Pathway to Med School

In 2004, SOWEGA-AHEC, in collaboration with Albany Area Primary Health Care, Inc. (a Federally Qualified Health Center) and the Southwest Georgia Family Medicine Residency developed the Pathway to Med School Program. The Pathway to Med School program specifically targets Georgia college students originally from southwest Georgia who are enrolled in a pre-med curriculum and who plan to attend medical school to pursue a career in primary care upon matriculation. Through its development, the Pathway to Med School program hopes to not only foster an early interest in primary care medicine, but also to bring local college students back to southwest Georgia to practice after the completion of their medical education and residency training, therefore addressing southwest Georgia's designation as a medically underserved area.

The four-week long program consists of shadowing primary care physicians, working on practice-based community research projects, and attending seminars. Of the 160-hour structured residential experience, 60% is clinical shadowing and 40% is research. The Pathway program also includes learning opportunities that are designed to enhance the participants' ability to gain admission into medical school: round-table discussions, assistance with personal statements, MCAT preparation, multiple mock interviews, and lunch with the Deans of Admissions from the five Georgia medical schools. All experiences take place in the SOWEGA-AHEC 38-county service area. Preference is given to students from rural counties, especially those from southwest Georgia.

Application to the program requires that you

  1. are at least a rising college sophomore working on a pre-med curriculum in a Georgia college,
  2. have a minimum overall 3.0 GPA and a 3.0 GPA in science/math courses,
  3. are a legal resident of Georgia and
  4. have reliable transportation during the 4 week program.

Interested students complete our application and submit a 500 word essay entitled, "Why I'm Interested in Becoming a Primary Care Physician." The application period is from January 1- March 1 each year with successful candidates being notified of acceptance by April 15.

2004 – 2011 Historical Facts

Number of Pathway applicants: 285
Number of students accepted to Pathway program: 61
Number of participants who have completed med school application process: 39
Number who have been accepted to med school: 32

Of the past eight classes of Pathway graduates, 82% who have applied to and heard from medical school have gained admittance.