Our History

 

In 1822, a group of physicians received a charter for the Augusta Medical Society from the State of Georgia, enabling them to receive and hold property, with the purpose of founding a medical school for the enhancement of professionalism and the suppression of charlatanism. The Georgia General Assembly granted a formal charter for the Medical Academy of Georgia in 1828 and the school began training physicians in two borrowed rooms of the City Hospital. In 1829, the Academy was extended to a two year program, conferring the MD degree, and the faculty was expanded to six chairs. The name was changed in 1829 to the Medical Institute of Georgia and in 1833 to the Medical College of Georgia.

 

By 1928, when the school celebrated its one hundredth anniversary, the curriculum had been expanded to a four year course, with emphasis in the first two years on the basic sciences and the last two years on the clinical sciences, typical of the development of medical education throughout the country.

 

In 1950 the School of Medicine (the name changed from the Department of Medicine in 1933) focused only on the medical

program, the core upon which the school was founded. In that year the Board of Regents of the University System made the school an independent unit in the system, and for the sixth time in its history, the school's name was changed. It became the Medical College of Georgia.

 

As the heart of the Medical College of Georgia, the School of Medicine has an incredible past and boasts a dynamic future. As we stand in the early years of the new millennium, we are faced with incredible health concerns and disparity of health care delivery in Georgia. The School of medicine stands poised to lead. And with over 100 new faculty recruits over the past two years, the School of Medicine is in position to transform medicine at MCG and maximize the potential of new technology coupled with the knowledge to benefit the people of Georgia and beyond.

 

However, the School of Medicine must attain ample funding to ensure that we take our leadership position among the country’s great public academic health centers. We must pursue funding for student scholarships, faculty endowments, programs and facilities.