Conway Medical Center (CMC) held an induction and pinning ceremony on Sunday, July 21 for their inaugural class of third-year Campbell Medicine students. Eleven students from the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2021 will be living, learning and serving at CMC in Conway, SC over the next two years.
The affiliation between the School of Medicine and Conway Medical Center has been two years in the making. Conway’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Paul Richardson, and Warren Ratley, MBA, along with Matt Huff, former designated institutional official at the Med School, and Dr. Robin King-Thiele, associate dean for postgraduate affairs, worked together diligently to solidify this medical education partnership.
“Undergraduate and graduate medical education in Conway will be a win-win for [everyone] involved,” said Dr. David Tolentino, associate dean for clinical affairs at the School of Medicine. “It will further solidify Conway’s presence as the premier healthcare provider of Horry County.”
He further explained that by developing a workforce in student and resident education, CMC is helping to train students that exemplify the Campbell Mission of serving rural and underserved communities in the Southeast United States.
CMC will take 22 third-year students next year as they also begin two new residencies – one in family medicine, and another being a transitional program. The family medicine residency is currently going through the accreditation process under the leadership of Dr. Donald Morando, inaugural program director.
“We look forward to the growth of medical education,” said Tolentino, “and all of the opportunities it will provide for Campbell medical students and graduates, along with the communities in and around Horry County.”
Photography courtesy of Conway Medical Center