Newswise — UC San Francisco’s School of Medicine ranked fourth nationwide in both research and primary care education this year, according to a new survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report.

Results are published in the magazine’s 2014 issue of “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” which appeared online today at www.usnews.com and will be available at newsstands on April 9.

UCSF has the only school of medicine in the nation that ranks in the top five in both research and primary care education, including a tie for fourth place in research education, alongside University of Pennsylvania.

The new report also includes last year’s rankings for schools of pharmacy, in which UCSF ranked first for its Doctor of Pharmacy program (PharmD), and the 2011 rankings for nursing. In those, the UCSF School of Nursing ranked fourth for both its master’s of nursing program and its nursing-midwifery program. U.S. News does not rank dentistry schools.

“These rankings highlight UCSF’s commitment to educational excellence in the health sciences, which is key to advancing the field,” said UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH. “The students who attend UCSF’s graduate schools are an inspiration, preparing for a time of tremendous change and opportunity, ranging from our growing understanding of the molecular basis of disease to changing roles as health practitioners.”

The University also ranked in the top 10 in all medical specialty areas in which it was assessed. Among those, UCSF ranked first for its medical program in AIDS, second in both internal medicine and in women’s health, a tie for second in drug/alcohol abuse education, and fourth in family medicine.

According to the magazine, the overall medical school rankings are based on two types of data: surveys sent last fall to medical school deans and administrators, and statistical indicators provided by 126 medical schools fully accredited in by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, as well as by the 23 schools of osteopathic medicine fully accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.

These data measured such factors as acceptance rates, faculty resources and the number of graduates entering primary care. Research activity also was measured by funding from the National Institutes of Health, of which UCSF is the largest public recipient in the nation.

Specialty rankings for medical schools were based on surveys of medical school deans and senior faculty. Rankings for Pharmacy were based on surveys sent to deans, administrators and faculty at programs in those fields.

SUMMARY OF 2013 RANKINGS

UCSF School of Medicine (overall rankings)

  • Primary Care – 4
  • Research – 4 (tied with Univ. of Pennsylvania)

Medical specialty rankings for UCSF School of Medicine:

  • AIDS – 1
  • Drug/alcohol abuse – 2 (tied with Columbia Univ. and Harvard Univ.)
  • Internal Medicine – 2
  • Women’s Health – 2
  • Family medicine – 4
  • Geriatrics – 6
  • Pediatrics – 7

Physical Therapy, joint PhD program with San Francisco State University – 19 (tied with seven institutions)

The 2014 edition also includes listings from 2010 for graduate science programs, in which UCSF programs ranked seventh overall in biological sciences and among the top schools in both biological specialties and biochemistry. Specialty rankings included Immunology/Infectious Disease (2nd), Biochemistry (3rd), Neuroscience (3rd), Cell Biology (4th), Microbiology (4th), Biochemistry/Biophysics/Structural Biology (5th), Molecular Biology (6th) and Genetics (8th).

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. For further information, please visit www.ucsf.edu.

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