You will have little choice BUT to make friends with your fellow students, so I wouldn't be terribly concerned about that. Atlanta is a bustling city with plenty to do. There are all types from all over the place here, so it's hard to say that there is a particular city personality. Lots of food, beer, artisan this and that (the hipster vibe is strong), and culture to sample. Emory will certainly give you clinical variation galore.
I live in Atlanta if you want to PM me any specific questions.
My opinion - you might want to move away from your comforts and distractions to fully focus on medical school. This is an adventure, right?
For everyone -
traffic near Emory is the pits. Live close and on a shuttle line. Decatur and nearby are lovely and somewhat affordable. Toco Hills and N. Druid areas are more affordable. Virginia Highland is more fun...if you think you will have time for that.
🙂
http://transportation.emory.edu/