Primary care, research and rural medicine programs notch impressive gains
The primary care, research and rural medicine education programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center rose in the 2013 U.S.News & World Report rankings of the nation's top graduate schools.
Of the 149 medical schools surveyed in the latest rankings, UNMC:
· Ranked sixth in primary care, up from seventh last year;
· Tied for 62nd in research, up from 66 last year; and
· Tied for 12th in rural medicine, up from 15th last year.
It marks the second consecutive year the three programs rose in the rankings. UNMC also was tied for 5th in the country in producing primary care residents with 65 percent of medical students going into primary care residencies.
"Our continued ascension in these areas – which are vital to UNMC's mission – is great news for the entire state of Nebraska," said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. "As an institution, we place great emphasis on research, primary care and rural health, and it's rewarding to see our efforts recognized by a rise in these rankings."
The rankings are reported in the magazine's 2013 edition of America's Best Graduate Schools, which is available soon on newsstands.
Other programs that were newly ranked this year were:
· The College of Pharmacy, which ranked 32nd out of 125 U.S. schools of pharmacy; and
· The School of Allied Health Professions' physical therapy program, which ranked 34th out of 201 U.S. PT programs.
The following UNMC programs will be included in the guidebook and/or online edition, but were not newly ranked for this year:
· The School of Allied Health Professions' physician assistant program, which tied for 16th out of 130 U.S. PA programs; and
· The College of Nursing's master's degree program, which ranked 36th out of 467 U.S. nursing schools.
The U.S. News rankings on primary care are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research and students.
Rankings for the health specialties – including rural medicine, nursing and physician assistant – are based solely on the ratings of academic experts.
UNMC officials encourage students to use many sources – including rankings – when selecting a graduate or professional program.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Learn more at www.unmc.edu.