PCOM South Georgia, the region’s only medical school, opened its campus in Moultrie, Georgia with a mission to attract and train more underrepresented medical professionals from underserved communities in Georgia who will likely return to those communities and practice medicine.

The College continues to work toward that goal and is making great strides. In the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2026, which began its academic year in August 2022, nearly 70% of students hail from the state of Georgia with counties such as Colquitt, Lowndes, Lee and Lanier being heavily represented.

Year over year, PCOM South Georgia has made a concerted effort to recruit students from rural areas. This year, 32% of incoming students come from medically underserved areas and health professional shortage areas–geographic areas or populations that have a shortage of primary, dental or mental health care providers.

Many students who now call PCOM South Georgia home come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Over half of the students received the Pell Grant in their undergraduate studies, and 25% of the class come from families who have received public assistance.

PCOM South Georgia is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion for its campus community and in the medical field. The Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2026 boasts three times the national average of students who are underrepresented in medicine and nearly double the national average of first-generation students.

“Having a diverse student body that reflects our region’s patient population is something we continuously work hard to achieve, and it’s something we’re extremely proud of,” said Dean and Chief Academic Officer, H. William Craver III, DO ‘87, FACOS.

In addition to focusing on students’ academic success, experience and MCAT scores, the admissions team also highly values students’ commitment and passion to learning in a rural setting and training in a whole-person approach. It is through a holistic approach–seeing the student as a whole rather than a set of numbers–that they review and interview applicants.

PCOM South Georgia accepts students on a rolling basis, meaning students are continually accepted from the first day of interviews until the first week of class. The interview season starts in September and lasts through March. Learn more about the admissions process by visiting www.pcom.edu/admissions.