Upasana Gupta - November 4, 2013
Top Medical Schools in 2014
Why studying in the best medical school matters?
According to U.S. News and World Report, Harvard University is ranked as the best 2014 medical school in the country.Stanford University comes in second place, followed by John Hopkins School of Medicine in third, University of California–San Francisco in fourth, and University of Pennsylvania (Perelman) in fifth place. Compared to past rankings, more or less the same set of private educational institutions top the 10 best medical school list with slightly altered rankings from year-to-year.
(View our Listings of Schools for: Allied Health; Pharmacy; Medical Assisting; Nursing)
More reasons why students should study in a top medical school include-
If potential medical students are hoping to go into academic medicine or heavily research oriented medicine, then where they go to medical school and complete their residency matters. Especially if they are hoping to become a physician affiliated with Harvard's or UPenn's or WashU's medical school, it's going to be more important that they went to a top ranking medical school for their MD/PhD.
Again, if students are hoping to get into one of the most difficult to obtain residency fields like Radiology, Opthalmology, Anesthesia or Dermatology, my opinion is that it couldn't hurt go to a better medical school. It's no guarantee that going to a better school is going to get a student their choice of residency field, but given the absolutely cut-throat nature of getting these spots, any little edge helps.
However, getting into a top medical school requires a lot of hard work. Acing the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is crucial for getting into medical school. But it is just one aspect of the admission process. From knowing how to approach the admissions board, writing a great personal statement ( The American Medical College Application Service essay) to obtaining strong letters of recommendation, prospective medical students have to hit their marks in order to get into the medical school of their choice.
Here is a quick summary of admission details for the top medical schools in the country. Potential medical students must be aware of this to make their right choice.
#1. Harvard Medical School
Harvard is always in the top 10 medical school list within the U.S. and is almost always ranked as number one.
Average MCAT: 36 (2011)
Average GPA: 3.88 (2011)
Tuition: $49, 875 (2013)
Total Medical School Enrollment: 700 (2013)
Public/Private: Private
Accepts International Students: Yes
#2. Stanford University
Average GPA: 3.81 (2011)
Tuition: $47, 343 (2013)
Total Medical School Enrollment: 461 (2013)
Public/Private: Private
Accepts International Students: Yes
#3. Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins Medical School)
Average MCAT: 36 (2011)
Average GPA: 3.87 (2011)
Tuition: $44,100 (2013)
Total Medical School Enrollment: 479 (2013)
Public/Private: Private
Accepts International Students: Yes
#4. University of California--San Francisco
Average MCAT: 35 (2011)
Average GPA: 3.8 (2011)
Tuition: $31,134 CA Residents/$43,379 Non-CA Residents (2013)
Total Medical School Enrollment: 648 (2013)
Public/Private: Public
Accepts International Students: Yes
#5. University of Pennsylvania
Average MCAT: 37 (2011)
Average GPA: 3.87 (2011)
Tuition: $47,090 (2013)
Total Medical School Enrollment: 646 (2013)
Public/Private: Private
Accepts International Students: Yes
#6. Washington University Medical School in St. Louis
Average MCAT: 38 (2011)
Average GPA: 3.91 (2011)
Tuition: $52,020 (2013)
Total Medical School Enrollment: 478 (2013)
Public/Private: Private
Accepts International Students: Yes
#7. Yale University (Yale Medical School)
Average MCAT: 37 (2011)
Average GPA: 3.86 (2011)
Tuition: $49,500 (2013)
Total Medical School Enrollment: 397 (2013)
Public/Private: Private
Accepts International Students: Yes
#8. Duke University (Duke Medical School)
Average MCAT: 37 (2011)
Average GPA: 3.85 (2011)
Tuition: $48,065 (2013)
Total Medical School Enrollment: 425 (2013)
Public/Private: Private
Accepts International Students: Yes
#8. Columbia University (Columbia Medical School)
Average MCAT: 36 (2011)
Average GPA: 3.82 (2011)
Tuition: $49,504 (2013)
Total Medical School Enrollment: 662 (2013)
Public/Private: Private
Accepts International Students: Yes
To compile their 2013 list, U.S. News obtained information regarding quality of medical research and primary care from 114 accredited medical and osteopathic medicine schools in the U.S.
Schools were ranked according to student selectivity admission statistics (MCAT, GPA, and acceptance rate), faculty-to-student ratio, research activity and the proportion of graduates entering specific primary-care programs. Quality was measured in terms of peer assessment and the opinion of residency directors.