Page 45 - Columbus NCG 2020

MERCER and fourth-year clinical rotations in Columbus. medical school – which also has campuses in

School of Since then, the program has grown each year. Macon and Savannah – is driven by its mission
to educate physicians who will practice in rural
With construction of a new building underway
MEDICINE in Uptown, the School plans to accept its first and underserved areas of Georgia. While some
Mercer medical students become specialist
Expands to four-year class in Columbus as early as August physicians, many become primary care
2021. The two-story facility along the banks of
physicians across the state.
FOUR-YEAR the Chattahoochee River will house the research According to Sumner, Mercer has focused on
labs, instructional space, and administrative
CAMPUS offices necessary to accommodate first- and recruiting students from Southwest Georgia,
increasing their admissions from the region
second-year medical students, while clinical
by Andrew Smith rotations for third- and fourth-year medical by 150 percent in recent years. The viability of
students will continue at Piedmont Columbus the Columbus campus has played a significant
Regional and St. Francis hospitals. role in the school’s ability to accept more
medical students.
Dr. Jean Sumner, Dean of Mercer University
School of Medicine, said “Columbus is continuing “Our students receive superb clinical
to build an infrastructure for healthcare experiences through our partners and now
ess than a decade after its inception, they’re returning to the Columbus area to
Mercer University School of Medicine education. We’re excited about being a partner practice medicine,” Sumner said. “We think
Lin Columbus is expanding from a two- with the community and the healthcare that trend will continue with the expansion
year clinical site into a full four-year campus. providers already doing good work here.” of our Columbus campus. If medical students
In 2012, Mercer Medical School students were Mercer University School of Medicine is unique are educated near where they grew up,
given the opportunity to complete their third- in the state, as it only accepts Georgians. The they’re more likely return to that area.”

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