July 17, 2020
Dear School of Medicine students,
By now you should have all received the latest update from Emory University about the fall semester. We are proud of our university’s commitment to preserving academic continuity while protecting the health and safety of our community.
As noted in the email, each graduate program will follow a return-to-campus plan that considers the specific educational needs of their students. We are pleased to share that plans for School of Medicine degree programs have not changed since we communicated with you earlier this summer.
We will continue providing the majority of our learning online, but some activities will require in-person attendance. When in-person teaching is required, we will take all reasonable precautions to keep our students as safe as possible. (Please be aware that School of Medicine students continue to be precluded from providing care to patients being evaluated or treated for COVID-19 infection).
We remain confident in our educational plans, which were developed in close collaboration with subject matter experts in Emory’s Division of Infectious Disease in the Department of Medicine; our hospital epidemiologists, and leaders across our medical school and the university. At the same time, we recognize that some may be concerned about the current COVID-19 conditions in Atlanta. Should any student feel that they are unable to continue their education because of personal health concerns - or any other personal reason - please speak with Dr. Eley, Dr. Schwartz or your program director. Requests for deferral or leave of absence are routinely granted.
While the university email noted that undergraduates are required to be tested for coronavirus before returning to campus, School of Medicine students—including those already on campus—will be tested for coronavirus in August. You will receive more details on testing from your program leaders.
Finally, let us all remember that we are models for our community. Whether in the medical school, clinic, hospital, or public, we must maintain fastidious hand-hygiene, wear face masks, and maintain physical distance. We should not be attending gatherings of more than 10 within or outside of the confines of the University. These standards of behavior are especially true for our interactions with our classmates and schoolmates. We are each responsible for keeping every member of our community as safe as possible during this pandemic.
We look forward to welcoming our new classes to Emory this summer. We will work to find ways for us all to get to know each other while maintaining safety.
Thank you all for your care for each other and our community.
J. William Eley, MD, MPH
Executive Associate Dean
Medical Education and Student Affairs
Professor, Hematology/Oncology
Emory School of Medicine
Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD, ScD
Woodruff Professor
Dean, Emory School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer, Emory Healthcare
Director and co-Founder,
Morningside Center for Innovative and Affordable Medicine