For Shelby Flowers (DO ‘23), the choice to complete her medical education at PCOM South Georgia was simple: “There is an incredible need for physicians in the area, and I want to be able to be a part of the solution.”

Flowers grew up in Tifton and Moultrie, graduating from Colquitt County High School in 2015 and completing her undergraduate degree at ABAC in 2019. In August 2019, she joined the inaugural class at PCOM South Georgia and began serving as a student ambassador.

“I had been considering going to medical school for a long time, but was reluctant to move away from my family and live in a city much bigger than Moultrie,“ Flowers said. “When I started researching schools and getting my application together, I learned that PCOM would be building a campus that would be accepting a class at the time that I was graduating from ABAC. I knew that PCOM South Georgia would be the perfect fit for me, so it was my number one choice.”

For Flowers, it wasn't academia or the brand new facility that made the difference. It was her family and being close to the support systems she knew she would need during her education. After completing her first two years of didactic learning in Moultrie, she is now completing many of her clinical rotations at Tift Regional in Tifton.

“One of the most challenging aspects of medical school is that the world and the lives of those around you do not stop just because you are in medical school,” she said. “Sickness, loss, and tragedy still occur–but thankfully so do marriages, births, and graduations. For me, going to medical school in Moultrie afforded me the opportunity to be near my grandmother when she was battling cancer and visit her every week before she passed. My husband and I were also able to be near when his grandmother passed, to celebrate the birth of a nephew and cousin and participate in the weddings of dear friends. I was able to better participate in these highs and lows of life by being so close to my support systems.”

The unique opportunity to complete medical school and training in the region surrounded by family and friends hits home for many PCOM South Georgia students.

Trent Griner (DO ‘23) said, “The opportunity to come back home for medical school was too unique and special to miss out on. I recognized what an honor and a privilege it would be to obtain my medical education in a place that means so much to me surrounded by the people who raised and supported me my entire life.”

A Brookwood School and Berry College graduate, Griner jumped at the chance to stay near his family.

“Attending medical school in my hometown, surrounded by family and friends, has made the experience so much easier than it otherwise would've been,” he said. “It is helpful to have my support system close by to cheer me up on bad days and to do little things here and there for me that make my day-to-day life much easier. I know that if my wife and I need anything, help is a phone call and a few minutes away.”

An additional factor was the chance to work alongside role models who impacted Griner’s life. Before and during his time at PCOM South Georgia, Griner shadowed and worked with a number of local physicians. He said spending time with and learning from these local men and women have contributed to his success and his passion for health care.

“Many of our local physicians have mentored me through rotations or shadowing opportunities,” Griner said. “Drs. Daniel York, Kirby Smith, Woody Weeks, Gary Swartzentruber, William Huffman, William Stembridge and Franklin Davis have all supported me by giving me valuable clinical experiences, but the most valuable discussion I have had with them is what it's like to balance the responsibilities and obligations of being a doctor as well as a husband or father. All of the doctors here in Moultrie that I have had the honor of working with have been incredibly gracious with their time and sharing their knowledge with me. They all have a genuine interest in ensuring that the next generation of physicians in Moultrie continues to uphold a tradition of excellence and high-quality care that is founded on caring deeply about this community. They don't just want us to be great doctors, they want us to be great people.”