University of Georgia approved to grant Doctor of Medicine degree

ATHENS – With its vote on Tuesday, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the University of Georgia to grant a Doctor of Medicine degree from its School of Medicine.

The vote came to the Board of Regents after going through multiple approvals at the university level. The University Council at UGA approved the degree and the curriculum for the program during its meeting on Sept. 18. The vote was unanimous.

“I am very grateful to the Board of Regents for their continued support of the UGA School of Medicine,” UGA President Jere W. Morehead said. “I recognize all the hard work that our faculty, staff and so many others have contributed to get us to this point, and I am excited for us to continue making progress on this vitally important endeavor.”

The Doctor of Medicine degree-granting process comes after the Board of Regents authorized UGA to establish its own independent School of Medicine in February. The university held a ceremonial ground-breaking for a new medical education and research facility on its Health Sciences Campus in April. Construction on the new building is set to begin in spring 2025 with completion slated for December 2026.

The School of Medicine is expected to generate between $1.8 billion and $2.3 billion in cumulative economic impact on the state of Georgia by 2040, according to an analysis conducted by consulting firm Tripp Umbach.

“This is a historic day for both the School of Medicine and our state,” Founding Dean Shelley Nuss said. “This milestone gets us one step closer to putting more doctors in Georgia to help alleviate the physician shortage. I want to humbly thank everyone who has supported our campus and our mission to make a healthier Georgia.”

The next step for the School of Medicine will be submitting an application for accreditation to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education by Dec. 1. The LCME will review the application in the coming months.

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