Contact: Shandra Hill Smith, (404) 752-1079; shill@msm.edu

For Immediate Release
July 16, 2008

Medical School Opens Doors for Behind-the-Scenes Look through Campus Tours and Historical Exhibits

Atlanta - Take a peek at the future of personalized medicine - a genetic variation laboratory that examines the genetic background of patients, allowing them to personalize their medical treatment. See up close dedicated instructional exam rooms where medical students train through the use of models and mock patient sessions.Hear more about the need for clinical trials within the African-American community - all the while learning about Morehouse School of Medicine from its humble beginnings to today.

From its Cardiovascular Research Institute to its Clinical Skills Lab to its Clinical Research Center, Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta has witnessed plenty of exciting developments in its short 33-year history.

Over three days - July 28, 29 and 30Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly of the National Medical Association. This year, from July 26 to 31, NMA - convening at the Georgia World Congress Center - returns to its birthplace of Atlanta.

From noon to 3 p.m., Monday (July 28), Tuesday (July 29) and Wednesday (July 30), tour guides will share some of MSM's highlights and success stories from the school's departments, centers and institutes. Some of the areas lined up for the tours include:

National Center for Primary Care - a national resource encouraging doctors to pursue primary care careers; it conducts practice-based research to improve health outcomes; it creates protocols and tools for improving primary care effectiveness; and undertakes policy analyses focused on how to make primary care more accessible and more effective.

Clinical Skills Lab - a state-of-the-art medical education and simulation training facility

Clinical Research Center - as part of its mission, CRC aims to increase the number of African-American and other minority clinicians involved in clinical research.

An extensive five-theme exhibit of Morehouse School of Medicine will be on display throughout the campus. It will highlight the institution's beginning, where it stands today and its vision and future.

Display banners include the Founding FamilyMSM and theCommunityGlobal Health

Locations for exhibit displays include the MSM Library, Hugh M. Gloster Building, Medical Education Building, Research Wing, Multidisciplinary Research Center and Louis W. Sullivan National Center for Primary Care. The campus tours/historical exhibition will attract health-care professionals, prospective students, historians and others.

Shuttles will provide transportation from the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta and the Westin Peachtree Plaza, to and from the MSM campus. Regions Bank is the sponsor of the tours.

For more information:

www.msm.edu

http://www.nmanet.org/index.php/ConvJspargo/convention_overview

About Morehouse School of Medicine

Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) recruits and trains minority and other students as physicians, biomedical scientists and public health professionals committed to improving the health and well-being of communities. MSM is a member of the largest consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the world - the Atlanta University Center (AUC).

For more information about Morehouse School of Medicine, visit us online at www.msm.edu.

About the National Medical Association

The National Medical Association (NMA) is the largest and oldest national organization representing African-American physicians and their patients in the United States. NMA is a 501(c) (3) national professional and scientific organization representing the interests of more than 30,000 African-American physicians and the patients they serve. NMA is committed to improving the quality of health among minorities and disadvantaged people through its membership, professional development, community health education, advocacy, research and partnerships with federal and private agencies. As the conscience of medicine, the National Medical Association has focused primarily on health issues related to African-Americans and medically underserved populations; however, its principles, goals, initiatives and philosophy encompass all ethnic groups.