Top 10 Best Medical Schools
1. Harvard University
The Medical School at Harvard University has an application deadline of October 15. The application fee at Harvard University is $100. Its tuition is full-time: $49,875. The faculty-student ratio at Harvard University is 13.0:1. The Medical School has 12,058 full- and part-time faculty on staff.
A Harvard Medical School president designed the current medical school curriculum in the late 1800s, and in the years since, HMS has continued to innovate and influence medical education. Students today are divided into four academic societies, which each enable team-based learning under faculty supervision. Students interested in the nexus of engineering and medicine may instead enroll in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology program, which makes up a fifth academic society.
HMS students study for two years before beginning clinicals, and there are no traditional letter grades awarded in the first two years. Instead, students are evaluated by a Pass/Fail scale. Students study at the medical school campus on Boston’s Longwood Avenue, and can complete clinicals at nearly 20 affiliated institutions throughout the city. Medical students may also opt for joint degrees, like the M.D./Ph.D. program offered in conjunction with the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and can cross-register in course at other schools within the university, including the highly ranked Law School and Business School.
Despite the grueling course load, HMS makes sure its students have some fun through events like FEAT, the First-Year Adventure Trip, and an annual White Coat Ceremony. Second year students write and perform a live musical, fittingly titled the Second Year Show. The performances parody the medical school experience, with past years’ titles including The White Coats are Coming, Back to the Suture, and Cramalot.
All medical and dental students who wish to live on campus share a residence hall. Among close to 100,000 living alumni of Harvard Medical School are former Surgeon General of the U.S. Army Joseph Lovell and former U.S. Senator and surgeon Bill Frist.
2. Stanford University
The School of Medicine at Stanford University has an application deadline of October 15. The application fee at Stanford University is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $47,343. The faculty-student ratio at Stanford University is 1.9:1. The School of Medicine has 891 full- and part-time faculty on staff. For the class of 2012, 70.7 percent of graduates from the School of Medicine at Stanford University who applied to residency programs were admitted to their first choice.
The Stanford University School of Medicine is located in Silicon Valley, Calif., between San Francisco and San Jose. Instead of the traditional medical school interview process, candidates at the Stanford University School of Medicine complete 10 eight-minute interviews, with quick breaks in between. For those accepted to the M.D. program at the School of Medicine, the curriculum is also unique. Stanford’s Scholarly Concentrations program helps students get a more in-depth education in elected areas including bioengineering and clinical research, in addition to an education in the core sciences.
Students can get clinical experience in the nearby Stanford Medical Center, which includes Stanford Hospital and Clinics, in addition to the school’s various partner facilities. With more than 140 school centers and programs, student research is also encouraged. There are about 40 student organizations to join, from PALS, the Pediatric Chronic Disease Mentorship Program, to SWEAT, the Stanford Wilderness Experience Active Orientation Group.
Medical students can complete concurrent degrees, such as an M.D./Ph.D. in areas including bioengineering and biomedical informatics; an M.D./M.B.A. through the Stanford Graduate School of Business; and an M.D./M.P.H. (master of public health) in conjunction with the UC—Berkeley School of Public Health. The Stanford School of Medicine also offers master’s degree programs including biomedical informatics, epidemiology, and human genetics and genetic counseling.
Graduate students can live on campus—either in dorm rooms, apartments, or in cooperative housing—and slightly more than half of all graduate students at Stanford University do so. Notable alumni of the Stanford School of Medicine include James Mongan, CEO of Partners HealthCare; Irving Weissman, founder of stem cell companies SyStemix, Inc., StemCells, Inc., and Cellerant, Inc.; and Scott Parazynski, a former NASA astronaut.
3. Johns Hopkins University
The School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University has an application deadline of October 15. The application fee at Johns Hopkins University is $80. Its tuition is full-time: $44,100. The faculty-student ratio at Johns Hopkins University is 5.7:1. The School of Medicine has 4,014 full- and part-time faculty on staff.
Students at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine learn through the Genes to Society Curriculum, which pairs academics with concurrent clinical experience. Every few months, classes break for Intersessions, weeklong special courses focused on simulation and advanced skills. All students are divided into one of four colleges, Nathans, Sabin, Taussig, and Thomas, which are meant to foster a community feel among students from all four years of medical training. Each college has advisers to guide students through medical school courses, research participation, and career selection. The Colleges also host an annual Colleges Bowl, a day of kickball, races, and tug-of-war competitions.
Students can earn a traditional M.D., a Ph.D., or both in about eight years.There are also dual degree programs for an M.D./M.P.H. (Master of Public Health) and an M.D./M.B.A. through other university departments. The school receives a large amount of research funding from the National Institutes of Health, among other organizations, and runs leading research centers including the Brain Science Institute and the Institute of Genetic Medicine.
Johns Hopkins Medicine also includes the highly ranked Johns Hopkins Hospital, which is especially well known for housing the only pediatric and eye trauma centers in Maryland. The medical campus is in Baltimore, and students can live on campus in the Lowell J. Reed Medical Residence Hall, though housing is not guaranteed. Students can get involved in more than 40 groups, some of which coordinate community service projects throughout Baltimore.
4. University of California--San Francisco
The School of Medicine at University of California--San Francisco has an application deadline of October 15. The application fee at University of California--San Francisco is $60. Its tuition is full-time: $31,134 (in-state) and full-time: $43,379 (out-of-state). The faculty-student ratio at University of California--San Francisco is 3.1:1. The School of Medicine has 2,135 full- and part-time faculty on staff.
Students at the University of California—San Francisco School of Medicine take two years of block courses before completing a year of clerkships and a year of clinicals. About 150 students are admitted in each class, and the majority of the student body is from California.
In addition to earning a traditional M.D., students can add on a second degree through dual and joint programs. In the M.D./M.S. program, for example, students add a humanities slant to their science education in three years of classes at University of California—-Berkeley before moving to UCSF to complete a traditional medical track for two years. Also unique is the Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved, a five-year education that readies students to work in impoverished communities across the country.
Medical students can complete clinical rotations at hospitals on campus, like the UCSF Medical Center and the UCSF Children’s Hospital, or at sites throughout the city, including the San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center. Students can live in university-owned housing units, including group houses and private apartments on or near campus. The city of San Francisco offers boundless opportunities to unwind after class, from beaches to dining and nightlife.
5. University of Pennsylvania (Perelman)
The Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania has an application deadline of October 15. The application fee at University of Pennsylvania is $80. Its tuition is full-time: $47,090. The faculty-student ratio at University of Pennsylvania is 4.0:1. The Perelman School of Medicine has 3,813 full- and part-time faculty on staff.
The University of Pennsylvania was home to the first medical school and first school hospital in the country. Today, the School of Medicine is affiliated with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Pennsylvani Hospital.
Students can earn M.D., Ph.D., M.D.-Ph.D., master’s, M.D.-master’s, or post-doctoral degrees. Students can double up on degrees at any other school at Penn, such as the highly ranked Wharton School. There are also certificate programs in areas like Global Health, Women’s Health, and Aging.
Medical students learn through a course of six different modules, often in small groups that stress effective leadership and teamwork for physicians. Students can get hands-on experience in simulation facilities like the Flyers/76ers Surgery Theatre or can get involved in more than 50 centers and institutes. Penn Medicine faculty and students are often active throughout the Philadelphia community, too, running free health clinics, AIDS awareness programs, and more.
There are close to 100 student organizations to check out, from Penn Med SALSA to the Prison Health Interest Group. The school offers various global health opportunities, including a Spanish language immersion program in Mexico and South America. Students can live on the Penn campus in University City or can find off-campus housing throughout Philadelphia.
Notable alumni of the Penn School of Medicine include two Nobel Prize winners, Michael Stuart Brown and Stanley Prusiner, and George McClellan, the founder of Jefferson Medical College, now known as Thomas Jefferson University.
6. Washington University in St. Louis
The School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis has an application deadline of December 1. The application fee at Washington University in St. Louis is $65. Its tuition is full-time: $52,020. The faculty-student ratio at Washington University in St. Louis is 3.7:1. The School of Medicine has 1,914 full- and part-time faculty on staff.
Students at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis can tailor their medical education to suit their interests in a variety of ways. Students can take electives as early as their first year, get involved in research projects, and earn an additional master’s degree with a fifth year of study. First year students will either pass or fail a class, but will not be assigned grades. For the remaining three years, M.D. students are graded on an honors/high pass/pass/fail scale.
Outside of the classroom, students can get hands-on experience in affiliated hospitals, including the highly ranked St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Students can partake in summer or yearlong research opportunities, though it is not a requirement. About three-quarters of students find time outside of class to participate in various organizations, from the Ballroom Dance Club to the Wilderness Medicine Interest Group. Each March, students can unwind at MedBall, a formal dinner and dance.
Students can live in a dormitory, Olin Residence Hall, on the school’s campus in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Mo. All full-time students can get around St. Louis for free on the city’s public transportation systems, MetroLink and MetroBus.
7. Yale University
The School of Medicine at Yale University has an application deadline of October 15. The application fee at Yale University is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $49,500. The faculty-student ratio at Yale University is 3.3:1. The School of Medicine has 1,373 full- and part-time faculty on staff.
At the Yale School of Medicine, students are not given grades or a class rank for the first two years of education. To encourage students to take responsibility for their medical school education, preclinical classes are often small seminars in which attendance isn’t taken and tests are optional and self-directed.
Students can earn two degrees through joint programs like the M.D./M.P.H. (Master of Public Health) and M.D./M.H.S. (Master of Health Science); an M.D./M.B.A. through the Yale School of Management; an M.D./M.Div. through Yale Divinity School; and an M.D./J.D. through Yale Law School. There is also an M.D./Ph.D. degree and a Physician Associate program.
The School of Medicine is affiliated with highly ranked institutions including the Yale-New Haven Hospital. All medical students must complete a thesis on original research in order to graduate. For research help, students can go to their personal librarian, a resource assigned at the beginning of a student’s time in medical school to help them navigate through their four years of education. Students can enroll in an optional fifth year of school if they want to do more research or study or work abroad.
There are more than 50 medical student organizations to check out, and the school hosts a handful of prominent speakers each year through the Perspectives on Medicine series. Students can get involved in community service through initiatives like the student-run Haven Free Clinic and science teaching programs at local schools including Hill Regional High School. The medical school campus is located next to the main campus of Yale University, and students can live on campus in the surrounding area of New Haven, Conn.
8. Columbia University
The College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University has an application deadline of October 15. The application fee at Columbia University is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $49,504. The faculty-student ratio at Columbia University is 2.9:1. The College of Physicians and Surgeons has 4,564 full- and part-time faculty on staff.
The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S) does not operate on the traditional four-year medical school curriculum schedule. Instead, the medical education is divided into three chunks: Fundamentals, which last a year and a half; Major Clinical Year; and electives and selectives, a 14-month program of clinicals, refresher courses, and projects.
Students complete rotations at affiliated hospitals in New York City, including the highly ranked New York-Presbyterian University Hospital and the Harlem Hospital Center, and at affiliated institutions elsewhere like theDartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Concord, N.H. and Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Conn. Students interested in rural medicine can apply to the Columbia-Bassett Program, which sends students to Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown, N.Y. after they complete the Fundamentals curriculum at Columbia P&S.
P&S runs more than 10 centers and institutes like the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Columbia Summer Research Institute. The school also runs the Institute of Human Nutrition and offers other programs including the highly ranked Occupational Therapy Program.
Outside of the classroom, there are about 70 student organizations to check out. Full-time students can live in university housing in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, N.Y.
9. Duke University
The School of Medicine at Duke University has an application deadline of November 1. The application fee at Duke University is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $48,065. The faculty-student ratio at Duke University is 3.5:1. The School of Medicine has 1,469 full- and part-time faculty on staff.
Although earning an M.D. at the Duke University School of Medicine takes the traditional four years, students’ class training is condensed into the first three. The fourth year is for elective rotations in which students can tailor their education to their interests. Students can also complete a dual master’s degree during their fourth year, including an M.B.A., M.P.H., or Master of Science. Through the Medical Scientist Training Program, students can earn a joint M.D./Ph.D. in seven to eight years. There is also a joint M.D./J.D. program through the Duke School of Law.
The Duke Clinical Research Institute is the oldest and largest academic organization of its kind, and the School of Medicine is awarded more than $400 million for sponsored research. There are about 30 centers and institutes on campus where students can get involved in research projects. The Duke University Medical Center campus in Durham, N.C. is located next to the main campus of the university and is also home to the highly ranked Duke University Medical Center.
Full-time graduate students may apply to live on campus, though priority is given to foreign students enrolling in a school outside their home country for the first time. In addition to its location in Durham, the university runs the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore.
10. University of Chicago (Pritzker)
The Pritzker School of Medicine at University of Chicago has an application deadline of October 15. The application fee at University of Chicago is $85. Its tuition is full-time: $44,075. The faculty-student ratio at University of Chicago is 2.4:1. The Pritzker School of Medicine has 891 full- and part-time faculty on staff.
At the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, active learning is encouraged. An emphasis on scholarship and discovery is woven throughout the medical school curriculum, and grades are administered on a pass/fail basis. Medical students can choose an elective course as early as the spring of their first year, and first year students can also complete a Summer Research project.
Students must complete a mentored project before graduation in one of five areas: Scientific Discovery, Medical Education, Quality and Safety, Community Health, and Global Health. Students can also earn a joint degree through other prestigious departments at the University of Chicago, including a M.D./J.D. through the University of Chicago Law School and a M.D./M.B.A. through the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The school also offers a M.D./Ph.D. Medical Scientist Training Program and a Growth and Development Training Program, both funded through the National Institutes of Health.
The University of Chicago Medical Center, a top hospital, is the school’s main teaching hospital. The medical school is located on the University of Chicago’s campus in Hyde Park, seven miles south of downtown Chicago, and students can apply for university-owned housing if they wish.
Notable alumni of the Pritzker School of Medicine include Holly Humphrey, now dean of the medical school, and Jeffrey Leiden, managing director of Clarus Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in biopharmaceuticals and medical technology companies.