Clinic Hires New Psychologist

After a lengthy break in service, the Glasgow Clinic has finally hired a new psychologist to fill the much-needed role in northeast Montana. Dr. James Martin, Ph.D. moved to Glasgow in the recent months from his native Gainesville, Ga. The Doctor sat down with The Glasgow Courier to discuss his background and motivations for taking the job in Glasgow.

Dr. Martin did his undergraduate work at the University of Georgia in Athens before pursuing graduate studies at Augusta State University, Augusta, Ga., where he earned his Master's of Science in Psychology. Following Augusta State, Dr. Martin took on a research role at the Augusta Veteran Affairs Hospital performing anti-psychotic drug research. Discussing the experience, Dr. Martin said the program saw, "Patients who had spent their whole life in psychiatric wards who could leave and go back into the community."

Following his time at the VA, Martin returned to graduate school to pursue his Philosphy Doctorate in Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Psychology. Partway through his studies, though, a professor he was working closely with was offered a position at Louisiana State University and Martin was chosen to follow the professor back to the South.

While finishing his Ph.D. Martin "ex-terned" with the State Forensic Hospital where he developed his skills in forensic psychology evaluating post-conviction offenders for the state. Martin earned his Ph.D. in 2002, and went on to the South Carolina State Forensic Hospital before returning to Gainesville and becoming licensed in the State of Georgia.

Martin opened up a private practice in his hometown and, until taking the job here in Glasgow, had performed that task ever since. Martin had specialized in forensic psychology before opening a private practice which he described as being far more generalized. He had still performed courtroom testimony as an expert witness.

Dr. Martin is married with grown kids and is excited to start a new chapter in the middle of nowhere. He described his motivations in the following terms: "Private practice is getting harder. It's harder to get reimbursements from insurers. So, it gets to a point where you want to focus more on what you are trained to do."

The psychologist is looking forward to his time in northeast Montana and said he was familiar with the western side of the state before looking into the job in Glasgow. When asked what brought him here he quipped, "A little Ford Fiesta and a physician recruiter named Connie," before describing his interactions with the FMDH staff, hospital and the recruiter as some of the best he had interacted with.

"This seems like a really good place to be. It seems like a really great hospital with really great leadership," said Martin adding, "and they have an awesome physician recruiter." On living in northeast Montana Dr Martin described his experience saying, "This is a better life. It's just like the old days when people out east came west looking for a better way of life. It's exciting to be part of a community because that was something that was missing back home."

Dr. Martin added at the close of the interview that, "This (Glasgow) feels more like home than home did."