UCSF Schools of Pharmacy, Medicine Rank Among Nation's Best in Annual Survey

By Wallace Ravven

UCSF's schools of pharmacy and medicine again rank among the country's top graduate schools in the annual survey conducted and published by U.S. News & World Report. The School of Pharmacy at UCSF is ranked first in nation in the academic quality of its graduate programs. The UCSF medical school advanced to fifth nationally for the quality of its research training, the highest ranking for any public institution, and ranks eighth nationally in the quality of its primary care training. The school is among only three ranking in the top 10 in both research and primary care training, and the only California medical school to do so. The rankings appear in the April 11 issue of U.S. News and World Report magazine and in the book America's Best Graduate Schools, both on newsstands April 4. UCSF also ranks among the top 10 in six of the eight medical school specialty programs assessed, including first in AIDS medicine, second in women's health -- up from third last year -- and third in internal medicine. The UCSF drug and alcohol abuse specialty ranks fifth nationally in this year's survey, while family medicine ranks seventh and pediatrics ninth. "This wonderful recognition, based upon feedback from our peer institutions, indicates that we are moving ahead and in the right direction," said Mary Anne Koda-Kimble, PharmD, dean of the UCSF School of Pharmacy. "With the recognition, though, comes the responsibility to set and maintain an example for the profession at all times." "The UCSF School of Medicine has a proud history of developing new approaches to medical education, research and patient care, and we are pleased that our ranking as one of the nation's top institutions for research, primary care and medical specialties reflects that innovation and excellence," says David Kessler, MD, dean of the UCSF School of Medicine and vice chancellor for medical affairs.
The top 10 pharmacy graduate programs this year are:

(1) UCSF
(2) University of Texas-Austin
(3) University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
(4/tie) Purdue University, University of Arizona, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
(8/tie) University of Illinois-Chicago, University of Kentucky, and University of Maryland-Baltimore.
The 10 research-based medical schools ranked this year as best in the nation are:

(1) Harvard University
(2) Johns Hopkins University
(3) Washington University in St. Louis
(4) University of Pennsylvania
(5) UCSF
(6) Duke University
(7) University of Washington
(8) Stanford University
(9) University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
(10) Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
.
The medical schools ranked best for the quality of their primary care training are:

(1) University of Washington
(2) University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
(3) Oregon Health and Science University
(4/tie) University of Massachusetts-Worcester and University of Wisconsin-Madison
(6) Duke University
(7) UC San Diego
(8) UCSF
(9/tie) Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and University of Vermont.
The new rankings are based on assessments by medical school and pharmacy school deans and senior faculty, admission acceptance rates, test scores, faculty/student ratios and other factors. The research rankings include the amount of funding from the National Institutes of Health, while the primary care rankings include assessment of the percentage of medical school graduates who enter primary care residencies in family practice, pediatrics and internal medicine. The specialty rankings are based solely on ratings by school deans and senior faculty. This year's book also includes the most recent rankings for several health disciplines that are not surveyed every year. In 2003 rankings, the UCSF School of Nursing placed second in the nation for the quality of its graduate training. The nursing school also ranks among the top 10 in seven of eight specialties assessed, including first in family nurse practitioner training, second in clinical nurse specialist training and third in both psychiatric/mental health and adult nurse practitioner training. Pediatric training ranks fourth nationally in the 2003 data, gerontological/geriatric training ranks fifth and community/public health ranks ninth. In addition, the nursing-midwifery graduate program of UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital was ranked seventh nationally. In data from 2004, the UCSF physical therapy graduate program ranked 14th nationally. Source: Wallace Ravven

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