Class Size Expanding
The School of Medicine will increase its class size by 5 percent to 200 freshmen for fall 2009.
We want to continue to move forward with quality expansion of our< medical school to help meet the health care needs of our state,” said Dean D. Douglas Miller. &
Our applicant pool is strong and we can easily accept 10
more qualified students for 2009 after making appropriate accommodations
for increased space, teachers and
patients. We can and will expand
without having to compromise quality.”
MCG went from 180 to 190
freshmen in 2006, the first increase
since 1974. Enrollment at most of the
nation’s medical schools has been flat
for about 25 years.
Georgia’s aging population, coupled with an aging physician population—one in three active physicians are over age 55—add up to more doctors needed now and in the future, Dr. Miller said. Georgia ranks 37th in the nation for physicians per population and 35th for medical students to population, with fewer public medical student slots than those in neighboring states.
Physician shortages across the
nation prompted the Association of
American Medical Colleges to call
for all medical schools to increase
enrollment 30 percent by 2015. The
School of Medicine, which already
has the 19th largest class size in the
nation, wants to increase its class size
by 33 percent—from the longtime size
of 180 to 240, Dr. Miller said.
MCG recently requested proposals for a planning firm to help the medical school determine the most effective, efficient way to expand. Once selected, the firm will have 90 days to study the issues and provide information. CG plans to present expansion recommendations to the University System of Georgia Board of Regents in January.