MOULTRIE, Ga. — The main campus may be in Pennsylvania, but a new medical school that plans to welcome its first class to Moultrie in about 16 months will have a local feel.

Philadelphia College of Medicine’s first class of 55 students is set to begin classes in August 2019 at a new facility on Tallokas Road, where a groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday.

“Our hope over time, a top goal, is to provide health care — provide education to students in the South Georgia region who will come back to (serve) the community,” said H. William Craver, PCOM’s dean and chief academic officer. “Our purpose in being here is to give an opportunity for students to train and remain in the community.”

The college hopes to draw students from the area who will in turn help address the need for more physicians in the region.

It already has in place Georgia South Family Medicine Residency, located across the street from Colquitt Regional Medical Center, where graduates can perform the required three years of additional training.

PCOM expects to have 20 teaching faculty members plus support staff.