While the state of Georgia has a number of colleges and universities, only a select few offer students the chance to earn a medical degree and start a career as a doctor. While their numbers are few, however, many of Georgia's medical schools rank highly when compared to their national counterparts, and they have produced some of the country's leaders in the medical profession.
Emory Universty
Located in Atlanta, the Emory University School of Medicine is a private institution with an enrollment of 455 medical students. Emory boasts the largest health care system in the state of Georgia and is known nationally for its focus on research. In the latest medical school rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, Emory ranks 22nd nationally in research and 42nd overall in primary care.
Medical College of Georgia
Established in 1828, the Medical College of Georgia is the third oldest medical school in the Southeast. While the school's main campus is located in Augusta, MCG is also entering into a partnership with the University of Georgia and is now admitting students to its program in Athens. As a result of this growth, MCG had one of the largest freshman classes in the country in 2009 with 190 students and plans to grow to a total class size of 1,200 medical students by 2021.
Mercer University
Mercer University's School of Medicine offers students a chance to pursue their medical degrees at either its Macon or Savannah campuses. Established in 1982, the school places emphasis on meeting the health care needs of rural and other traditionally neglected areas, and offers a community medicine program to its students. Mercer utilizes the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon and Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah as its teaching hospitals.
Morehouse School of Medicine
The Morehouse School of Medicine, founded in 1975, is located in the Atlanta area and has produced famous alumni including U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. The school has 12 academic departments ranging from Community Health and Preventive Medicine to Microbiology and Biochemistry. MSM reported an enrollment of 329 medical students in 2009-2010.
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine offers a program in osteopathic medicine in Georgia. Based out of Philadelphia, Penn., PCOM's branch in Suwanee opened in 2005 and is just 27 miles north of downtown Atlanta. Eighty students enroll in the osteopathic medicine program each year at the campus.
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