Why did Northeast Georgia Medical Center start a GME program?

May 4, 2018

Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s (NGMC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) program, are excitedly preparing for the arrival of our first residents in 2019. Residency programs will be available in 2019, in internal medicine and general surgery. When the first group of residents arrive, it will be the culmination of many years’ work by NGMC’s leadership, GME program directors, faculty and staff – and the Hall County community.

The dream of a GME program at Northeast Georgia Medical Center was born out of an effort to fulfill Governor Nathan Deal’s goal of adding 400 additional residency slots throughout Georgia. With an impending doctor shortage, it was, and still is, imperative that our hospitals develop opportunities to keep our doctors practicing in the state of Georgia and serving the Northeast Georgia communities.

Research conducted by the Georgia Board of Physician Workforce found that medical students from Georgia, who complete medical school and a GME program in Georgia, have almost an 80-percent chance of staying in the state to practice.

With the first residents arriving in 2019, Northeast Georgia Medical Center is working to expand to as many as 170 residents across six specialties – internal medicine, family medicine, general surgery, OB/GYN, psychiatry and emergency medicine by 2024.  At 170 residents – we will have one of the largest graduate medical education programs in the state.

The NGMC GME program is expected to drive more than $66 million dollars into Hall County’s economy from 2019 to 2023 – and an additional $18 million local economic impact for each year after. The GME program is also expected to generate more than 90 additional jobs in 2019, rising to as many as 300 jobs by 2023.

This is an exciting time for Northeast Georgia Medical Center, and its community. Stay updated on all the latest news from the Northeast Georgia Medical Center GME program by following our Facebook page.

 

About Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s GME program

Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s (NGMC) Graduate Medical Education program will begin receiving applications for the Internal Medicine and General Surgery Residency Programs in August 2018 and will match our inaugural class in the spring of 2019. The Northeast Georgia Medical Center Graduate Medical Education program is designed to train residents to be leaders in the medical field as well as in the community.  All residents will receive education beyond the six core competencies with a unique focus on the patient experience and methodologies of a High-Reliability Organization and Lean principles. Learn more about the NGMC GME program.

 

About Northeast Georgia Health System

Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) is a non-profit institution on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. Our team cares for more than 800,000 people across the region through three hospitals and a variety of outpatient locations. Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has three hospital campuses – NGMC Gainesville, NGMC Braselton, and NGMC Barrow – with a total of 713 beds and more than 700 medical staff members representing more than 50 specialties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.