Emory University School of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

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Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Medical Student Programs in Family Medicine

Our educational mission is to train the next generation of primary care providers and offer our faculty opportunities to expand and enhance their skills and knowledge. Our educational programs offer unparalleled professional training, innovative flexibility, cultural diversity, and unique scholarship opportunities. Our engaged expert faculty and our sponsoring institution, Emory University School of Medicine, provide the best-in-class atmosphere of collegiality and intellectual collaboration.

Overview

Our mission is to immerse students in the principles and practices of Family Medicine and demonstrate how our specialty positively impacts the health care system through high quality, patient-centered, compassionate care.

We welcome inquiries from interested students and hope that you take a moment to explore Family Medicine at Emory. Please find detailed descriptions of courses and ways that you can get involved in this section.

On behalf of the Undergraduate Medical Education team, we hope that you too discover what we have learned about being a family physician. At Emory Family Medicine, we love what we do, and we do it well!

Medical Students
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Pre-Medical Students and Other Learners
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Program Year Descriptions

M1

In the first year of medical school, the Outpatient Experience (OPEX) uses the talents, expertise, and exposure of primary care physicians, including many community Family Medicine doctors to teach real-world medicine to Emory students.

  • Commitment: a one-half day a week/every other week for an entire year
  • If you’re considering a career in Family Medicine, please express your interest by emailing Porsha Clayton. 
OPEX website
M1

M2

In the second year, there is an opportunity for students to do an elective in their fall semester. The Department of Family & Preventive Medicine currently offers electives in the following areas:

  • Cross-Cultural Medicine
  • Culinary medicine

Please see the School of Medicine's course catalog for detailed descriptions. 

Note that these electives are only open to Emory students. Graded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

Photo: Panel speakers at the African/Caribbean Cultural Exploration Dinner for the Cross-Cultural Medicine elective.

M3

During the third year, students are required to do a 6-week clerkship in Adult Primary Care. This rotation allows students to work with community faculty in Family Medicine and General Internal Medicine. The student is immersed in a full spectrum primary care setting four days a week with relevant outpatient didactic topics at the school of medicine one day a week. Please note that this clerkship is not open to visiting students. As this is a required clerkship for all Emory students, letter grades are assigned.  Highlights of the clerkship include:

  • Interactive didactics with hands-on workshops, case-based problems, or games.
  • An option for students to spend their adult primary care time in a rural setting with a family physician or general internist (housing paid for by the School of Medicine).
  • Hands-on opportunities for service learning through the Hispanic Health Fair and the South Georgia Farmworker Project.

Photo: Adult Primary Care Clerkship students volunteering at the Hispanic Health Fair

M4

Emory offers a 4th year elective in Family Medicine for Emory M4 students and visiting M4 students.

The course is designed specifically for students who are interested in pursuing a career in Family Medicine and visiting students interested in applying to the Emory Family Medicine Residency Program.

Selected students spend two weeks on the resident inpatient service and two weeks in the outpatient family medicine clinic.

Emory Family Medicine also offers additional electives exclusively for Emory M4 students.

Photo: Dr. Julie Johnson precepts a medical student at the Dunwoody Family Medicine Clinic

More details on M4
Undergraduate M4

Primary Care Consortium (PCC)

The Emory Primary Care Consortium promotes a positive, diverse culture of collaboration and engagement that supports high-value, high-quality patient-centered care, discovery, and innovation. The PCC is a resource for learners (fellows, residents, and health professional students) to discover new opportunities in primary care.

  • Advocacy, social, and educational funds are designed to support social, educational, and advocacy activities related to enhancing primary care at Emory. Program funds will be available to groups of no less than three people to support Emory events that are well planned, well-advertised (including recognition of the Emory PCC funding), and of general interest to a broad primary care audience.
  • Learner Initiated Professional Development funds support Emory learners seeking to engage in professional development activities that will lead to advancements in primary care at Emory.  Activities eligible for funding include, but are not limited to:
    • Scholarly conference attendance for the purpose of giving an oral/poster presentation
    • Leadership developmental meeting attendance for the purpose of learning leadership skills
  • The PCC often partners with student groups to support Primary Care Week activities.

Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG)

The FMIG is a student-run group, which sponsors activities for the medical students in conjunction with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and the national FMIG organization. They have planned programs of activities including education forums, dinners, workshops, and outreach. Many students use these alliances to find mentors and to shadow physicians in their office. The participating students learn not only about careers in family medicine but also about the medical profession in general. Learn more from the following resources:

Free membership to the:

Interested? Contact: 

Photo: Student Activity Fair
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Get Involved

As a student, there are many ways to get involved both locally and at the state, national and international levels. 

Many of our faculty are passionate about sharing their skills and talents to give back to needed communities both here and abroad. Volunteering as a medical student in one or more of these activities is a great opportunity to interact with Family Medicine faculty and residents, allow for interdisciplinary teamwork all the while giving back to populations most at need.

Photo: Georgia Farmworker project

Get involved
Farmworkers Get Involved

Events

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