Medical Education
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The curriculum leading to the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree focuses both on scientific medicine and on meeting the primary healthcare needs of patients who are underserved. Most of the first- and second-year classes are offered in the Hugh M. Gloster Basic Medical Sciences Building on the main campus. Clinical experience begins in the first-year with clinical preceptorships in private offices. Clinical experience is continued in a state-of-the-art clinical skills training lab located in the National Center for Primary Care located on the main campus.
Learning through service-learning and community service is also an element of the first-year curriculum. In addition, clinical preceptorships in health clinics and physicians’ offices are part of the educational program. The entire first-year curriculum extends over 10.5 months.
Clinical instruction is primarily taught at our affiliated teaching hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital — the only level one trauma center within a 100-mile radius of Atlanta. In addition, we partner with the following healthcare facilities: Atlanta Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (Scottish Rite and Hugh Spalding), South Fulton Medical Center, Atlanta Medical Center-Tenet, Columbus Regional Healthcare System, DeKalb Medical, Georgia Regional Hospital, Gwinnett Medical Center, Northside Hospital, Ridgeview Institute, Southern Regional Health System, Tuskegee Veterans Medical Center, VA Hospital Community Based Outpatient Clinics in East Point and Stockbridge and West Fulton Mental Health Center.
Year 1
Molecules, Structures, and Mechanisms - Integrated curriculum across the first-year that combines classroom, lab, small group and self-directed study to cover the basic principles of biochemistry, physiology and anatomy in an organ-systems organization. The course is organized into four units with core themes of biochemistry, histology and cell biology, embryology, physiology, gross anatomy, neurobiology and normal behavior integrated together. The overarching theme is normal human biology.- Basic Principles of Human Biology
- Organ Systems 1
- Organ Systems 2
- Organ Systems 3
- Community Health
- Fundamentals of Medicine 1
- Clinical Preceptorship Component
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Component
- Human Behavior
Year 2
- Pathophysiology
- Nutrition
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology
- Medical Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Pathology
- Fundamentals of Medicine 2
- Human Values 2
- Psychopathology Component
Year 3
Third year begins in early August and ends in late July. During this twelve-month period, students must complete the following required clerkships:
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Psychiatry
- Surgery
- Family Medicine & Rural Health
- Fundamentals of Medicine 3
Year 4
Fourth year begins in early August and ends in late April. During this nine-month period, students must complete the remaining one required course:
- Senior Selective: Subinternship
In addition, to meet our MD Objectives, students must complete a minimum of six clinical electives. The electives program, which must be approved for each student in order to ensure a balanced program, may include electives at other Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical schools.