Primary care education at the University of Vermont College of Medicine has been ranked fourth in the nation among 146 accredited U.S. medical and osteopathic schools, according to US News & World Report's 2011 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools," on newsstands April 20. UVM ranked sixth last year and has ranked in the top five percent of all medical schools for Primary Care for four years in a row. UVM also ranked eighth this year in Rural Medicine specialty programs, chosen by medical school deans and senior faculty who identify those schools offering the top 10 programs in selected specialties.
"We are honored and proud that our commitment to excellence in medical education and training has gained such a high level of national recognition," said UVM College of Medicine Dean Frederick C. Morin, III, M.D. "The College, along with our teaching hospital partner Fletcher Allen Health Care, has long valued the critical role of educating physicians with a strong grounding in primary care to ensure healthier local, regional, and national populations. Our innovative curriculum, the engagement of our faculty, the career choices of our students, and our close connection to health outcomes in our state, all reflect those values."
UVM's innovative Vermont Integrated Curriculum, which has also received national recognition over the years, integrates basic science and clinical education throughout all four years, including exposure to primary care practices around the state during the first weeks of medical school.
"It is both a privilege and a responsibility to train the next generation of primary care physicians in today's dynamic health care environment," said Melinda Estes, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Fletcher Allen Health Care. "Here in Vermont, we take that responsibility very seriously, and it is nice to be recognized for doing this well in a rural environment."
More than one-third of the physicians in Vermont were educated at the UVM College of Medicine and Fletcher Allen Health Care, and Vermont ranks second in the nation for primary care physicians per capita. In addition, for three years in a row Vermont has topped the list of the nation's healthiest states in rankings produced by the United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.
Each year, U.S. News & World Report ranks professional-school programs in business, education, engineering, law, and medicine. The primary care ranking model is based on seven indicators, including program quality assessments by medical school leaders and residency program directors; the percentage of graduates entering primary care residencies in family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics; and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty and students, including MCAT and GPA scores, faculty/student ratios, and acceptance rates. Specialty rankings, including Rural Medicine, are based solely on ratings by medical school deans and senior faculty at peer schools, who identify schools offering the best programs in selected specialties. For more on the U.S. News & World Report rankings, visit:http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/...
The University of Vermont, in partnership with Fletcher Allen Health Care, serves as Vermont's academic medical center. The College of Medicine received nearly 6000 applications for the 114 entering students in the Class of 2013, and has 458 medical students across the four years. An average of 58 percent of graduating students 2007-09 entered residency programs in the primary care fields of family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. For more information, visit www.med.uvm.edu
Fletcher Allen Health Care serves as a regional referral center – providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York – and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. Fletcher Allen's mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. For more information visit www.fletcherallen.org
Source: UVM. 4.15.2010
UVM College of Medicine ranks 4th for primary care and 8th for rural medicine
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