Forrest General Hospital Welcomes New Group of Eight Residents as Six Graduate

Doctors completing the Residency program are, from left, Alexander Huff, MD, Taylor Fulks, DO ; Mary Allison Andrews, MD;  Emily Schalmo, DO; Sarah Stephenson, DO, and Weston Eldridge, MD

New residents in the Family Medicine Residency program include, front row from left, Lauren Pitts, MD; Zoe Moore, DO; Laural Ryals, MD; second row, Andrew Sandoval, DO; Hunter Jacobson, MD; Landon Thompson, DO; Jacob Park, MD; and JC Pride, MD.

Hattiesburg, Miss. — (July 15, 2024) Forrest General Hospital’s eighth group of resident physicians completed their three-year residency with Forrest General Hospital’s Family Medicine Residency and have accepted full-time medical positions. As these graduates completed their studies, the healthcare network also welcomes its tenth class of residents. The new class of eight residents began their residency on July 1 and will graduate in June 2027.

This is the first year the class has been made up of eight residents. Thanks to some national legislation, there has been an opportunity to apply for growth in residency programs. FGH was awarded three total spots, but Dr. Rambod Rouhbakhsh, director of the Residency Program, said they, “will likely be applying again for two more cycles which would ultimately allow the residency program to expand to a 24-person residency instead of an 18-person, which is where we have been.”

This new class of doctors will practice at the Forrest General Hospital Family Medicine Residency Clinic, located on the first floor of Hattiesburg Clinic, and will rotate through many clinical departments throughout the three-year program. The Residency Clinic oversees employee health for FGH as well as pre-operative patient management. Every person scheduled for elective surgery at FGH comes to the residency clinic for pre-surgical evaluation. They also play an integral role in Edwards Street Medical Clinic, where the residents are the primary workforce for this medically underserved community. Additionally, the residents have an inpatient service allowing them to admit patients into the hospital as necessary and continue to provide them care.

New Residents include:

• Hunter Jacobson, MD – St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies
• Zoe Moore, DO – Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dothan, Ala.
• Jacob Park, MD – University of Queensland School of Medicine, Queensland, Australia
• Lauren Pitts, MD – University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson
• JC Pride, MD – University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson
• Laural Ryals, MD – University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson
• Andrew Sandoval, DO – William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Hattiesburg
• Landon Thompson, DO – Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn Campus, Auburn, Ala.

Forrest General Hospital created this residency program in response to the growing number of retiring primary care physicians in the Pine Belt area. The retirement rate coupled with the low number of physicians staying in the state after completing their residencies resulted in a shortage of family medicine doctors in Mississippi. According to the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce (OMPW), 40 percent of all in-state physicians are over the age of 60.

This year’s class of FMRC graduates includes:

• Mary Allison Andrews, MD, will be joining Forrest Health’s The Doctors Clinic, Richton
• Sarah Stephenson, DO, will be joining Premier Family Care, Arab, Ala.
• Weston Eldridge, MD, will be joining Louisville Medical Clinic, Louisville, Ms.
• Taylor Fulks, DO, will be joining Forrest General Family Medicine Residency Clinic, Hattiesburg
• Alexander Huff, MD, will be joining Forrest Health’s Pearl River Family Clinic, Poplarville
• Emily Schalmo, DO, will be joining Forrest General Family Medicine Residency Clinic, Hattiesburg

 “This graduating class is amongst our best ever,” said Dr. Rouhbakhsh. “Not only is this group of doctors academically excellent, but they are also earnest and kind human beings. They will be an asset to the communities they serve.”

During graduation ceremonies June 27 at Southern Oaks, graduates were recognized with awards. Those include:

• Administrative Chief Resident – Emily Schalmo, DO
• Academic Chief Resident – Mary Allison Andrews, MD
• Pediatric Care Resident of the Year – Emily Schalmo, DO
• Emergency Care Resident of the Year – Emily Schalmo, DO
• Service Resident of the Year – Mary Allison Andrews, MD
• Resident of the Year – Emily Schalmo, DO
• FMRC Resident of the Year – Taylor Fulks, DO
• Procedural Resident of the Year – Cassie Stephenson, DO
• Patient Advocate of the Year – Alex Huff, MD
• Teaching Resident of the Year – Weston Eldridge, MD

Residents vote as a group on three Preceptors of the Year. This year’s winners are:

• Family Medicine Residency Program Preceptor of the Year – Jody Patterson, MD, FGH ER
• Family Medicine Residency Program Preceptor of the Year – Keith Jones, MD, FGH Neurology
• Family Medicine Residency Program Preceptor of the Year – Richard Galloway, MD, Family Medicine Residency Clinic

The Forrest General Hospital Family Medicine Residency is a community-based program where residents gain direct guidance and shoulder-to-shoulder experience with a seasoned team of physicians and staff. The clinic is built on a reputation of extraordinary care for all your needs – from family medicine to more serious conditions and treatments in an environment that is both nurturing and challenging.

The program’s faculty and staff hope at least 50 percent of each group of residents will choose to stay in the Pine Belt area preventing a future shortage of primary care providers. At that rate, the program will help supply the community with 30 primary care physicians every 10 years.

Residents at the Family Medicine Residency Clinic are accepting new patients of all ages. For more information about the Forrest General Family Medicine Residency program, visit www.fghfamilymedicine.com. To schedule an appointment with the Family Medicine Residency Clinic, call 601-288-5200.