Natalie Britt, MD, a second-year resident in Memorial Health’s family medicine residency program, is one of only 12 residents nationwide to receive the 2018 Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education. It is presented by the American Academy of Family Physicians in recognition of a resident’s excellence and commitment to patients and the specialty of family medicine.

Britt, a native of Augusta, earned her medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine. She begins her third and final year of her family medicine residency at Memorial Health University Medical Center this summer. She and her husband, Kris, are the parents of three sons.

Of the 3,500 eligible family medicine residents, only 12 are selected for this award. Since 1952, the award has been given to recognize outstanding family medicine residents for their leadership, civic involvement, exemplary patient care and aptitude for and interest in family medicine. Winners receive a monetary scholarship and an a trip to the 2018 AAFP Family Medicine Experience in New Orleans to receive their award.

“Dr. Britt earned this recognition by working hard and staying focused on her patients,” said Robert Pallay, MD, director of family medicine residency program at Memorial Health. “She embraces the primary purpose of family medicine, which is to treat the whole person – every organ, every disease, all ages and both genders.

“What makes this award even more outstanding is that it is the second time in three years that our residency program has had a resident physician win this award,” he added. Daniel Gordon, MD, who graduated from the program in 2017, won the award in 2016.

The family medicine residency program at Memorial is one of six residency programs that train resident physicians from around the world.