Medical College of Georgia

06/15/2026

MCG played host to a VIP last week, leading an international collaboration in healthcare education and workforce development.

Hector Shibao Miyasato from the Center for Simulation and Applied Learning (CISA) at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, highlighted innovative approaches to learner engagement, educational design, and large-scale simulation operations.

MCG showcased experiential learning and the SPEAR Center, where technology-enhanced education, simulation, virtual patients, procedural skills training, and longitudinal clinical experiences are integrated throughout the curriculum.

06/12/2026

In today's Dean's Diary: Annual Statewide Faculty Development Meeting gives us a chance to connect and thank our clinical faculty; MCG is partnered with 24 FQHCs and Community Health Centers across Georgia; and Applied Molecular Pathology Internship is helping build a future workforce of laboratory professionals.

May 29, 2026 May 29, 2026Dean's Diary - Medical College of GeorgiaAnnual Faculty Senate Awards, Austin West, Brett Syzmik, Dan-Victor Giurgiutiu, Darren Browning, David Munn, David Wolff, Drew Dill, Harry Musson, Hunter Faircloth, Jack Ellis, John Allen, Julie Dahl-Smith, Kaitlyn Blanchard, Kurt Hor...

06/09/2026

The Medical College of Georgia has committed to participate in the national Nutrition Education Initiative led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education.
https://jagwire.augusta.edu/mcg-at-augusta-university-joins-national-hhs-nutrition-education-initiative/
The voluntary program is designed to strengthen nutrition education in medical training. MCG’s commitment positions it as the first Georgia-based medical school to participate in the initiative and maintains MCG’s leadership in a transformative movement in medical education.

“I appreciate our academic affairs team and their rapid and thoughtful response to make these additions to our curriculum,” says MCG Dean David Hess, MD.

06/04/2026

Amy Estes, MD, a cornea specialist, educator and long‑time faculty leader, has been named chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Medical College of Georgia, effective July 1.
https://jagwire.augusta.edu/cornea-specialist-educator-named-chair-of-mcg-ophthalmology/
Estes joined MCG in 2013 and currently serves as director of the Cornea Service. She has served on the council of the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology, ultimately becoming its president, and as the Georgia representative at the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Amy Estes, MD, has advised numerous medical students pursuing careers in ophthalmology, served on multiple PhD committees and contributed extensively to resident education.

06/03/2026

At the annual MCG Statewide Faculty Development Conference, State Rep. Butch Parrish, R-Swainsboro, was recognized as the Medical College of Georgia Health Care Champion of the Year.

Parrish, who represents Georgia’s 158th House District and serves as chairman of the House Rules Committee, has played a leading role in efforts to strengthen the state’s physician workforce and expand access to care.

He has supported expansion of residency programs in high-need specialties, including rural surgery and child and adolescent psychiatry, backed development of MCG’s Savannah four-year campus, and helped advance the PeachState Scholarship Match to grow the pipeline of physicians committed to practicing in Georgia. He also helped secure state funding for the Translational Research Building, which will expand research capacity and support improvements in patient care.

The award recognizes his sustained focus on medical education, research, and physician training as key drivers of better health outcomes across the state.

06/02/2026

Dr. Ravindra Kolhe is this year’s recipient of the Spirit of MCG Award.

He is professor and chair of the Department of Pathology and associate dean for Translational Research.

As director of the Georgia Esoteric and Molecular Laboratory, he has built a comprehensive molecular diagnostics program that advances patient care, accelerates translational research, and supports clinical trials across multiple departments.

His leadership during the COVID‑19 pandemic, designing and deploying the region’s first SARS‑CoV‑2 test and scaling those operations to include more than 150,000 tests, was just one powerful example of his dedication to patient care, public health and MCG.

Even with an 80% clinical workload, he remains a devoted educator and mentor, guiding more than 25 trainees whose work has led to national presentations, publications, and successful fellowships.

06/01/2026

Dr. Yong Park was bestowed the MCG Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

Park has devoted more than three decades to advancing pediatric neurology at MCG and the Wellstar Golisano Children’s Hospital of Georgia. Since joining MCG’s faculty in 1991, he has become a regional leader in pediatric epilepsy and an internationally respected expert in child neurology.

Park shaped countless trainees as Residency Program Director and as a mentor across multiple graduate programs.

His contributions include 75 clinical trials, 80 peer reviewed publications, and more than 200 scientific presentations and abstracts.

In 2015, Park led one of Georgia’s early landmark expanded access studies evaluating highly purified, plant derived CBD for children and young adults with severe epilepsy. The success of that work contributed to the FDA’s 2018 approval of Epidiolex for several rare and devastating epilepsy syndromes.

05/29/2026

In today's Dean's Diary: Dr. David Munn appointed director of the Georgia Cancer Center; Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Dr. Yong Park; and Dr. Ravindra Kolhe embodies the Spirit of MCG.

May 29, 2026 May 29, 2026Dean's Diary - Medical College of GeorgiaAnnual Faculty Senate Awards, Austin West, Brett Syzmik, Dan-Victor Giurgiutiu, Darren Browning, David Munn, David Wolff, Drew Dill, Harry Musson, Hunter Faircloth, Jack Ellis, John Allen, Julie Dahl-Smith, Kaitlyn Blanchard, Kurt Hor...

05/28/2026

David Munn, MD, a physician scientist whose discoveries fundamentally reshaped the understanding of immune regulation in cancer, has been appointed director of the Georgia Cancer Center at the Medical College of Georgia.
https://jagwire.augusta.edu/david-munn-md-appointed-director-of-the-georgia-cancer-center/
He has served as interim director since March, during which time he has worked to streamline clinical trials and recruit new basic and translational science researchers.

David Munn, MD, is internationally recognized for research that revealed how tumors manipulate the immune system and translating those insights into therapeutic strategies.

05/20/2026

Anne Hu, inspired by a family legacy in medicine, found her path through Augusta University’s Professional Scholars Program. After gaining hands-on experience in medical school, including a transformative mission trip to Tijuana, she discovered her passion for women’s health. She matched in OB GYN in Augusta for residency, where she will continue her training surrounded by a community she has called home for the past eight years.

Anne Hu, inspired by a family legacy in medicine, found her path th...