2024 Georgia Medical School Graduate Survey Report Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce Summer 2024 1 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Table 1: Number of Responses by Medical School ........................................................................................................ 4 Methodology............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Key Findings from the 2024 Survey ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Table 2: Gender Distribution by Medical School ........................................................................................................... 7 Table 3: Average Age by Medical School..................................................................................................................... 8 Figure 1: Aggregated Age Distribution ....................................................................................................................... 9 Table 4: Citizenship Status..................................................................................................................................... 10 Table 5: Race/Ethnicity by Medical School ................................................................................................................ 11 Figure 2: Race/Ethnicity Distribution by Medical School .............................................................................................. 12 Table 6: Hispanic Ethnicity by Medical School............................................................................................................ 13 Table 7: Specialty Matched to in Post Graduate Year 1 ............................................................................................... 14 Table 8: Intended Career Specialty ......................................................................................................................... 14 Table 9: Which Georgia GME Programs are in Respondents' Top Three Choices by Intended Primary Care/Core Practice Specialty............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Figure 3: Intended Practice State & Underserved Area of Practice for Those Entering a Primary Care/Core Specialty............. 16 Table 10: Factors Important in Determining Specialty ................................................................................................ 17 Figure 4: Number of Respondents Saying this Factor Had "Strong" or "Moderate" Influence on Choice of Specialty............... 18 Figure 5: Strength of Factors' Influence upon Choice of Specialty ................................................................................. 19 Table 11: Successfully Matched to GME Program ....................................................................................................... 21 Figure 6: Matched to a GME Program by Medical School.............................................................................................. 22 Table 12: In-State (Georgia) or Out-of-State Match ................................................................................................... 23 Figure 7: Location of GME & Breakdown of In-State Matched Students by Medical School ................................................. 24 Figure 8: Matched to GME Program & Match to First-Choice Program ............................................................................ 25 Table 13: Any Georgia GME Programs in Top Three Choices ........................................................................................ 26 Table 14: Number of Georgia GME Programs in Top Three Choices by Medical School ...................................................... 27 2 Figure 9: Number of Georgia GME Programs in Respondents' Top 3 Choices in Match ...................................................... 28 Table 15: Georgia GME Programs in Top Three Choices .............................................................................................. 29 Figure 10: Top 3 Reasons for Leaving Georgia........................................................................................................... 30 Figure 11: Top 3 Reasons for Leaving Georgia by Medical School ................................................................................. 31 Other Factors Important to Leaving Georgia for Residency .......................................................................................... 32 Table 16: Overall Perception of Georgia's Residency Training Programs in Respondent's Specialty ..................................... 33 Figure 12: Overall Perception of Georgia's Residency Programs in Respondent's Specialty ................................................ 34 Table 17: Factors Important in Choosing a Residency Program .................................................................................... 35 Figure 13: Strength of Factors' Influence Upon Choice of Residency Program ................................................................. 36 Table 18: Intent to Practice in an Underserved Area and Type of Underserved Area by Medical School ............................... 37 Figure 14: Plan to Practice in Underserved Area & Type of Underserved Area ................................................................. 38 Map: Other States Where Georgia Medical School Graduates Plan to Practice Following Residency ..................................... 39 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................................................................. 40 3 Executive Summary The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce has conducted an annual survey of graduating medical students from each of Georgia's medical schools since 2008. This survey aims to inform policymakers, medical school administrators, graduate medical education administrators, and other government and non-government agencies about the medical school pipeline. Also, it gives insight into why medical students chose a specialty and residency site and how many intend to ultimately practice in Georgia when their training is complete. This report aggregates the data from responses collected from each of Georgia's five medical schools. The completion rates of each medical school are as follows. Table 1: Number of Responses by Medical School Medical School Total Graduates Survey Completions Completion Rate Emory University School of Medicine 134 113 84.3% Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University 245 67 27.3% Mercer University School of Medicine 99 98 99.0% Morehouse School of Medicine 74 67 90.5% Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia 183 170 92.9% Total 735 515 70.1% This year's MSG survey had more responses than in 2023. In 2023, the MSG survey had 267 completions, or 36.4% of medical school graduates. 4 Methodology This year, the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce collected medical school graduate survey responses through an online form, which was emailed to the program directors of the state's five medical schools. The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce data team then sent weekly reminders and status update emails to each school until the completion deadline of May 31st. The analyses presented here were conducted using Microsoft Excel. Key Findings from the 2024 Survey Demographics More people identifying as female than male completed the Medical School Graduate survey; 55.6% of survey completers are female. The medical school with the highest percentage of female respondents is Emory (58.6%), while the school with the lowest percentage of female respondents is Morehouse (52.2%). The average age of all respondents is 28.1 years old. The youngest respondent is 24 years old, while the oldest respondent is 48. PCOM-GA has the oldest average age of respondents at 29.5 years old, compared to MCG whose average age of respondents is 27.4 years old. A comparable percentage of respondents this year identified as U.S. citizens as last year (98.2% of respondents last year versus 97.7% this year). Two respondents identified as permanent residents, and ten identified with another citizenship status. In 2024, 44.9% of respondents identify as white. This is lower than that percentage last year (53.5%). Overall, 55.1% of respondents identified as a non-white race/ethnicity (26.8% Asian/Pacific Islander; 18.4% Black/African American; 5.8% multirace; and 4.1% "other"). Morehouse School of Medicine has the highest percentage of respondents identifying as non-white (95.5%) while the school with the lowest percentage of non-white respondents is Mercer (31.6%). Overall, 8.9% of respondents identify as Hispanic. Morehouse has the highest percentage of respondents (11.9%) who identify as Hispanic, while Mercer has the lowest percentage of respondents (5.1%) who identify as Hispanic. Intended Practice Location After Residency 69.1% of respondents intend to locate their practice in an underserved area. The school with the highest rate of respondents planning to locate in an underserved area is Morehouse (91.5%); the school with the lowest percentage is MCG (54.5%) Of those who plan to locate their practice in an underserved area, 67.1% plan to practice in an inner city community. The remaining 32.9% of respondents plan to locate their practice in a rural community. 254 respondents answered that Georgia is the likely state for their practice after residency. Of those, 63.8% listed Atlanta as the likely city. 5 117 respondents intend to practice in a primary care/core specialty in Georgia. Specialty 320 respondents (64.8%) intend to practice in a primary care/core specialty after training. Mercer respondents were most likely to say they intend to practice in a primary care/core specialty (70.4%), while Emory's respondents were least likely (38.9%). The largest primary care/core specialties respondents intend to practice in are internal medicine (14.8% of total respondents) and family medicine (11.9% of total respondents). Choice of and Match to Georgia Residency Programs 50.2% of respondents listed a Georgia residency program among their top three choices during the Match. This is slightly higher than last year's percentage (49.8%). Respondents from MCG are those most likely to have a Georgia GME program among their top three choices during the Match (60.4%). Respondents from PCOM are the least likely to have a Georgia GME program in their top three choices (42.2%). 37.8% of respondents who responded that they had a Georgia GME program among their top three choices in the Match listed two or three Georgia GME programs. The three most popular Georgia GME programs ranked by survey respondents are Emory University School of Medicine with (113 selections), Wellstar Health System (62), and Northeast Georgia Medical Center (47). 6 Table 2: Gender Distribution by Medical School Medical School Emory University School of Medicine Female Male Total Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 65 58.6% 46 41.4% 111 100.0% Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University 39 58.2% 28 41.8% 67 100.0% Mercer University School of Medicine 53 54.1% 45 45.9% 98 100.0% Morehouse School of Medicine 35 52.2% 32 47.8% 67 100.0% Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia 93 54.7% 77 45.3% 170 100.0% Total 285 55.6% 228 44.4% 513 100.0% 7 Table 3: Average Age by Medical School Medical School Emory University School of Medicine Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Mercer University School of Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia Total Respondents Total (Percentage) Age Grouping 24-29 30-34 35-39 90 59 79 49 123 400 77.7% 22 7 16 17 37 99 19.2% 0 1 1 1 7 10 1.9% 40 1 0 2 0 3 6 1.2% Average Age 27.8 27.4 27.5 28.1 29.5 28.1 Note: All respondents answered the age question. Averages and total percentages are calculated from the total valid responses (515). 8 Figure 1: Aggregated Age Distribution Aggregated Age Distribution Frequency 140 120 117 99 100 80 75 60 54 50 40 38 27 20 15 12 5 7 6 0 1 0 3 2 1 2 1 0 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 43 45 48 Age 9 Table 4: Citizenship Status Citizenship Status Citizen (Naturalized or Native-Born) Permanent Resident Other Total Number 503 2 10 515 Note: Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses (515). Percent 97.7% 0.4% 1.9% 100.0% 10 Table 5: Race/Ethnicity by Medical School Medical School White Asian Black Multi-Race Other Total Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Emory University School of Medicine Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Mercer University School of Medicine 53 46.9% 30 26.5% 19 16.8% 7 6.2% 4 3.5% 113 100.0% 38 56.7% 19 28.4% 4 6.0% 4 6.0% 2 3.0% 67 100.0% 67 68.4% 15 15.3% 9 9.2% 3 3.1% 4 4.1% 98 100.0% Morehouse School of Medicine 3 4.5% 5 7.5% 47 70.1% 6 9.0% 6 9.0% 67 100.0% Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia 70 41.2% 69 40.6% 16 9.4% 10 5.9% 5 2.9% 170 100.0% Total 231 44.9% 138 26.8% 95 18.4% 30 5.8% 21 4.1% 515 100.0% Note: Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses (515). 11 Figure 2: Race/Ethnicity Distribution by Medical School Race/Ethnicity Distribution by Medical School 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% Native American/Alaska Native Other 50% Multi-Race Black 40% Asian 30% White 20% 10% 0% Emory University School of Medicine Medical College of Georgia Mercer University School Morehouse School of of Medicine Medicine P-COM Georgia 12 Table 6: Hispanic Ethnicity by Medical School Medical School Emory University School of Medicine Are you of Hispanic origin? Yes No Total Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent 10 8.8% 103 91.2% 113 100.0% Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University 4 6.0% 63 94.0% 67 100.0% Mercer University School of Medicine 5 5.1% 93 94.9% 98 100.0% Morehouse School of Medicine 8 11.9% 59 88.1% 67 100.0% Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia 19 11.2% 151 88.8% 170 100.0% Total 46 8.9% 469 91.1% 515 100.0% Note: Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses (515). 13 Table 7: Specialty Matched to in Post Graduate Year 1 Table 8: Intended Career Specialty PGY-1 Specialty Internal Medicine Family Medicine Emergency Medicine Pediatrics OB/GYN General Surgery Psychiatry Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Internal Medicine/Psychiatry PGY-1 Primary Care/Core Total Transitional/Intern/Preliminary Year Anesthesiology Neurology Orthopaedic Surgery Pathology Other Specialties Non-Primary Care/Core Total Frequency % of Total Respondents 114 23.2% 61 12.4% 46 9.3% 39 7.9% 36 7.3% 33 6.7% 27 5.5% 7 1.4% 4 0.8% 367 74.6% 45 9.1% 20 4.1% 11 2.2% 11 2.2% 6 1.2% 32 6.5% 125 25.4% Note: 23 respondents did not answer this question. Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses (492). Practice Specialty Frequency Internal Medicine 73 Family Medicine 59 Emergency Medicine 45 Pediatrics 40 OB/GYN 37 Psychiatry 30 General Surgery 28 Internal Medicine/Pediatrics 5 Internal Medicine/Psychiatry 3 Primary Care/Core Total 320 Anesthesiology 28 Neurology 16 Cardiology 16 Ophthalmology 13 Orthopaedic Surgery 12 Radiology 9 Pathology 5 Other Specialties 75 Non-Primary Care/Core Total 174 % of Total Respondents 14.8% 11.9% 9.1% 8.1% 7.5% 6.1% 5.7% 1.0% 0.6% 64.8% 5.7% 3.2% 3.2% 2.6% 2.4% 1.8% 1.0% 15.2% 35.2% Note: 21 respondents expressed uncertainty about their intended specialty. Percentages are calculated from total valid responses (494). 14 Table 9: Which Georgia GME Programs are in Respondents' Top Three Choices by Intended Primary Care/Core Practice Specialty GME Program Emory University School of Medicine Wellstar Health System Morehouse School of Medicine Northeast Georgia Medical Medical College of Georgia Atrium Health Navicent HCA Memorial Health/Mercer Northside Hospital Gwinnett Piedmont Macon Medical Center Gateway Behavioral Health AU/UGA Medical Partnership St. Francis-Emory Healthcare Archbold Medical Center Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center AdventHealth Redmond Piedmont Columbus Regional South Georgia Medical Center Total Total (Percentage) Family Medicine 2 5 2 6 1 4 2 4 1 1 1 1 29 24.8% Internal Medicine 4 6 7 3 3 1 2 1 1 29 24.8% Emergency Medicine 2 6 5 1 1 15 12.8% Pediatrics 8 3 1 12 10.3% OB/GYN Psychiatry 1 4 4 3 2 1 2 1 1 3 4 1 10 8.5% 17 14.5% Medicine/ General Psychiatry Surgery Total Percent of Total Respondents 2 23 19.7% 1 22 18.8% 14 12.0% 1 13 11.1% 10 8.5% 1 7 6.0% 6 5.1% 5 4.3% 4 3.4% 4 3.4% 2 1.7% 2 1.7% 1 0.9% 1 0.9% 1 0.9% 1 0.9% 1 0.9% 2 3 117 1.7% 2.6% 100.0% 15 Figure 3: Intended Practice State & Underserved Area of Practice for Those Entering a Primary Care/Core Specialty Intended Practice State & Underserved Area of Practice for Those Entering a Primary Care/Core Specialty Plan to practice in a Primary Care/Core Specialty Type of Area of Practice Out of State 203 In State 117 Rural / Inner City 59 Urban 58 Note: 320 Respondents intend to practice in a Primary Care/Core Specialty. 16 Table 10: Factors Important in Determining Specialty Factor Lifestyle Competitiveness of Specialty Mentor/Role Model Influence Options for Fellowship Training Future Earning Potential Length of Residency Training Family Expectations Medical Education Debt Job Flexibility No Influence Number Percent Strength of Factor's Influence Minor Moderate Number Percent Number Percent Strong Number Percent Total Responses 26 5.0% 61 11.8% 179 34.8% 249 48.3% 515 187 36.3% 138 26.8% 142 27.6% 48 9.3% 515 61 11.8% 87 16.9% 177 34.4% 190 36.9% 515 86 16.7% 97 18.8% 130 25.2% 202 39.2% 515 86 16.7% 130 25.2% 192 37.3% 107 20.8% 515 111 21.6% 146 28.3% 156 30.3% 102 19.8% 515 278 54.0% 81 15.7% 98 19.0% 58 11.3% 515 204 39.6% 128 24.9% 109 21.2% 74 14.4% 515 37 7.2% 70 13.6% 194 37.7% 214 41.6% 515 17 Figure 4: Number of Respondents Saying this Factor Had "Strong" or "Moderate" Influence on Choice of Specialty Number of Respondents Saying this Factor Had "Strong" or "Moderate" Influence on Choice of Specialty Family expectations 31 17 39 17 51 Medical education debt 30 19 31 25 75 Competitiveness of Specialty 33 26 34 13 83 Length of residency training 55 25 43 34 101 Future earning potential 62 40 57 37 103 Options for fellowship training 83 42 53 50 103 Mentor/role model influence 88 47 68 45 116 Job flexibility 85 52 72 53 146 Lifestyle 90 53 83 56 145 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 Emory University School of Medicine Medical College of Georgia Morehouse School of Medicine PCOM Georgia Mercer University School of Medicine 18 Figure 5: Strength of Factors' Influence upon Choice of Specialty 100% 90% 80% 249 70% 60% 50% 40% 179 30% 20% 10% 61 26 0% Strength of Factors' Influence upon Choice of Specialty 48 58 74 107 102 190 202 142 98 214 109 156 192 81 128 138 130 177 194 146 87 187 61 130 97 278 204 70 111 86 86 37 Strong Influence Moderate Influence Minor Influence No Influence 19 Other Factors Important in Determining Specialty Forty-seven respondents answered the open-ended question citing other factors for choosing their specialty. Six factors emerged as important considerations when choosing their specialties and are described below: Personal enjoyment and interest (18): Respondents mentioned "love," "passion," "interest," "enjoyment," and "satisfaction" when stating how they felt about the content and subject matter of their specialty. Opportunities offered by the specialty (13): These respondents mentioned specific clinical and professional opportunities available within the specialty, such as pursuing research interests or their career goals. Proximity to family or location (8): These respondents mention their hometown and proximity to family. Making a difference for patients (6): These respondents mentioned advocating for patient care or wanting to work with a specific patient population. Other (2): These responses include Military Match and prior experience in the specialty. 20 Table 11: Successfully Matched to GME Program Medical School Yes No Total Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Emory University School of Medicine 110 97.3% 3 2.7% 113 100.0% Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University 67 100.0% 0 0.0% 67 100.0% Mercer University School of Medicine 95 96.9% 3 3.1% 98 100.0% Morehouse School of Medicine 58 86.6% 9 13.4% 67 100.0% Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia 162 95.3% 8 4.7% 170 100.0% Total 492 95.5% 23 4.5% 515 100.0% Note: All respondents answered this question. Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses for each school. Of those who did not Match, approximately half (12) intend to practice in a primary care/core specialty. 21 Figure 6: Matched to a GME Program by Medical School Matched to a GME Program by Medical School 100% 3 90% 3 8 9 80% 28 57 70% 43 27 94 60% 50% Not Matched Matched, not First Choice Matched to First Choice 40% 30% 39 52 53 31 20% 68 10% 0% Emory University Medical College of Mercer University Morehouse School of PCOM-Georgia School of Medicine Georgia School of Medicine Medicine 22 Table 12: In-State (Georgia) or Out-of-State Match Medical School Emory University School of Medicine Location of Matched Program Georgia Out-of-State Number Percent Number Percent 25 22.7% 85 77.3% Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University 15 22.4% 52 77.6% Mercer University School of Medicine 41 43.2% 54 56.8% Morehouse School of Medicine 31 53.4% 27 46.6% Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia 59 36.4% 103 63.6% Total Number 110 67 95 58 162 Percent 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Total 171 34.8% 321 65.2% 492 100.0% Note: 23 respondents (those who did not Match) did not answer this question. Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses for each school. 23 Figure 7: Location of GME & Breakdown of In-State Matched Students by Medical School Location of GME & Breakdown of In-State Matched Student by Medical School Out of State 65.2% In-State 34.8% PCOMGA 34.5% Mercer University School of Medicine 24.0% Morehouse School of Medicine 18.1% Emory University School of Medicine 14.6% Medical College of Georgia 8.8% 24 Figure 8: Matched to GME Program & Match to First-Choice Program Matched to a GME Program & Matched to a First Choice Program Matched to a GME Program Matched to a First Choice Program No 4.5% Yes 95.5% First Choice 49.4% Not First Choice 50.6% 25 Table 13: Any Georgia GME Programs in Top Three Choices Medical School Emory University School of Medicine Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Mercer University School of Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia Total No Number Percent 69 61.1% Yes Number Percent 44 38.9% Total Number Percent 113 100.0% 42 62.7% 25 37.3% 67 100.0% 37 37.8% 61 62.2% 98 100.0% 26 38.8% 41 61.2% 67 100.0% 71 41.8% 99 58.2% 170 100.0% 245 47.6% 270 50.2% 515 100.0% Note: Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses (515). 26 Table 14: Number of Georgia GME Programs in Top Three Choices by Medical School Medical School Emory University School of Medicine Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Mercer University School of Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia One Number Percent 41 95.3% 20 80.0% 37 61.7% 29 72.5% 39 39.4% Two Number Percent 2 4.7% 2 8.0% 10 16.7% 5 12.5% 36 36.4% Three Number Percent Total Number Percent 0 0.0% 43 100.0% 3 12.0% 25 100.0% 13 21.7% 60 100.0% 6 15.0% 40 100.0% 24 24.2% 99 100.0% Total 166 62.2% 55 20.6% 46 17.2% 267 100.0% 27 Figure 9: Number of Georgia GME Programs in Respondents' Top 3 Choices in Match Number of Georgia GME Programs in Respondents' Top 3 Choices in Match 3 17.2% 2 20.6% 1 62.2% Note: 270 respondents (52.4% of the total respondents) said a Georgia GME program was in their top 3 choices during the Match. The graphic above displays the percentages of the 267 respondents answering the question who had 1, 2, or 3 Georgia programs in their top 3 choices. 28 Table 15: Georgia GME Programs in Top Three Choices Georgia GME Program Emory University School of Medicine (Atlanta) Wellstar Health System (Atlanta Metro Area) Northeast Georgia Medical Center (Gainesville) Medical College of Georgia (Augusta) Morehouse School of Medicine (Atlanta) Northside Hospital Gwinnett (Lawrenceville) AU/UGA Medical Partnership-St Mary's Healthcare (Athens) HCA Healthcare/Mercer University School of Medicine (Savannah) Atrium Health Navicent (Macon) Gateway Behavioral Health Community Service Board (Savannah) AdventHealth Redmond (Rome) Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center (Rome) Piedmont Macon Medical Center (Macon) South Georgia Medical Research (Moultrie) Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown (Columbus) Hughston Foundation (Columbus) St-Francis-Emory Healthcare (Columbus) Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center (Athens) Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital (Albany) Archbold Medical Center (Thomasville) Hamilton Medical Center (Dalton) Number of Responses 113 62 47 42 31 25 20 19 14 10 7 5 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 Percentage of Total Question Respondents (416) Having this Program in their Top Three Choices 27.2% 14.9% 11.3% 10.1% 7.5% 6.0% 5.3% 4.6% 3.4% 2.4% 1.7% 1.2% 1.0% 0.7% 0.7% 0.5% 0.5% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 29 Figure 10: Top 3 Reasons for Leaving Georgia Top 3 Reasons for Leaving Georgia for Residency 3.5% 2.3% 1.6% 11.1% Preferred a highly reputable program out of state in specialty area Family reasons 12.3% 34.0% Desire to stay in Georgia, but did not match to a Georgia program Quality of Georgia residency programs 15.1% 19.9% Higher resident salary Specialty not offered in Georgia Note: Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses (515). Respondents could choose up to 3 reasons. 30 Figure 11: Top 3 Reasons for Leaving Georgia by Medical School Top 3 Reasons for Leaving Georgia by Medical School Lack of residencies with osteopathic recognition Specialty not offered in Georgia Quality of Georgia residency programs Military obligation Higher resident salary Preferred a highly reputable program out of state in specialty area Desire to stay in Georgia but did not match to a Georgia program Emory Family reasons MCG 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Number of Selections Mercer Morehouse PCOM 31 Other Factors Important to Leaving Georgia for Residency Two hundred seventy-six respondents gave an open-ended answer on other factors that influenced their choice to leave Georgia for residency. Note that some responses to this question included indicators of multiple factors. Match (111 respondents): These comments highlighted a practical concern about the matching and interview process which prevented respondents from being able to stay in Georgia for residency training. Many respondents expressed a preference to remain in Georgia but were not chosen for interviews at programs in the state. Some also mentioned that their desired specialty did not have available programs in Georgia. Program Factors (64): These comments express positive aspects of an out-of-state program. Examples include in-house fellowships, opportunities for medical mission trips, and feeling cared for by program staff. Leave Georgia (55): Many of these comments indicated a desire to return to Georgia after training. Some of the respondents want to have new experiences and grow outside of Georgia since they have lived in the state for their entire lives. Other (19): These respondents indicated their desire to leave Georgia for unspecified reasons and their need to be close to family. Political and identity issues (16): These comments implied negative views of Georgia's political and social climate and laws, particularly regarding the full spectrum of practice. Additionally, some sought to serve specific patient populations and promote greater diversity and inclusion. Military Obligation (11): Respondents are taking up military obligations. 32 Table 16: Overall Perception of Georgia's Residency Training Programs in Respondent's Specialty Rating Description 1 Georgia programs are among the lowest quality 2 Many other states' programs are better quality 3 Georgia programs are about average 4 Georgia programs are better than many states' programs 5 Georgia programs are among the highest quality Total Responses Count 2 63 285 134 29 515 Percent 0.8% 12.2% 55.3% 26.0% 5.5% 100.0% Note: Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses (515). The median rating is 3.2. 33 Figure 12: Overall Perception of Georgia's Residency Programs in Respondent's Specialty Overall Percention of Georgia's Residency Programs in Respondent's Specialty 60.0% 55.3% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 26.0% 20.0% 12.2% 10.0% 5.6% 0.8% 0.0% 1 2 3 4 5 34 Table 17: Factors Important in Choosing a Residency Program Factor Family No Influence Number Percent Strength of Factor's Influence Minor Moderate Number Percent Number Percent Strong Number Percent Total Responses 86 16.7% 86 16.7% 161 31.3% 182 35.3% 515 Location 26 5.0% 30 5.8% 135 26.2% 324 62.9% 515 Reputation of Residency Program 27 5.2% 60 11.7% 202 39.2% 226 43.9% 515 Fellowship Opportunities 84 16.3% 103 20.0% 155 30.1% 173 33.6% 515 Availability of Residency Positions in Desired Specialty 128 24.9% 100 19.4% 130 25.2% 157 30.5% 515 Resident Salary 124 24.1% 160 31.1% 148 28.7% 83 16.1% 515 Flexibility of Program 63 12.2% 93 18.1% 215 41.7% 144 28.0% 515 Note: Percentages are calculated from the total valid responses (Total Responses column) for each factor. 35 Figure 13: Strength of Factors' Influence Upon Choice of Residency Program 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Strength of Factor's influence Upon Choice of Residency Program 182 161 86 86 Family 83 173 157 144 226 324 148 130 155 215 160 202 100 103 135 93 30 26 Location 60 27 Reputation of residency program 84 Fellowship opportunities 128 124 Availability of Resident salary residency programs in desired specialty 63 Flexibility of program Strong Influence Moderate Influence Minor Influence No Influence 36 Table 18: Intent to Practice in an Underserved Area and Type of Underserved Area by Medical School Medical School Intend to Practice in Underserved Area & Type of Underserved Area Yes No Inner City Percent Intending Rural Underserved Practice Total Responses Emory University School of Medicine 36 67 10 Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University 29 24 14 Mercer University School of Medicine 19 36 43 Morehouse School of Medicine 8 52 7 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia 67 60 43 Total 159 239 117 Total (Percentage) 30.9% 46.4% 22.7% 68.1% 56.7% 80.6% 88.1% 60.6% 69.1% 113 67 98 67 170 515 100.0% 37 Figure 14: Plan to Practice in Underserved Area & Type of Underserved Area Plan to Practice in an Underserved Area & Type of Underserved Area Plan to Practice in an Underserved Area Type of Underserved Area No 30.9% Yes 69.1% Rural 32.9% Inner City 67.1% 38 Map: Other States Where Georgia Medical School Graduates Plan to Practice Following Residency 39 Acknowledgments This report was produced under the direction of Chet Bhasin, Executive Director; Leanna Greenwood, MA, Data Team Supervisor; and Augustine Agbontaen, MSIT, Data Analyst. This document is provided to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce members on behalf of Executive Director Chet Bhasin. Board Members: James Barber, M.D. - Chair William R. "Will" Kemp - Vice Chair Lily Jung Henson, M.D. - Secretary/Treasurer Garrett Bennett, M.D. Carolyn Clevenger, DNP Steven Gautney, MSHA Michael J. Groover, D.M.D. Indran Indrakrishnan, M.D. Amy Reeves, PA-C James Lofton Smith, Jr., M.D. Joseph L. Walker, M.D. William Fricks, M.D. Kitty Carter-Wicker, M.D. Terri McFadden-Garden, M.D. The Board would like to thank Georgia's medical schools for participating in the survey: Emory University School of Medicine Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Mercer University School of Medicine Morehouse University School of Medicine Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia The 2024 Georgia Medical School Graduate Survey report can downloaded at healthcareworkforce.georgia.gov. The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce welcomes comments and suggestions for future editions of this report. Please send comments to leanna.greenwood@dch.ga.gov. 40