Cotten chats with Dean Nuss after learning of her match to Emory in internal medicine.
Clockwise from top:
• Happy Match Day from the Class of 2019!
• Courtney Alvis shows off her Match letter. Alvis matched at Johns Hopkins in pediatrics.
• Mateo Villa and Anudeep Neelam make the best of the photobooth.
• Cinthana Kandasamy celebrates her match to Harvard University in internal medicine with Dean Nuss.
• Shub Agrawal celebrates her match at Emory University in internal medicine.
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2019 Match list
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2020 Match list
Clockwise from top left:
• Charlie Gober shows off his match to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in very adorable fashion.
• Ben Daniel celebrates the virtual Match Day with his family. Daniel matched in interventional radiology at Wake Forest University.
• Sabina Sorondo and Michael Scott celebrate their match. The pair did a couples match to Stanford University.
Clockwise from top left:
• Eden Woubshet shows off her Match letter. Woubshet matched in family medicine at Emory University.
• Sherayar Orakzai participates in the virtual Match Day with family and friends. Orakzai matched at Rush University in interventional radiology.
• James Cho matched in anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
• Devaunsh Thaker gives a masked smile for his match to NYU in anesthesiology.
• Quinn Paragine shows off his match in pediatrics at Georgetown University.
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2021 Match list
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2022 Match list
Clockwise from top left:
• Joseph Ruiz opens his letter. Ruiz matched at Olive View-UCLA for a preliminary year in medicine.
• Andrew Brodmann picks up his Match letter. Brodmann matched at the University of South Carolina Greenville in emergency medicine.
• Almost time to open those letters!
• Say cheese!
• Dillon Patel celebrates his match in anesthesiology at University of North Carolina Hospitals.
Clockwise from top left:
• Pomi Yun opens her letter to find out she matched at Johns Hopkins for child neurology.
• Tanner Martin and Kathryn Harbin successfully competed a couples match at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
• Photobooth shenanigans!
• Emmy Grinstead shows off her best green look for the St. Patrick’s Day theme.
• Students and guests look over the offiical Match list.
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2023 Match list
Scan the code to check out the Class of 2024 Match list
Clockwise from top left:
• Scarlett Kim walks down the red carpet to receive her envelope.
• Rehmat Babar gets emotional after seeing she matched at Brigham and Women’s for neurology.
• Pascal Acree celebrates with family and friends after learning of his match to Stanford University in interventional radiology.
• Alex Parsons walks the red carpet with his daughters to receive his envelope.
• Alex Mendoza looks over the Match list.
• Ana Bankey displays her match to Emory University in internal medicine.
Perfect again Medical Partnership celebrates 100% match rate for second year in a row
By Lindsey Derrick
The sound of ripping envelopes echoed through George Hall at noon on March 15 as fourth-year students at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership opened their letters for Match Day.
Inside each envelope was a personal letter revealing where the student will be pursuing his or her postgraduate medical education.
“We have had a decade of Match Days here at the Medical Partnership, and we are pleased to announce that every student from the Class of 2024 matched into a residency program,” said campus dean, Dr. Michelle Nuss. “This is the second year in a row we have celebrated a perfect match rate.”
An annual event, Match Day takes place after students participate in interviews and visits to residency programs in Georgia and across the country. To determine the postgraduation assignments, the students ranked residency programs where they would like to complete their training, at the same time the residency programs ranked the student applicants. The lists are then submitted to the nonprofit organization National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) in Washington, D.C., which uses an algorithm that aligns the choices of the applicants with
those of the residency programs. Most students were matched via the NRMP, but some students participated in smaller match programs, including ophthalmology. The final pairings are announced simultaneously across the U.S. at noon on Match Day.
“The accomplishments of these 50 students have landed them at top-tier residency programs across the nation,” said Nuss. “Thank you to the faculty, administrators, staff, and physician mentors in our community who have devoted their time and efforts to educating our future physicians.”
The students will be going to 22 different states plus Washington D.C. in 19 different specialties, with 58 percent staying in the southern United States, and 54 percent joining primary/core care programs. Thirteen will begin their residency careers in Georgia.
Some of the most popular specialties from the Medical Partnership Class of 2024 included family medicine (7), internal medicine (5), ophthalmology (4), and OB-GYN (4).
Oh, the places we have gone...
Since the Medical Partnership opened its doors in 2014, our greatest mission has been to put more doctors back in Georgia and surrounding states in the South. The statistics on this map are a testimony to our continued commitment to making our mission a reality.
Almost 100 of our alumni initially matched in Georgia and began their careers in the Peach State. Our success rate in making a healthier Georgia does not stop there—almost 50% of our alumni who have completed residency are currently practicing in Georgia.
AU/UGA Medical Partnership & St. Mary's fill all positions in Internal Medicine Residency Program
By Lindsey Derrick
The Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership Internal Medicine Residency Program (IMRP) at St. Mary's announced another successful Match Day in March. The program filled all residency positions to welcome its ninth class of internal medicine residents in Athens.
“We are honored once again to have received so many truly exceptional applicants to our program,” said Dr. Lela Ward, program director for the IMRP. “The supportive medical community, dedicated volunteer faculty, exceptional staff, and commitment of St. Mary’s Health Care System to quality care truly make this an excellent program to learn and to train physicians in Northeast Georgia.”
The IMRP, which received full accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education in October 2016, is a joint effort by the Medical Partnership and St. Mary’s. Residents are medical school graduates who are entering the final stage of their medical education: a three-year, hands-on program with progressive levels of responsibility that ends in certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
“Continued post-pandemic-related health challenges, along with the need to continue to provide ever-higher levels of quality and satisfaction for patients with more and more chronic illnesses, will be a significant challenge for these new physicians,” said Dr. Eric Schuck, St. Mary’s chief medical officer. “I have no doubt that this outstanding class of physicians is up to the task.”
The new residents will begin practicing at St. Mary's Health Care System on July 1.
"This is another exciting year in the history of the Internal Medicine Residency Program," said Stonish Pierce, president and CEO, Trinity Health of Georgia, which includes St. Mary’s. "We are confident this next class will continue the tradition of compassion and excellence demonstrated by their predecessors. St. Mary's is proud to be an integral part of the IMRP and its success in bringing more medical doctors to Georgia and to the Athens region."
“I am so excited to have this group of residents join us. Their experiences, diversity, and talent will continue to strengthen the Internal Medicine Program,” said Medical Partnership campus dean, Dr. Michelle Nuss. "I look forward to seeing what these young physicians will do in our community over the next three years."
The IMRP Class of 2027 and the schools at which they completed their medical education are:
Safurah Bharwani, MD
Medical University of Silesia, School of Medicine in Katwoice
Philadelphia
Alabama
Alabama
Luis Cardenas, MD University of South Carolina, School of Medicine Greenville
Graham Ferguson, MD St. George's University, School of Medicine
Timothy Le, DO
Lincoln Memorial Univ., DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
Batul Momin, DO
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Sheena Mondeddu, DO
College of Osteopathic Medicine
Marisela Plascencia, DO
College of Osteopathic Medicine
Stephane Rivard, DO
College of Osteopathic Medicine
Aswin Sembu, DO
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Kinjal Suthar, MD
American University of Antigua College of Medicine
Noah Tollin, MD
St. George's University, School of Medicine
Frank Merlino, MD
Medical College of Georgia (Preliminary Year Intern)
A Celebration of
GRADUATION
By Lindsey Derrick
The Class of 2024 celebrated their achievements at the Celebration of Graduation at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel on Saturday, May 11. Fifty students, along with their friends and family, gathered for this momentous occasion.
The ceremony began with a processional led by Campus Dean Dr. Michelle Nuss along with the Medical Partnership faculty. Nuss opened the ceremony with remarks to the graduates.
“Wherever your residency training takes you, wear your new longer white coats with pride and privilege, but of much greater importance, with humility,” Nuss told the graduates. “Listen carefully and compassionately to the patients you will care for. And remember that what makes you a physician and a future caretaker for patients, is not the white coat. It’s the qualities you already possess – your compassion, your discipline, your altruism, your intelligence – the things that make you, uniquely you.”
Campus Dean Michelle Nuss and associate dean of academic success and interim campus associate dean for student affairs, Dr. Scott Richardson, presented the Amarachi Anukam Community Service Award to Dr. Shant Ohanian
in honor of the Class of 2024
Dr. Thomas Howdieshell, professor of surgery, provided the keynote address at the ceremony.
The Class of 2024 was then presented by Dr. Carrie Kelly, assistant professor of pediatrics, and Dr. Robert Mackin, assistant professor of cellular biology and anatomy.
Howdieshell, Kelly, and Mackin were all chosen for their roles by the Class of 2024.
Associate dean of academic success and interim campus associate dean for student affairs, Dr. Scott Richardson, presented the Amarachi Anukam Community Service Award to Dr. Shant Ohanian (pictured at left), and Howdieshell received the Educator of the Year Award.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the class gift from Drs. Pascal Acree, Laurel Parker, and Tony Thawanyarat (pictured at right), and the Hippocratic Oath led by the 2024 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine awardee, Dr. Ellen House.
� Honor Society Inductees �
Alpha Omega Alpha
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, a professional medical organization, recognizes and advocates for excellence in scholarship and the highest ideals in the profession of medicine. Members have a compelling drive to do well and to advance the medical profession and exemplify the highest standards of professionalism.
Senior students selected for induction from the Class of 2024 include:
Pascal Acree
Rehmat Babar
Ana Bankey
Luke del Balzo
Lauren Ellis
Chandler Johnson
Alex Parsons
Julia Scher
Rajeev Subu
Shane Wilson
Kara Ye
St. Mary’s Internal Medicine Resident Inductee: Dr. Ummar Jamal
Piedmont Athens Regional Internal Medicine Resident Inductee: Dr. Raissa Nana
AU/UGA Medical Partnership Faculty Inductee: Dr. Robert Mackin
MCG Alumnus Inductee: Dr. Alan Morgan
American Medical Women’s Association’s Glasgow-Rubin Citation for Academic Achievement
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) awards the Glasgow-Rubin Citation for Academic Achievement to women who graduate in the top 10% of their medical school class.
Senior students from the Class of 2024 awarded with the AMWA Glasgow-Rubin Citation include:
Rehmat Babar
Ana Bankey
Lauren Ellis
Tahmina Mohiuddin
Laurel Parker
Julia Scher
Kimberly Shumaker
Amelia Tomei
Anna Turlej
Kara Ye
Alpha Upsilon Phi
Alpha Upsilon Phi (AUPhi) is an honorary campus society that was founded at the Medical College of Georgia in 2008 to promote and recognize exemplary service and leadership efforts.
Senior students selected for induction from the Class of 2024 include:
Pascal Acree
Shadman Ibnamasud
Artie McCarty
Alex Parsons
Anna Schramski
Tony Thawanyarat
Blue Key Honor Society
Founded in 1926, the University of Georgia chapter of the Blue Key Honor Society is the third oldest chapter of the national organization and is governed by its constitution. UGA Blue Key recognizes second, third and fourth-year undergraduate students, as well as graduate and professional students of outstanding character and ability who have achieved distinction in three key areas: scholarship, leadership, and service.
Senior students selected for induction from the Class of 2024 include:
Alex Parsons
Tony Thawanyarat
Dean’s Clinical Honor Society
The Medical College of Georgia established the Dean’s Clinical Honor Society in 2017 for the purpose of honoring outstanding medical students who consistently achieved high academic excellence throughout the core clinical clerkships of the third year of medical school.
Senior students selected for induction from the Class of 2024 include:
Pascal Acree
Rehmat Babar
Jordan Baker
Ana Bankey
Forrest Clark
Luke del Balzo
Houston Earnest
Lauren Ellis
Shadman Ibnamasud
Chandler Johnson
Rajashri Manjunath
Tahmina Mohiuddin
Laurel Parker
Alex Parsons
Julia Scher
Kimberly Shumaker
Rajeev Subu
Amelia Tomei
Anna Turlej
Shane Wilson
Kara Ye
Scholarship Recipients
Gold Humanism Honor Society
In 2002, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation established the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) as a signature program to recognize medical students, residents, and faculty who practice patientcentered care by modeling the qualities of integrity, excellence, compassion, altruism, respect, and empathy.
Senior students selected for induction from the Class of 2024 include:
Ana Bankey
Artie McCarty Tahmina Mohiuddin
Shant Ohanian
Kyli Schmitt
Tony Thawanyarat
St. Mary’s Internal Medicine Resident Inductee: Dr. Jalessa Graham
Piedmont Athens Regional Internal Medicine Resident Inductee: Dr. Martin Baxter
GHHS Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award recognizes graduating students and faculty members who demonstrate both clinical excellence and outstanding compassion in the delivery of care and who show respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues.
Class of 2023 Medical Partnership Student Member Inductee: Dr. Dina Teshager
Class of 2023 Medical Partnership Faculty Member Inductee:
Dr. Lia Bruner
Barbara L. Schuster Scholarship
The Barbara L. Schuster Scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated evidence of future leadership.
Benson White Coat Scholarship
The Benson White Coat Scholarship is awarded to a student (or students) who embodies the vision and mission of the AU/UGA Medical Partnership by demonstrating leadership in research and scholarship.
Howard & Caryl Cohen Scholarship
The Howard and Caryl Scholarship is merit based and awarded to an incoming or current AU/UGA Medical Partnership student.
JL Smith Professional Fund Award
The JL Smith Professional Fund Award is awarded to a first-year student doing summer research in pediatrics and/or a fourth-year student pursuing a career in pediatrics.
Kirby Memorial Scholarship
The Kirby Memorial Scholarship is a recurring scholarship awarded to a student (or students) who demonstrates exceptional citizenship and professionalism.
MCG/UGA White Coat Scholarship
The MCG/UGA White Coat Scholarship is awarded to a student (or students) with excellent academic qualifications who has demonstrated professionalism and good citizenship.
Simpson White Coat Scholarship
The Simpson White Coat Scholarship is a recurring scholarship awarded to a student (or students) who demonstrates campus engagement and excellent scholarship.
Wayne Middendorf Memorial Scholarship
The Wayne Middendorf Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated exceptional community engagement and academic excellence.
Artie McCarty
Scarlett Kim
Lexi Ruppel
Luke del Balzo
Eric Santana
Anna-Kay Campbell
Tahmina Mohiuddin
Alex Parsons
Grace Snuggs
Pascal Acree
Attila Dos Santos
Falon Hassett
Youssef Mohamed
Justin Rowe
Your generosity helps ensure the continued growth of health care in Georgia. Every gift makes a difference.
One cause. Two ways to give.
Give to the AU/UGA MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP Give to the UGA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
• Scholarships
• Athens Free Clinic
• Pathway to Medicine
• Support Fund
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• Initiative Fund
etcetera
Look at all those new doctors: Hooding Ceremony for the Class of 2024
Dr. Ebony Caldwell, Class of 2018, participates in the 40 Under 40 Panel. Caldwell is the Medical Partnership’s first 40 Under 40 honoree.
State legislators and their families tour the Medical Partnership during their annual retreat.
Surge Modi films an interview for a new promotional video for the Medical Partnership.
The Class of 2026 present their findings at the Research Symposium.
Our annual Body Donor Memorial is a time when students, faculty, and staff pay respects to those who gave their bodies to science. M1 students write notes of thanks and condolences to the families and friends of the donors during the ceremony.
Constance Sullivan holds up the name of her buddy during the annual M1 and M2 Buddy Match.
The annual Wine and Cheese Night raised almost $6,000 for the Athens Free Clinic and the M1 and M2 Student Government Organizations.
The Class of 2027 model their new white coats.
Jordan Beil and Amanda Lilley work with students during Mini-Med Camp.
Class Notes
CLASS OF 2014
Ashley Austin, MD, has accepted a position as a team physician for the WNBA’s New York Liberty.
CLASS OF 2015
Boris Kovalenko, MD, completed a fellowship in adult reconstruction and now lives in Portland, Maine where he practices at St. Mary’s Hospital.
Zach Rohm, MD, will be completing a fellowship in neuroimmunology at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and joining VUMC as an assistant professor in neurology this July.
CLASS OF 2016
Brian King, MD, completed his rheumatology fellowship at the University of Virginia and is starting a new job in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Jonathan Swanson, MD, has been spearheading a new emergency room facility at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya.
CLASS OF 2017
Rachel Johnson, MD, is serving as the internal medicine clerkship director at Wellstar Kennestone. She is also slated to serve as director of ground rounds for the program.
Amelita Woodruff, MD, is serving as the director of DEI for the Division of Hospital Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She also developed curriculum on trauma-informed care and will soon be named associate medical director for the Hopkins HEAL Refugee Health & Asylum Collaborative.
CLASS OF 2019
Sean Olinger, MD, will be joining the surgery group at Piedmont Athens Regional in August.
Gabe Pajares Hurtado, MD, is currently finishing his chief resident year at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center before beginning a cardiology fellowship also at BIDMC. He and his wife also welcomed son John in 2021 and will welcome a daughter in July.
CLASS OF 2020
Kathleen Herring, MD, will be returning to Athens to serve as a primary care doctor with St. Mary’s.
CLASS OF 2022
Hamzah Ali, MD, was chosen as the inpatient chief resident of internal medicine at Dell Medical School.
Rachel Gerald, MD, married Forrest Sincoff Gard on April 6, 2024, at the First Presbyterian Church in Athens.
CLASS OF 2023
Class Notes
Kathryn Harbin, MD, and Tanner Martin, MD, met at the Medical Partnership got married on April 27, 2024.
We want to know the amazing things our alumni are doing! Submit your Class Note for the next issue of the Partnerhsip Pulse. Please scan the QR code and complete the short form. Please contact Lindsey Derrick at mpmedia@uga.edu if you have any questions about your Class Notes submission.
Partnership Prestige
FACULTY & STAFF
Amy Baldwin, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, presented “Let’s Improvise New Possibilities with/in Higher Education” at the East Side Institute's Performing the World Happenings Virtual Conference in October 2023.
Deborah Barany, PhD, assistant professor of neuroscience and regenerative medicine, published “Perceptual-Cognitive Integration for Goal-Directed Action in Naturalistic Environments” in the Journal of Neuroscience in November 2023.
Barany also presented “Gaze-dependent cortical activity patterns when intercepting a moving target” and “Corticospinal excitability while preparing interception movements depends on the visual motion properties of the target” at the Society for Neuroscience in November 2023.
Tim Brown, PharmD, professor of pharmacology, was named Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow by the National Academies of Practice.
Gerry Crites, PhD, campus associate dean for faculty affairs and development, published “Women Faculty Career Development May Be Enhanced by Considering Mentor Program Design Elements” in the Journal of Academic Medicine in November 2023. He also presented the research at Learn Serve Lead 2023 AAMC Annual Meeting in Seattle in November 2023. Co-authors were Janette Hill, PhD, Lia Bruner, PhD, associate professor of family and community medicine, Kearney Gunsalus, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and Michael Petzar, MD, associate professor of pathology.
Jeni Fitzpatrick, RN, nurse, teaching clinic operations manager, presented “Social Determinants of Health: A concept that changes everything” at the Georgia Nursing Leadership Coalition on February 10, 2024, and “Let Me See Your Good Arm: A Concept Analysis of Language Sensitivity” at the Adult Literacy Research Conference.
Julie Martin, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, published “Pragmatic Expansion of a Neonatal Antibiotic Stewardship Program in a Community Health Care System” in the January issue of Pediatrics
Amy Medlock, PhD, professor of biochemistry, was inducted into the 2023 University of Georgia Teaching Academy.
Laurel Murrow, MD, associate professor of medicine, and Scarlett Schneider, MD, assistant professor of medicine, were both named recipients of American Medical Women’s Association’s 2023 INSPIRE Award.
Kent Nilsson, MD, professor of medicine, published “Atrial Fibrillation ablation in heart failure patients: Where do we stand in 2023? State of the art review” in the December 2023 issue of Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiol: Doi: 10.1111/pace.14888 and “A DualChamber Leadless Pacemaker” in the June 2023 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
Nilsson also presented “Impact of Omnipolar Technology on Case Efficiency in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedures” and “Effect of high-density mapping and traditional, non-mapping techniques used for PVI confirmation on case efficiency” in Hong Kong for the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society in September 2023.
Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber, MD, professor of medicine, was appointed to Mastership in the American Colleges of Physicians.
Andrew Sobering, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, published “Multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of Parkinson’s disease” and “Identification of genetic risk loci and causal insights associated with Parkinson’s disease in African and African admixed populations: a genome-wide association study”.
Ariel VanLeuven, PhD, assistant professor of cellular biology and anatomy, was named to the Medical College of Georgia Faculty Senate.
Stephanie Vaughn, facilities and purchasing coordinator, received the Outstanding Staff Award for the Medical Partnership in February.
The Internal Medicine Residency Program once again received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) with no citations.
The Office of Personalized Health and Well-being had a commitment accepted to the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities. The initiative focuses on forging public-private partnerships dedicated to building healthier communities through best practices, training, and collaborations.
EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR 2022-2023
Class of 2024
Dr. Lara Hart
Class of 2023
Dr. Ellen House & Dr. Clive Slaughter
Class of 2025 Dr. Scarlett Schneider Class of 2026 Dr. Kimberlee Giffen
STUDENTS & ALUMNI
Ebony Caldwell, MD, Class of 2018, was named to the University of Georgia’s 40 Under 40—a recognition that celebrates the personal, professional, and philanthropic achievements of successful UGA graduates under the age of 40.
Isabel Gupton and Manvi Manyam presented “Medication access challenges among residents of a longterm recovery residence” at the 51st Annual North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Conference in San Francisco in November 2013. The co-authors for the research were Deborah Song, Sachi Shastri, Taylor Pigg, Dakota Wheeler, and Lia Bruner, PhD, associate professor of family and community medicine.
Christopher Jackson, MD, Class of 2015, was named the 118th president of the Southern Medical Association. With the installation, Jackson is both the youngest president and the first Black president to serve SMA.
Delaney Metcalf, Casey Bassett, PhD, campus associate dean for student affairs, life, and advisement, Janette Hill, PhD, Tucker Hickox, Amy Baldwin, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and Cathy Snapp, PhD, campus director of behavioral health, collaborated on "Building a Culture of Well-Being Through Peer-Assisted Learning". The research was presented at the UGA SEER 3-in-1 Research Showcase in October 2023 and the Generalists in Medical Education Conference in November 2023.
Eric Santana and Talia Sisroe received the Outstanding Medical Student in Volunteerism & Advocacy Award from the American College of Physicians.
Let us know so we can share the good news with our Medical Partnership family and friends! Email the Office of Communications at MPmedia@uga.edu or scan the QR code. Please include all pertinent information related to the award, publication, or conference, such as the journal name or professional association, publication citation, and a brief description of the award or article.
3,429+ primary care visits
$850K value of care delivered (numbers since opening in 2018)
300+ medical student volunteers
7,000 hours of clinical service
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