Baptist Golden Triangle Holds Its First White Coat Ceremony for New Internal Medicine Residents

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A new program at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle is aiming to keep doctors in the area.

It’s the Internal Medicine Residency Program and the first class received their white coats Monday morning.

The coats represent the six medical residents officially joining the community based program.

Internal Medicine Residency Program Director Dr. Christopher LeBrun says the program is a big deal for the hospital and community.

He says the state’s one major training program is in Jackson and that upcoming doctors tend to stay in areas where they train.

This program is aiming to keep doctors in the Golden Triangle, where there’s a great need.

“It’s been said that communities make up to a million dollars a year, by keeping one primary care physician in the area. They’re worth that much. You keep the pharmacies here. You keep the tests here. You keep the x-rays here. You keep the patients and the hospital here, instead of shipping off care to other places,” says LeBrun.

Cadence Bank along with WCBI sponsored this first white coat ceremony.