July 25, 2025

Dear SOM community:

While the rest of campus still seems relatively quiet, the fall semester has begun in the School of Medicine. Welcome to all our incoming students! We are thrilled to have you join our community. During your time here, you will develop the foundational knowledge and expertise to become skilled, compassionate care providers and scientists. We hope you will also graduate feeling inspired and empowered to become change agents for the good.

 

Those of you on campus will continue to see School of Medicine students arriving and beginning classes over the next several weeks. You may have already seen new students around the medical education building—students in the RT to BMSc Bridge Program began orientation on May 19, and DPT students started class on June 3. The MD class of 2029 is wrapping up their week-long orientation today. In August, we will welcome Physician Assistant students (Aug. 4), Anesthesiologist Assistant students (Aug. 18), and Genetic Counseling students (Aug. 27).

 

Finally, on September 2, classes begin for the Radiologic Technology Certificate Program, which has recently joined the School of Medicine’s health professions program offerings. Over two years, these students learn to use medical imaging to diagnose various conditions. Emory Decatur Hospital, where the program has operated since 1962, will continue to serve as the off-campus instructional site. I want to convey my thanks to program director Shaun Taylor for her outstanding leadership as this program has officially become part of the School of Medicine.

 

It is always exciting and inspiring to welcome a new group of future leaders in patient care and biomedical science. I look forward to getting to know our incoming students, and I am grateful you’ve chosen to learn and train at Emory School of Medicine. Thank you to all our faculty and staff who educate, coach, mentor and support these exceptional students.

 

My best,

 

Sandra

Sandra L. Wong, MD, MS 

Dean and William Patterson Timmie Professor of Surgery 

Emory University School of Medicine 

Chief Academic Officer, Emory Healthcare