medical school rankings

[ktat72]

Just curious. Every time I look for medical school rankings I come across the U.S. News and World Report Rankings - this only lists 50 of the 120 allopathic medical schools in the country. Another webpage - www.residentphysician.com - ranks by some other method, where harvard (which is a top 5 institution) is ranked somewhere between 15 and 20. The Gourman report book this actually includes all the medical schools in the country is more accurate to the U.S. News - is the hardest book to find. How can you really find out your medical school's rank (as in top tier, middle tier - what some students mention in residency posts)?

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[Diogenes]

Your question reveals the nature of rankings -- the order depends completely on the criteria used for that ranking method. There is no one clear favored method of ranking for all people -- you need to try to find out what your priorities are and find data to allow you to make the judgement for yourself as to which school fits your criteria best.

 

[Diogenes]

Incidently, the web site you linked has schools ranked by NIH dollars -- that is the ONLY thing that goes into their ranking -- as it clearly states on the web page in big purple letters "The official ranking of 15 medical specialty departments according to 2001 2000, and 1999 NIH research funding._ Medical schools are ranked according to year 2000 NIH funding._"

 

[TysonCook]

The Gourman rept. (if I remember right) hasn't been published for a while and wasn't considered that great of a guide and has become outdated(once again if I remember right). Do search for it on SDN as it was discussed last year.

Also, the NIH funding list doesn't acct. for branches, that is why Harvard is listed as 15th. If you add in all the $ coming in from branches etc. it is higher. Also, there is a lot of money that comes from other sources as well that is not accounted for such as Howerd Hughs $ and others.

Rankings are really random, if you look at the methodology. Go where you are going to be happy. Do a search for problems with rankings and you'll see what is skewed with them.

 

[ktat72]

I was just wondering. I am actually in medical school right now - the six year BA/MD program at UMissouri-Kansas City. I was wondering where I could possibly find out where my school ranks (I really can not predict what tier our school is).

 

[Cambrian]

I don't know if you can trust that website. What kind of authority can they have when they refer to UCSD as "University of California, La Jolla".

Sorry, but I had to defend my school

 

[Diogenes]

Originally posted by Cambrian
I don't know if you can trust that website. What kind of authority can they have when they refer to UCSD as "University of California, La Jolla".

Sorry, but I had to defend my school

It's because our street address is in La Jolla. Like how the Dallas Cowboys don't actually play in Dallas.

Hey, shouldn't you be studying for MM?