Historically Black medical school advancing health equity through education, research, and patient care.
Morehouse School of Medicine offers a four-year Doctor of Medicine program, graduate biomedical sciences degrees (Ph.D. and M.S.), Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), nursing programs, and a Physician Assistant (P.A.) program. The school is known for accepting students with MCAT scores below the national mean and raising their performance on the US Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 to or above the national average. Academic departments include Family Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and others, with specialized research centers in cancer, cardiovascular health, maternal health equity, and neuroscience.
MSM operates numerous research centers and institutes focused on health disparities and health equity, including the National Center for Primary Care, Cancer Health Equity Institute, Center for Maternal Health Equity, and Satcher Health Leadership Institute. The school received a $40 million federal grant in 2020 to address COVID-19 disparities and a $26.3 million gift from Michael Bloomberg in 2020 to reduce student debt. In 2020, MSM partnered with CommonSpirit Health on a ten-year More in Common Alliance with a $100 million commitment to reduce health inequity.
Located at 720 Westview Drive in Atlanta, Georgia, MSM announced a $50 million expansion in 2017 (completed by 2020) that included the school's first student housing, an ambulatory care center, and additional parking. In May 2022, MSM held a groundbreaking for a new $45 million, 52,300-square-foot academic facility (named after Calvin Smyre) scheduled for completion in early 2024. The school operates Morehouse Healthcare and maintains affiliations with Emory University and other clinical partners.
Founded in 1975 by Atlanta community doctors and Morehouse College president Hugh Gloster, MSM became independent in 1981 under Louis W. Sullivan, who served as inaugural dean and later president. Sullivan was appointed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (1989–1993) and returned to lead MSM again. Valerie Montgomery Rice, a renowned infertility specialist, became the sixth president and first woman to lead the institution in July 2014. Notable alumni and affiliates include U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.