Fact sheet on Georgia's medical schools [Jan. 2004]

Georgia Board for Physician Workforce Fact Sheet on Georgia's Medical Schools
January 2004

Medical School
Medical College of Georgia (MCG)
Emory University School of Medicine Mercer University School of Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine

Total Enrollment 2003-2004 715
450 221 182

Tuition and Fees 2003-2004
$10,358 (resident) $30,562 (non-resident)
$33,068 $26,372 $25,371

Over the last 5 years, Georgia's four medical schools graduated a combined average of 365 physicians per year.

How does Georgia compare to other states in terms of the number of medical students per capita? Georgia ranks 34th among the 46 states that have a medical school in the number of
medical students per 100,000 population. (Source: Health Resources and Services Administration)
Georgia's medical student to population ratio of 19 per 100,000 is approximately one-third below the national average of 28 per 100,000.

Is Georgia facing a physician shortage? Georgia ranks 10th in population, but 35th in physician supply. Georgia's population in 2000
was calculated at 8,186,453, making Georgia the 10th largest state in the nation. Georgia's rate of population increase during the 1990's was two times the national rate. The U.S. Census Bureau currently ranks Georgia as the 4th fastest growing state.
Georgia's physician to population ratio of 192.6 to 100,000 is significantly below the national average of 288 physicians per 100,000 population and data shows no gains in the state's physician ratio since 1996.
Historically, Georgia has relied heavily on physician migration from other states and on international medical graduates to meet workforce needs. Increasing competition, as well as other factors such as the liability crisis, are influencing whether doctors elect to practice medicine in Georgia.
The national Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) reversed its position and has called for medical schools to increase enrollment by 15% over the next decade to help offset a future shortfall of physicians. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has established a new unit to study physician supply and the American Medical Association (AMA) has acknowledged a physician shortage in some areas of the country.
A national study published in January 2002 predicts a shortage of 200,000 physicians in the U.S. by 2020 due to faster than expected population growth; higher than expected per capita income; decreased physician productivity; and increased demand due to the aging population. Shortages of specialists are predicted to be a bigger problem than shortages of primary care physicians. The study cites the need for 25 new medical schools to partially meet the shortage.

Why does Georgia provide funding to private medical schools?
Of the 10 largest states, all but Georgia have at least three public medical schools. Georgia is the largest state in the country with only one public medical school. Georgia's three private medical schools train 53 percent of the medical graduates. The cost to the state = $29,672,202 (represents combined funding to Mercer, Morehouse,
and Emory in the FY2004 budget including a 2.5% reduction). The average cost of operating a medical school is over $90,000,000 per year. Without Emory, Mercer, and Morehouse, Georgia's ratio of medical graduates per capita
would fall to .5 per 100,000 (70% below the national average and Georgia would rank last). The public/private partnerships with Emory, Morehouse, and Mercer have been cost
effective, utilizing public funds to leverage private resources to provide outstanding value for Georgia's taxpayers.

Morehouse School of Medicine Graduate Practice Location 1985 - 2003

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Total Graduates = 393 Total In-State = 194 (49%) Total Out-of-State =199

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9

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80 19 3

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Mercer University School of Medicine Graduate Practice Location 1986 - 2000

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24

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Total Graduates = 353 Total In-State = 240 (68%) Total Out-of-State = 113

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31

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26

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Prepared by the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce

Prepared by the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce

Why don't the private medical schools increase tuition instead of relying on public funds?
Many medical students from these schools graduate with educational loan debt of $100,000 or more.
Students would have to pay tuition of approximately $90,000 per year if public funding was withdrawn, further increasing student debt and making the field of medicine less attractive.

Why don't we increase class size at MCG if we need to train more medical students?
MCG is a large medical school and is near its maximum capacity. A significant number of MCG students currently take most of their clinical training at
hospitals outside of Augusta because of limits on the number of students that can be accommodated at MCG and other Augusta hospitals. An increase of 60 students per year is needed to reach the regional average and 180 students per year to reach the national average. Reaching these goals will require support from the private medical schools in Georgia.

For more information, please contact the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce at (404) 206-5420 or 1718 Peachtree St, NW, Suite 683, Atlanta, Georgia 30309.