GAFP Student Members
How to Join
Student Mentor
Georgia Family Medicine Residency Programs
Related Links
GAFP Student Meeting & Election Results
GAFP hosted a student meeting during the Annual Meeting and Scientific assembly on November 12-13th. The meeting agenda included a debate on healthcare reform, a discussion of the match process, and a suturing workshop. Additionally, the student members elected the following Student Directors and Alternative Student Directors for the Academy's 2011 Board of Directors:
Student Director: Ashlie Booth, Mercer University SOM- Savannah
Student Director: Daniel Gordon, Mercer University SOM- Savannah
Student Director: David Shupe, GA-PCOM
Student Alt. Director: Michelle Cooke, Morehouse School of Medicine
Student Alt. Director: Kara Stringer, Mercer University
Student Alt. Director: Leo Muduve, Medical College of GA
Thank you to Dr. Andy McElhannon and Dr. Kelly Rich from Atlanta Medical Center's Family Medicine Residency Program for their participation. GAFP also extends a big thanks to Dr. Roberta Weintraut, Program Director of Family Medicine Residency at MCCG, for leading the Suturing Workshop.
As the GAFP continues to outreach to potential future family physicians , the Student and Resident Recruitment Committee Members have created PowerPoint templates to be used for communicating with high school students, pre-med students, and medical students. The templates can be downloaded below and are easily adaptable to your audiences needs. If you are interested in a Georgia family physician presenting to your group, please contact GAFP staff member, Tammy Reasoner at treasoner@gafp.org or by phone at 404-321-7445.
Future in Family Medicine High School
Speaking Points for High School Presentation
Future in Family Medicine Medical Student
Future in Family Medicine Pre-Med
What Medical Students Need to Know about Choosing a Georgia Family Medicine Residency Program
Click to Download PowerPoint Presentation
Click to View PowerPoint Presentation
How to Join
Students: Visit http://www.aafp.org/studentbenefits.xml to apply for student membership online, or you can fill out the form below to receive more information about AAFP student memberships.
The Foundation of the GAFP pays the GAFP and AAFP membership dues for medical students at each of the four medical schools in Georgia . This gives the students an opportunity to learn about the GAFP and AAFP by receiving the publications and attending meetings.
Student Mentors
Many medical students in Georgia are interested in learning more about the real world of family medicine. The link below will take you to a listing of practicing physicians who have volunteered to serve as student mentors. If you would like to have a family physician mentor, you should identify a preferred geographic area and then contact a physician on the list. The opportunitites are not pre-arranged and each student/mentor may determine how much time and what type of experience will be most beneficial.
Mentor Spotlight Mitzi Rubin
1) How did you choose family medicine?
I actually went into medical school wanting to go into family medicine. Growing up in California, I had an incredible family physician. He truly took care of my entire family. We might have been in his office for my brother's physical but he'd ask me about my latest water polo tournament, swim meet, SAT's, boyfriend etc. His true test was my senior year in high school when I was diagnosed with Viral Meningitis. He was there every step of the way. I don't think a day went by that he didn't call and check on me. He even came by the house several evenings and made "house calls". When I was in my third year rotations in medical school, I hit a "speed bump". I loved my Ob/Gyn and Pediatrics rotations, more than I thought I would. But, was brought back down to my true passion of family medicine when I realized that after that "RUSH" of delivery an Ob/Gyn doesn't see that baby grow up and a Pediatrician can lose touch with that patient once they hit late adolescence and the patient doesn't feel comfortable sitting in a waiting room with little kids. I wanted to be a part of my patients' life truly from birth to geriatrics, to be by their side every step of the way through the maze of medicine.
2) Did you have a mentor?
I guess you could say that at different points in my life, I've had different mentors. I grew up in a world of doctors and nurses. Medicine was our life, I didn't know any different. How was I to know that not every kid hangs out in the doctors lounge and has unlimited snacks while dad makes rounds. Our family friends were Family Physicians, Cardiologists, Orthopedic Surgeons, and Dermatologists. My earliest mentors were my parents. My dad is a Gastroenterologist and my mom was an Oncology Nurse turned Hospice Director. I learned early on by their example how to be a "good listener", the art of compassionate care, and the love of learning. Additionally, I want to thank Dr. Needham who was one of my mentors and inspired me to mentor others.
3) Where do you practice?
I have been in private practice in Kennesaw, GA for the past 8 years. Beginning in January 2011, I will be pursuing a new exciting endeavor with WellStar Health Systems. One of the many things that attracted me to this new opportunity is WellStar's commitment to developing community-based ambulatory health care facilities. WellStar is taking health care services to the community versus requiring patients and families to drive to and then navigate through the complicated hospital facility only to find that they still have to go elsewhere.
4) How long have you been mentoring?
I have been a mentor for 4 years. I have been a Primary Care Clerkship Preceptor with Emory School of Medicine for 3 years.
5) Who do you mentor?
I have had pre-med college students and the Emory 2nd and 3rd year students. I have spoken to the PA program about mentoring but it's been difficult to find the hours.
6) How do you encourage people to shadow or mentor?
Whenever I have a patient or family member say they are interested in medicine, I always encourage them to call me and do a rotation. I am happy to answer any questions. Through the GAFP, I've done lectures at Kennesaw State University to help their students navigate through the Pre-Med process. When I am with colleagues at a conference or dinner, I will frequently ask them if they mentor students and discuss with them the positives and try to alleviate and ease the common fears amongst practicing physicians on becoming a mentor, namely "students slowing me down." I encourage physicians to become mentors, remember if we didn't have mentors where would we be? Medicine can't be taught solely in a classroom or in the hospital!
7) Do you have any specific mentor success stories that you'd like to share?
So often the students come to the clerkship with an idea of what they want to go into and what family medicine is. I always ask them, "What do you think you want to go into?" Some have said Pediatrics, some Radiology, some Psychiatry, some Oncology, and of course, our favorite Family Medicine. But, one common comment is that if they had this rotation earlier in their training they might consider Family Medicine. Which while it warms my heart to know at least they now know what we're about and how much we do for our patients and respect our field, they would've been a part of this unique specialty. Emory School of Medicine, with that knowledge, changed their clerkship rotations to begin end of second year/beginning of third year with an emphasis on primary care.
Georgia Family Medicine Residency Programs
Atlanta Medical Center Family Practice Residency
George Brown, M.D., Program Director
Georgia Baptist Fam. Prac. Ctr.
1000 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 200
Morrow, GA 30260
Phone: (770) 968-6460
Fax: (770) 968-6465
website
Columbus Family Practice Residency
John R. Bucholtz, D.O., Program Director
1900 10 th Ave Ste 100
Columbus, GA 31901-3601
Phone: (706) 571-1430
Fax: (706) 571-1604
website
Emory Family Practice Residency
Susan Schayes, M.D.
Residency Program Chair
11 Dunwoody Park Ste. 150
Dunwoody, GA 30338
Phone: (404) 727-8868
Fax: (404) 727-1174
website
Floyd Family Practice Residency Program
Frank Don Diego, M.D., Program Director
304 Shorter Ave NW, Ste 301
Rome, GA 30165
Phone: (706) 509-3965
Fax: (706)509-4585
website
Medical Center of Central Georgia Family Practice Residency
Roberta Weintraut, M.D., Program Director
Medical Center of Central Ga.
3780 Eisenhower Parkway
Macon, GA 31206
Phone: (478) 633-5550
Fax: (478) 784-5496
website
Medical College of Georgia Family Practice Residency
Paul D. Forney, M.D., Program Director
MCG - Dept. of Family Medicine
1120 15th St. - HB 3022
Augusta, GA 30912-0004
Phone: (706) 721-3157
Fax: (706) 721-6123
website
Memorial Health University Medical Center Family Practice Residency
Robert Milton Pallay, M.D., Program Director
Memorial Medical Center
P.O. Box 23089
Savannah, GA 31403
Phone: (912) 350-8838
Fax: (912) 350-5118
website
Morehouse Family Practice Residency
Folashade Omole, M.D., Program Director
Morehouse School of Medicine
Dept. of Family Practice
1513 E. Cleveland Ave
Bldg 100, 3rd Floor, Ste. 300A
East Point, GA 30344
Phone: (800) 724-1025
Fax: (404) 756-1229
website
Satilla Regional Family Practice Residency
George Wheeler, M.D., Program Director
410 Darling Avenue
Waycross, GA 31501
Phone: (912) 287-4168
Fax: (912) 338-6411
website
Southwest Georgia Family Medicine Residency
George Fredrick, M.D., Program Director
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital
2336 Dawson Rd, Suite 2200
Albany, GA 31707
Phone: (229) 312-8871
Fax: (229) 312-8473
website
A listing of all family practice residency programs nationwide can be found on the AAFP web page.
Virtual Family Medicine Interest Group
Medical College of Georgia Family Medicine Interest Group
Mercer University Family Medicine Interest Group
Back to top