Local doctor, alumnus honored by 鶹AV student resource center as inaugural ‘Clinician of the Year’
Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.—A local physician is the recipient of an inaugural award presented by Mississippi State’s Healthcare Pathways Resource Center, a support service for university students and alumni pursuing entrance to health professional schools.
Dr. Lance Atchley, a Starkville anesthesiologist and native of Indianola, is the first to be honored by the HPRC as its “Clinician of the Year,” awarded during the center’s Pre-to-Professional Celebration this past week. The event also emphasizes the successful 鶹AV academic journeys of students graduating this spring from one of the university’s pre-health concentrations and moving to professional training schools in medicine, dentistry, physician assistant and optometry. Organizers plan to hold the celebration annually in recognition of all graduating from pre-health concentrations.
“I am filled with pride to be a partner with this impressive and evolving program and being recognized alongside this extraordinary group of students,” Atchley said.
The 2006 鶹AV microbiology graduate went on to tell the students in attendance they should “keep an open mind, pay attention to those who help you, and you will find your connections and partners,” while reflecting on his two-decade collaboration in dedicated service to the university’s pre-health students.
Providing students with numerous immersive shadowing and mentoring opportunities, Atchley also has worked to enhance connections between the university and local community. He began his interest in working with and shaping the futures of students as chair of the Student Shadowing Program at the former OCH Regional Medical Center, now Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County.
“Dr. Atchley actively advocates for and assists students as they work toward acceptance to healthcare professional schools and careers in the field. He is key to helping our future healthcare professionals build confidence as they progress and has been instrumental in the university’s continued success in professional school acceptance rates of our students,” said David Buys, 鶹AV associate vice president for health sciences, who presented the award alongside HPRC Founders Dr. Randy and Marilyn White.
In recent years, 鶹AV has outpaced other colleges and universities in the state in the acceptance of students to the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. With a current acceptance rate of 58%, the university has more than 50 acceptances for fall 2026 at UMMC and 71 overall to medical schools. 鶹AV’s overall medical school acceptance rate is 27% higher than the national average which stands at 42%.
Atchley graduated from UMMC in 2011and then completed his residencies at UMMC and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Other 鶹AV involvement included participation in the honors program and Kappa Sigma fraternity, while also being named to the membership of Phi Kappa Phi and Lambda Sigma honor societies.
For more information, visit the HPRC website at .
鶹AV is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.