Despite these challenges, the Atlanta Medical College continued operation until August 1861 when classes were suspended due to the Civil War.

The College existed for 14 years before another merger took place, this time due to encouragement from the Council of Medical Education.

[2] Upon matriculation, medical students are divided into four societies through which they participate in small group learning exercises that foster differential diagnosis abilities, clinical skills, and professional development.

The societies are named after four historic physicians who contributed significantly to the practice of medical science during their lifetimes.

The curriculum features a condensed pre-clinical learning phase in which students cover the basic medical sciences in 1.5 years.

Students typically take the USMLE Step 1 by February of their second year allowing them to begin their medical clerkship phase at Emory-affiliated hospitals.