South Georgia Medical Center recognized Dr. Anthony Johnson for receiving two awards honoring his exemplary dedication and excellence in the role of a preceptor within the field of healthcare education. Dr. Johnson was named the Preceptor of the Year for the fourth consecutive year by the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM). He was also among 13 physicians across the Southeast to receive the Outstanding Preceptor Award from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).
Preceptors are practicing physicians who are integral to the clinical education and training of medical students. They provide the experiential portion of the curriculum by supervising student physicians as they acquire clinical medical knowledge by helping to care for real patients—in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Dr. Jarod Bailey, SGMC Director of Student Medical Education for VCOM, recognized Dr. Johnson at the June meeting of the Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County. Dr. Bailey shared that SGMC has been affiliated with VCOM’s Auburn campus since 2017, serving as a core teaching site. “Of those six years, a member of SGMC’s medical staff has received this honor five times. Dr. Johnson has received this honor for the past four years,” he said. This award is voted on by medical students based on which preceptor they believe was the most impactful to their training.
Dr. Bailey shared that it can be very difficult to open your practice to medical students. “Teaching is a huge commitment of time, and there’s also the added pressure of educating the future of medicine. However, it comes with a sense of duty and responsibility to give back to the profession that has been so good to us.”
He shares that medical students are very good judges of character as they soak up knowledge in a real-world setting. “The fact that he has been honored in this way by medical students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences is a huge testament to the way Dr. Johnson approaches medicine and treats his patients.”
Dr. Johnson is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and practices at SGMC Valdosta Medical Clinic.
For more information, visit sgmc.org.