It’s hard to pick a favorite story from among all the great news we covered this year. So we’re letting our readers pick. Below is one of the most-read stories from 2018. It originally ran on March 20.
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| U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools 2019 places UMMS in the top 10 percent nationwide in primary care education and the top 50 in research. |
The annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of the best graduate schools names UMass Medical School among the top 10 percent nationwide in primary care, ranking 14th among 144 medical schools and 33 schools of osteopathic medicine surveyed by the weekly news magazine in its 2019 edition of the “Best Graduate Schools.” The 2019 U.S. News report also marks a rise by four spots for UMMS in research, this year ranking 46th.
“Once again, this ranking validates and reinforces the hard work and extraordinary achievement of our students, alumni and faculty,” said Chancellor Michael F. Collins. “Since its founding, UMass Medical School has been a national leader in the training of exceptional physicians. We continue to innovate in our curriculum, expand our geographic reach and most importantly, train empathic, committed primary care physicians and dedicated specialists to help meet the health care needs of the commonwealth and the nation.”
The UMMS School of Medicine has grown significantly in recent years, expanding to 162 students in the Class of 2021 and opening a new regional campus in Springfield focused on urban and rural primary care. UMass Medical School-Baystate, a partnership between Baystate Health, UMass Amherst and UMMS, is training primary care doctors in urban and rural community health. The Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) program exemplifies the continuing institutional commitment to developing primary care physicians. The first class of PURCH students began their medical careers this year.
“The University of Massachusetts Medical School is a fantastic example of the power of UMass—a high quality, affordable medical education that focuses on the needs of the commonwealth and the nation by training great doctors committed to serving the diverse needs of their patients,” said Marty Meehan, president of the University of Massachusetts.
A large percentage of each year’s graduating class from the School of Medicine enters primary care residency programs. Additionally, more than half of each class stays in Massachusetts for residency.
“We just celebrated another successful Match Day on Friday, with 112 students in the Class of 2018 receiving word that they will begin their medical careers at leading hospitals across New England and the country, nearly half in primary care,” said Terence R. Flotte, MD, the Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education, executive deputy chancellor, provost and dean of the School of Medicine. “So it is no surprise to again be recognized for the strength of our medical education program. U.S. News & World Report supports the excellence we see every day among our students, faculty and staff.”
UMMS also ranks near the top among public medical schools in the Northeast in the amount of funding awarded by the National Institutes of Health. Federal and private research grants and contracts at UMMS totaled more than $254 million in FY 2017.
U.S. News & World Report surveyed and ranked 144 medical schools accredited in 2017 by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and 33 schools of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association based on measures of academic quality, which are weighted by reputation among faculty and residents, research activity, student selectivity, and faculty resources. UMMS has been listed near the top of the category since 1994 when the magazine began publishing the rankings.
Related story on UMassMedNow:
Medical students meet milestone with joy and relief on Match Day
