Medical College of Georgia applications rise

ATLANTA --- Applications to the Medical College of Georgia are 4 percent higher than last year, outpacing the 0.1 percent national increase, school officials told a committee of the Board of Regents on Wednesday.

At the same time, the expanding school is working with the University of Georgia in raising $20 million for scholarships, not just for their shared campus in Athens, but also for MCG's home in Augusta.

Officials don't know why there has been an increase in applications for admission from 2,104 last year to 2,179 this year. Roughly half are from Georgia, as in past years.

It could be that word has begun to spread that the school is growing its capacity for students to 230 seats, increasing each applicant's odds of admission slightly. The branch campus in Athens begins instruction next fall when current applicants would enroll, adding 40 places for students.

Across the country, four new medical schools have opened and a dozen others expanded by a combined 7 percent, according to the American Medical Association.

MCG Medical Dean Doug Miller said tuition could also be a draw for students. "We really worked hard to maintain better pricing," he said.

"We deal with the market, which is shifting costs to students, but we're trying to keep that cost shift to a minimum."

For those who still need help covering the tuition, the 1-year-old "white coat initiative" meshes scholarship fundraising between the UGA and MCG staffs.

Already, the program has one pledge for $50,000 and one planned bequest for $500,000.