Newswise — PHILADELPHIA – The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the 20th year in a row. According to the annual medical school survey in U.S. News & World Report's “Best Graduate Schools” report, Penn Medicine is ranked #5 in the country.

The Perelman School of Medicine also ranked among the nation's top medical schools in four areas of specialty training, including a first place ranking in Pediatrics, and honors in Women's Health (#3), Internal Medicine (#4), and Drug/Alcohol Abuse (#6). The School of Medicine is also #8 in the rankings for training in Primary Care.

“As the nation’s first medical school, established more than 250 years ago, we continuously renew our commitment to top-quality education, innovative research, and excellent patient care,” said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. “This recognition from U.S. News & World Report – now 20 years running – is a testament to our talented faculty and staff and their dedication to giving our future clinicians and scientists their very best, day in and day out. We are proud to be included on this prestigious list again this year.”

Established in 1765, The Perelman School of Medicine is an internationally recognized leader in the discoveries that advance science and pave the way for new therapies and procedures to improve human health and is consistently among the nation's top three recipients of federal funding from the National Institutes of Health.

The school has a total enrollment of 783 medical students, 189 of which are enrolled in the combined MD/PhD program.

The medical school rankings, released annually in the U.S. News & World Report “Best Graduate Schools” issue, are based on statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. Information is obtained through surveys of program directors, academics, and other professionals. Criteria used in the rankings include peer assessment surveys, research activity, grade point averages, MCAT scores, and NIH funding.

The complete results of the survey are available online.

###Penn Medicine is one of the ./world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania(founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $5.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $373 million awarded in the 2015 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Chestnut Hill Hospital and Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine.Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2015, Penn Medicine provided $253.3 million to benefit our community.