The University of Georgia School of Medicine’s inaugural class arrives on campus in July, marking a historic landmark in the University of Georgia’s nearly 250-year existence.
Launching a medical school is exhaustive and meticulous work. In just two years, teams of administrators, faculty, and staff tackled a litany of tasks: fundraising, approving building plans, hiring, building a curriculum, and securing community partnerships, to name a few.
That work paid off in February when the school received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
After that, the medical school was ready to launch its admissions process.
“With the new School of Medicine, UGA has the extraordinary combination of strengths to transform medicine as the 21st century demands.”
– DR. SHELLEY NUSS, FOUNDING DEAN, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
“The time is right for UGA to launch a medical school,” says Dr. Shelley Nuss, founding dean of the School of Medicine. UGA benefits from being a respected, established university with a robust research enterprise and deep connections to public service throughout the state while also getting to build a medical program from scratch.
“We have the freedom to reimagine medical education, research, and clinical care unencumbered by tradition,” she says. “Now, with the new School of Medicine, UGA has the extraordinary combination of strengths to transform medicine as the 21st century demands.”
When the admissions portal opened on Feb. 19, the school drew 875 applications in the first 24 hours alone. Some prospective students were so eager that applications were rolling in a few minutes after it came online.
Interviews took place throughout March and April, as committees met with prospective students from across the country. In the end, 64 students were selected. This inaugural class marks the launch of the state’s second public medical school.
Even with all the work that went into the school’s launch, the real work has only just begun.
Georgia has 10 counties without a single practicing physician, according to a 2024 Board of Health Care Workforce report; 42 counties without an internal medicine doctor; 19 without a doctor in family medicine; 63 without a pediatrician … This list could go on.
Georgia also has fewer than 28,000 physicians to serve more than 11 million people and growing.
Even as the medical school is poised to address these shortages, the school’s research faculty are already making connections campuswide to collaborate on projects that accelerate medical discoveries into clinical practice.
Meanwhile, construction continues on the $100 million medical education and research facility, scheduled for completion on the Health Sciences Campus in December. The facility will feature advanced clinical simulation, team-based learning spaces, and biomedical research infrastructure.
In February, when news of the accreditation broke, President Jere W. Morehead JD ’80 lauded the work of the many individuals involved in bringing the medical school to life and the legacy it will leave.
“I am excited to welcome our first class of medical students this fall, and I look forward to the transformative impact UGA-trained physicians will have in communities throughout Georgia for generations to come.”
UGA’s Approach to Medical Education
The School of Medicine’s curriculum takes a fresh approach to medical training that emphasizes engaging, team-based instruction and hands-on experience.
Small-Group Learning: The school’s emphasis on teamwork simulates real-world clinical medicine.
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: The 3-to-1 ratio ensures students receive individualized attention.
Early Clinical Experience: Students begin clinical training in year one by performing initial patient assessments and learning to communicate with patients. In many medical schools, students wait two years before examining patients.
Active Learning: Instruction is rooted in active learning and emphasizes care-based problem-solving and hands-on training.