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UGA officials and state dignitaries mark the groundbreaking of the new medical education and research building for the School of Medicine on the Health Sciences Campus.

UGA breaks ground on new medical education and research building

The University of Georgia broke ground April 19 on a new medical education and research building that will significantly expand teaching and research capabilities.

Nuss named founding dean of UGA School of Medicine

Dr. Shelley Nuss, campus dean of the Augusta University / University of Georgia Medical Partnership, has been named founding dean of the University of Georgia School of Medicine.

UGA to launch new School of Medicine

With its vote on Feb. 13, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the University of Georgia to establish a new independent School of Medicine in Athens.

Dean Nuss and President Moorehead walking on campus

Meet Dean Nuss

Dr. Shelley Nuss has been named the founding dean of the University of Georgia School of Medicine. Dr. Nuss has served as the Augusta University / University of Georgia Medical Partnership’s campus dean since 2016.

Her role is to establish and lead an independently accredited school of medicine at UGA.

Meet Dean Nuss

Her role is to establish and lead an independently accredited school of medicine at UGA.

#1 Recipient

of NIH Funding Among US Public Universities Without a Medical School.

1 of 13

higher education institutions with full-scale One Health (plant, animal, and human) research operations on their campuses.

#9 highest producer

of medical school applicants in the U.S.

76% increase

in NIH funding over the past decade.

^$100m facility

will provide the capacity to increase medical student enrollment and provide additional research space.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Georgia need a new public medical school right now?

Georgia faces significant challenges in addressing the healthcare needs of its citizens. Our population, which presently ranks 8th in the nation at approximately 11 million, is rapidly growing, yet we continue to have only one public medical school to serve the state’s needs. That simply isn’t enough to meet demand. Georgia currently ranks 40th in the nation for the number of active patient care physicians per capita and 41st for the number of public medical students per capita. At the same time, our population is aging, as are our physicians, with about one-third nearing retirement age.

How will a new medical school help to keep doctors in Georgia?

Georgia needs to expand the pipeline of both medical education and graduate medical education, and the UGA School of Medicine will do both. Georgia does very well in retaining medical students who complete residency training in the state. An independent medical school at UGA will increase residency opportunities through new partnerships with area hospital systems and, therefore, increase the number of doctors retained in the state.

When will the medical school open?

UGA is in the process of laying the foundation to further develop the Health Sciences Campus. Currently, the UGA School of Medicine has applied for accreditation and has been recognized as having Applicant Status by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). However, UGA cannot advertise or recruit for an inaugural class of students until the LCME grants “Preliminary Accreditation Status.” We will inform the public via this website when changes in our accreditation status occur.

What happens to the AU/UGA Medical Partnership?

Once UGA officially welcomes the first class of School of Medicine students, the university will become an independent medical school. However, students in years 2-4 of medical school who are enrolled in the Medical Partnership at the time will remain students in the Medical College of Georgia at the Athens campus. The official Medical Partnership will end after the last class of Medical Partnership students graduates.

How is the state’s investment of $50 million being used to establish a new medical school?

The $50M investment from the state will be matched with $50M in private resources to build a new medical education and research facility. The facility will allow the School of Medicine to expand its class size to train even more doctors for Georgia.

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