Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program recently celebrated the second class of graduates since the program’s inception in 2016. The ceremony took place at Sunset Country Club, where the graduates were presented their diplomas.
The graduates honored included Catie Duskin, D.O., Hematheja Lanka, D.O., and Valerie Sherrer, D.O.
“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Duskin, Dr. Lanka, and Dr. Sherrer,” said Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney. “Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Dr. Duskin, Dr. Lanka, and Dr. Sherrer finished their last months of residency with determination and resilience. We are honored that they chose Georgia South as their residency program and wish them the best of luck as they move on to the next chapter in their careers.”
Duskin, Lanka, and Sherrer all started at Georgia South in the summer of 2017. Duskin’s post-residency plans include staying in Moultrie and joining the medical staff at Sterling Group Primary Care. Lanka will be pursuing a position at a practice in the midwest. Sherrer has accepted a position as a primary care physician with Professional Medical Associates in Enterprise, Alabama.
“Our mission at Georgia South is to develop our residents into compassionate, well-trained family physicians who provide exceptional care to their patients,” said Georgia South Program Director Dr. Kirby Smith. “This class of residents showed what it means to be a physician during a healthcare crisis through their leadership and expertise. It is evident that they have become wonderful physicians who are ready to face any need that presents itself.”
A residency is the last step that a physician must complete before practicing medicine independently. This is a three-year program with focused rotations throughout each year in areas such as Orthopedics, Obstetrics, Critical Care, Radiology, Dermatology, Practice Management, and Ophthalmology, among others. Residents also work at the Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Clinic, developing continuous patient relationships over their three years in Moultrie.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Duskin to the staff at Colquitt Regional,” said Hospital Authority Chairman Maureen A. Yearta, Ed.D. “Having a resident join our medical staff speaks volumes of the quality of training they received and the support showed to them during their residency. It is a huge accomplishment and part of our goal in continuing to provide access to quality healthcare for those in our area.”
Georgia South also recently welcomed a new class of resident interns. The incoming class of 2023 includes Jared Harris, M.D., Hyder Naqvi, D.O., Rickey Patel, M.D., and William Seemer, D.O.
Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program at Colquitt Regional Medical Center is located in Moultrie, Georgia and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). There are currently 11 faculty and staff members and 12 residents in the program.
