Jennifer Hilliard ScottThe MCG3+ Primary Care Pathway Program allows students to finish their medical school training in three, rather than four years, before directly entering a primary care residency in Georgia. In exchange for their commitment to serve in a rural or underserved area of the state, these students will receive a scholarship for tuition.
The scholarship fund and ongoing support for the MCG3+ Primary Care Pathway Program were made possible by a $5.2 million donation from Peach State Health Plan in 2021. In 2021, Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly matched Peach State Health Plan’s initial $5.2 million in funding help to kickstart the program. In 2022, Governor Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly added an additional $8.7 million to the program, which was matched by the Medical College of Georgia Foundation.
The 2023 Peach State Scholars, their hometowns and intended specialty are as follows (from left):
- Blayne Thomason of Dalton, GA, OB/GYN
- Jessica McElrath of Woodstock, GA, Pediatrics
- Jordan Bothwell of Roswell, GA, Emergency Medicine
- Samantha Feinstein of Hartsfield, GA, Pediatrics
- Caleb Padgett of Langley, SC, Internal Medicine
- Brianna “Taylor” Nicholson of Suwanee, GA, Psychiatry
- Christopher “Chris” Dick of Dunwoody, GA, Internal Medicine
- Madison Chimenti of Canton, GA, Emergency Medicine
- Peter-Jon Williams of Douglasville, GA, Internal Medicine
