10 Top Medical Schools in US (Primary Care)

Following is the 10 top medical schools in the United States (US) for the primary care category, based on the latest medical school ranking (2009/2010) published by the US News & World Report.

1. University of Washington, Seattle

University of Washington (UW) is one of the oldest public universities in the west coast of America, and with student residency of over 40,000, it is certainly the largest tertiary institution in the northwestern United States. The Academic Ranking of World Universities placed University of Washington at a respectable 16th. The campus is rich with heritage and tourist attractions including the Henry Art Gallery, the Washington Park Arboretum, Burke Museum of National History and Culture and many more.

2. University of North Carolina (UNC) – Chapel Hill

Located in Chapel Hill, UNC is considered as one of the earliest Public Ivy institutions, a term that refers to a group of institutions that ‘provide an Ivy League collegiate experience at a price of a public school’. The state law was made to favor locals which requires at least 82% of a freshman class to be students from North Carolina. Yet, it is still a popular choice for outsiders. UNC offers an undergraduate scholarship to eligible students that covers the tuition fees, books, lodging and funds for summer study.

3. Oregon Health and Science University, Portland

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is a merger product between University of Oregon Health Sciences Center and Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology (OGI). The university’s main campus is located on Marquam Hill which is also the school’s medical school. It is getting crowded as the years go by, but worry not, as the management is planning to expand the facilities to accommodate the increasing number of students. As a medical student, there will be a few associated hospitals you will have option to hook up with.

4. University of Colorado – Denver

More commonly referred as UCD or UC Denver, the University of Colorado Denver is the biggest research institution in Colorado state. Home to over 27,000 students, UC Denver does not only offer medical courses but other wide range of programs including business, engineering, humanity, history, chemistry, language and culture. Its hospital, the University of Colorado Hospital provides service to some half a million patients every year.

5. University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

UCSF is another world leading institution in myriad of medical fields such as health sciences, pharmacy, patient care, dental and nursing, and is consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the US by major researchers and publications. It is also widely credited with its expert capability in handling complex cases and medical treatments including neurosurgery, kidney & liver transplant, oncology, ophthalmology, fetal surgery, pediatrics and internal medicine.

6. University of Vermont, Burlington

The University of Vermont (UVM) was initially chartered as a private university but about 70 years after its founding, it was declared a public university after merging with Vermont Agricultural College. Its mixed traditions of public and private establishment makes the university unique on its own. The College of Medicine is one of the many schools that make up the whole university. Apart from medical school, UVM also comprises of College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, College of Arts, School of Business Administration, College of Education & Social Services, College of Engineering and College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

7. Michigan State University, East Lansing

Noted with its aggressive out-of-country academic program, the Michigan State University (MSU)offers one of the largest study-abroad programs in America with presence in over 60 countries worldwide. Nevertheless, its massive participation outside of its original campus does not mean that it compromises the quality and reputation of the institute. The Shanghai Jiao Tong University study ranks Michigan State University as the 80th best university in the world.

8. University of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical School, Worcester

The University of Massachusetts Medical School is one of 5 UMass campuses, which itself is divided into three different schools: School of Medicine, Graduate School of Nursing and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Apart from being highly ranked in the primary care, its research achievements should not be overlooked as it has time and again made breakthrough research discoveries in the field of HIV, cancer, genetic disorder, immune diseases and diabetes, among others.

9. University of Minnesota Medical School

A combination of two campuses located in Minneapolis and Duluth, the University of Minnesota Medical School enroll a rather selective number students every year. In fact, the Duluth campus filters its students and gives preference to those who have tendency to choose primary care or family medicine later in their career. In terms of medical research, UMMS is ranked 35th in America. Apart from nurturing medical degree students, the university also has residencies which are part of their graduate medical education courses.

10. University of California, Los Angeles (Geffen)

Generally referred as UCLA, the university’s professional schools of health sciences are made up of the David Geffen School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, School of Nursing and School of Public Health. The UCLA Medical Center was named among the top 5 hospitals in the US alongside Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cleveland Clinic and John Hopkins Hospital. The Times Higher Education also ranked UCLA as the 30th best university in the world.

Other posts you may want to read:

1. US Medical School Ranking 2009/2010
2. Medical Degree From Manipal University Not Recognized
3. Career in Primary Care
4. ARWU Medical School Ranking 2008/2009
5. 10 Top Medical Schools in UK 2008/2009
6. Manipal University Status Leaves Medical Students Bummed
7. Resume Sample: Nursing
8. New Requirement for Nursing Certificate

Author's bio: Zul is the founder and principal contributor for the SKOR Career blog. He is the author of two books, The Malaysian Job Seeker's Dilemma and Buat Duit Tanpa Kerja Makan Gaji (How to Make Money Without a Job), available in major book stores nationwide. You can reach him at zulkiflimusa[at]gmail.com.