Benefits & Resources

Colquitt Regional Medical Center offers excellent benefits to our residents, staying in the top 90% of programs in this region.

Benefits Guide

  • The (2021 Benefits Guide for Colquitt Regional Medical Center) outlines available benefits, eligibility and enrollment information.
  • Within the guides, find details regarding:
    • Medical insurance and ancillary coverage: medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, medical/dependent care, Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
    • 401(k) tax deferred savings plan
    • Disability and life insurance
    • Professional liability insurance

Time Away from Training

  • Colquitt Regional realizes that residents may need to take time away from training for a variety of reasons. We will work with you to accommodate this as needed.  All trainees should be aware that additional time away from training (in addition to the allotted paid time off each academic year for vacation, education, and sick leave) may require an extension of training beyond the originally anticipated completion date in order to comply with certifying ABMS and/or AOA board requirements and ensure satisfaction of ACGME milestone requirements for his/her specialty.  Time on leave cannot count toward training.
  • It is the responsibility of the Program to be knowledgeable of the specialty board’s rules and inform trainees of limits, if any, in allowable absences. While paid time off will not accrue during any needed extension of training, the resident will receive full stipend and benefits.  If training is extended to make up for time spent on short-term disability, the stipend provided during the extension will be at the PGY level during which short-term disability was taken.
  • PGY2-PGY4 residents are encouraged to present the results of their research/scholarly endeavors at educational meetings. Colquitt Regional allows five days of sub/specialty-related medical education time per academic year for each trainee to attend and/or present at Program Director-approved educational conferences. The choice of educational meeting, the content of the presentation, and the number of such presentations must be made in consultation with and the approval of the Program Director, and the duration of absence(s) must not impact patient care. These days are beyond trainees’ paid time off.
  • The meeting must be located within the continental United States. As stated above, the time away will be granted in addition to paid time off, however, excess days must be considered paid time off. Full stipends and benefits are provided during educational meetings.
  • Attendance at educational meetings for which the resident is not making a presentation is permitted at the discretion of the Program Director.
  • Colquitt Regional Medical Center provides qualified residents with leave pursuant to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) and applicable state laws which may provide more generous benefits. The FMLA does not supersede any state or local law which provides greater family or medical leave protection.
  • Each resident who has been enrolled in a Colquitt Regional-Georgia South graduate medical education program for 12 months or more (which need not be consecutive) and who has provided at least 1,250 hours of service as part of such graduate medical education program during the 12 months prior to the commencement of leave, may be entitled to unpaid leave, not to exceed 12 weeks in a rolling 12-month period (not to exceed 26 weeks for military caregiver leave).
  • Eligible residents may request unpaid family or medical leave. Examples of reasons for this leave include: their own serious health conditions, caring for a child, spouse, domestic partner or parent with a serious health condition, extending a maternity leave, or upon adoption or initiation of foster care. The total length of leave is limited to 12 weeks even if it is used in conjunction with short-term disability, but may be requested for a shorter duration. 
  • A resident granted Family and Medical Leave may first use any accrued paid time off before taking unpaid leave. Alternatively, unpaid leave may be initiated at the beginning of Family and Medical Leave. The use of accrued paid time off before starting unpaid leave does not extend the limit of 12 weeks.  All time spent for unpaid leave must be made up by extension of training.
  • If a resident is on leave because of his/her own serious health condition, Colquitt Regional-Georgia South will require a submission of a doctor’s written certification that the individual is not able to perform training activities without restrictions. Failure to provide such certification may result in the resident being ineligible for reinstatement in his/her program.
  • There are very specific eligibility and reporting requirements which should be reviewed carefully by any resident contemplating a request for Family and Medical Leave. A Request for Family and Medical Leave form must be completed and approved by the Program Director. If a resident fails to meet the eligibility and reporting requirements, the request for leave may be denied or delayed.

When a resident is selected for jury duty, s/he must notify their Program Director and Coordinator.

  • Colquitt Regional-Georgia South supports residents with growing families. Mothers and fathers in-training with Colquitt Regional are entitled to time off after delivery or adoption and may utilize up to 12 weeks FMLA.
  • With all leaves, it is the responsibility of the resident to confirm, before the onset of leave, with the Program Director, the ACGME Program Specific Guidelines, and ABMS and/or AOA specialty board any time requirements for adequate completion of training in their specialty. Time spent on leave does not count toward training. The end of training date may need to be extended to comply with the above.
  • Residents receive 20 days of paid time off (PTO) in the PGY1-PGY4 years. PTO cannot be accrued and carried over to the following year of training. PTO should be scheduled and approved by the Program Director; changes also must be approved by the Program Director. To encourage wellness and well-being, all residents are expected to use all PTO each year.
  • If any domestic or international travel requires quarantine upon return based on Colquitt Regional, CDC, or governmental guidelines or regulations, utilization of PTO may be mandated to cover the time required for quarantine at the discretion of the Program Director. Residents must discuss with their Program Director prior to travel.

Days of Observance

Colquitt Regional Medical Center allows certain observances of religious and secular holidays. Residents should check with their program offices for program-specific guidelines.

  • Each program determines resident assignments for patient care during holidays. These assignments should be a shared responsibility among all residents in the program. The stipend is earned for the holiday regardless of whether or not the resident has been scheduled to work on that day.
  • Although the practice of religious beliefs, including the observance of religious holidays, is important to many residents, priority must be given to maintaining adequate patient care. A resident who wishes to observe a religious holiday of short duration (1-2 days) should discuss that request well in advance with the Program Director and try to obtain coverage. Reasonable efforts will be made to honor a resident’s request, assuming such request does not impose an unreasonable burden on other residents or on the program. However, any adjustments to a resident’s schedule are contingent upon acceptable patient care coverage alternatives and must be cleared with the appropriate training Program Director. The only way to guarantee time away is to schedule Paid Time Off well in advance of the requested holiday, in accordance with the requirements of the program’s Time Off policy.

In-Training Finance Management

  • The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has established a comprehensive resource page dedicated to handling finances while in training. As part of this initiative, the AAMC has also established the FIRST program which offers unbiased information and free resources to help trainees make financial decisions. Topics include:
    • Grace, deferment, and forbearance
    • Loan repayment options
    • Postponing loan repayment during residency
    • Residency and relocation loans
    • Consolidation
    • Budgeting and money management
    • Credit card debt
    • Consumer and federal financial aid resources

Wellness

Licenses

  • GME is the principal liaison with the State of Georgia Composite Medical Board for medical licensing. Please note that licensing is extremely important as residents cannot perform clinical activities or be paid without a valid medical license. The initial licensing process can be lengthy—a doctor needs to allow 60 days for processing of initial application. GME deals mainly with the licenses listed below:
  • Initial residency training permits are processed by the GME office after receiving required documentation from the resident. Initial residency training permits are issued from a period of one year, effective July 1 for the current academic year.
  • Renewal residency training permits are initiated in the GME office. Renewal residency training permits are issued from a period of one year, effective July 1 for the current academic year.

Stipend

  • Colquitt Regional Medical Center provides a stipend to all residents.
  • A sample of Colquitt Regional Medical Center’s Resident Contract is available.
  • The stipend levels for the 2023-24 training year will be as follows:
  • Family Medicine Residency Program
    • PGY 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $58,500
    • PGY 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $60,225
    • PGY 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $61,850
  • Psychiatry Residency Program
    • PGY 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $58,500
    • PGY 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $60,225
    • PGY 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $61,850
    • PGY 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $63,675
  • Additional years spent in research, employment, or training outside of prerequisites for the specialty or sub-specialty program are not used for determining PGY-level.
  • Information about stipend checks, direct deposit, withholding taxes, and more is available through the hospital benefits coordinator.