PARTNERING TOGETHER: Archbold CEO Darcy Craven stands with directors from the Medical College of Georgia, who have partnered with Archbold to expand medical education in Southwest Georgia. (Submitted Photo)

THOMASVILLE — Archbold is proud to announce a groundbreaking medical education partnership with the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). This collaboration is designed to strengthen healthcare delivery and expand medical education opportunities in rural and underserved areas of the state.

The partnership will establish Archbold as a clinical training site for third- and fourth-year medical students from MCG, focusing on experience in primary care, medicine, and surgery subspecialties in the rural setting of Southwest Georgia. The first cohort of MCG medical students are set to begin their clinical and educational training at Archbold January 2026. Based in Thomasville, these students will benefit from physician faculty mentorship and career exposure opportunities, encouraging them to pursue their graduate medical education or residency training in Georgia, but more specifically in Southwest Georgia.

Established in 1828, the Medical College of Georgia is the state’s flagship medical school and has the 4th largest first-year medical student class size in the country. Georgia is the 8th most populous state, however ranks 40th in the nation in physicians per capita. Education and training of medical students is one part of the equation to produce practicing physicians. A major factor is the shortage of residency training slots, limiting the number of medical school graduates who can complete their training in Georgia.

“Addressing this challenge requires innovative solutions and strong partnerships across the state,” said David Hess, MD, Medical College of Georgia Dean.

Archbold transitioned into a teaching hospital in 2022 with the development of the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the internal medicine residency program was initially structured as a 5-5-5 program, training 5 residents each year for three years. Under the leadership of Program Director Raul G. Santos, MD, the program successfully achieved a resident complement increase February 2025 and is now structured as an 8-8-8 program, training 8 residents each year for three years.

“The collaboration and co-branding of our internal medicine residency program with the Medical College of Georgia has truly been transformative,” said Raul G. Santos, MD, Internal Medicine Residency Program Director. “This partnership has added to the quality of our program and to the educational and clinical resources we are able to provide to our residents.”

Co-Branding of the internal medicine residency program, sponsored by Archbold, was effective June 2025 and now boasts the name of “Medical College of Georgia – Archbold Internal Medicine Residency Program.”

“In addition to supporting clinical education at the undergraduate level, the collaboration will expand the graduate medical education pipeline for Archbold residents interested in pursuing fellowships and returning to Thomasville or the surrounding communities in this region to practice,” said Kristopher Palmer, DO, Archbold Chief Medical Officer and Designated Institutional Official. “This partnership will create a long-term impact on the region’s physician workforce, by addressing longstanding challenges in rural healthcare access in Georgia, including physician shortages and limited specialty care,” said Darcy Craven, Archbold President and CEO. “This initiative aligns with the state’s broader rural health priorities and MCG’s mission to address Georgia’s physician shortage—especially in communities like Thomasville where the need is most acute,” said Savannah McGowan, Archbold Director of Physician Education.

Committed to improving health across Georgia, the Medical College of Georgia emphasizes primary care, rural medicine, and community engagement. “Archbold has been an outstanding educational partner in Southwest Georgia – in both Graduate Medical Education and Undergraduate Medical Education,” said David Hess, MD, Medical College of Georgia Dean. Archbold stays committed to providing safe, innovative and compassionate care for our communities with a vision of a healthier region, stronger communities, meaningful work and trusted care.

For more information on the partnership, please call Savannah McGowan, MHA, Director of Physician Education at 229-551-2575.