Emory University School of Medicine Emory University School of Medicine (founded 1854) is ranked among the nation's finest institutions for education, biomedical research, and patient care, with 2,051 full- and part-time faculty and 966 volunteer faculty. The school had 41 applications in 2010 for each of its first-year medical student positions, and its students perform extremely well compared with their peers at other schools. In 2010 for example, the pass rate for first-time takers of steps 1 and 2 of the National Board Exam (testing basic science and clinical knowledge and skills) averaged more than 97%. On graduation, almost half of the school's students pursue residencies in primary care.