UI Carver College of Medicine ranks among 2023 ‘Best Graduate Schools’ by U.S. News
Medical school ranked in 7 categories; 2 additional programs maintain top-5 rankings from previous years
In its 2023 edition of “Best Graduate Schools,” U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine in the following “Best Medical Schools” categories. Highly ranked programs include: :
The college maintains its No. 1 ranking for the physician assistant program from the 2020 U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” rankings, and its No. 4 position for the physical therapy program from the 2021 rankings. Updated rankings for physician assistant and physical therapy programs were not compiled this year.
The Carver College of Medicine’s No. 16 ranking for its primary care program rose from last year’s ranking of No. 22. The college’s No. 93 ranking for the number of primary care physicians in practice jumped from No. 106 last year.
Last year, U.S. News began ranking colleges on their diversity and number of graduates practicing in areas of need for the country. The Carver College of Medicine ranked No. 36 in providing physicians to rural areas, No. 93 in the number of graduates in primary care practice, No. 94 in diversity, and No. 132 in providers practicing in health professional shortage areas.
“The U.S. News ‘Best Graduate Schools’ rankings are an indicator of excellence in medical education, training, and research,” says Brooks Jackson, MD, MBA, UI vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine. Jackson notes that the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) scores of the college’s incoming students have increased steadily since 2018, and National Institutes of Health funding to the college has increased nearly 50% since 2017.
“To be included in the rankings every year is noteworthy recognition,” Jackson adds. “It reinforces to our current faculty, staff, and students that the Carver College of Medicine is among the nation’s best medical schools. It also signals to prospective faculty, staff, and students that we have outstanding programs and people, which makes the University of Iowa a great place to learn, teach, do research, and take care of patients.”
Methodology for ‘Best Medical Schools’ rankings
U.S. News surveyed 192 medical and osteopathic schools accredited in 2021 by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association. This data collection, plus results from peer assessment surveys, were used to calculate the overall rankings and eight medical field specialty rankings.
U.S. News produced two distinct medical school rankings for research and primary care. Both rankings evaluated schools based on quality assessments, student selectivity, and faculty resources.
The specialty ranking in family medicine is based solely on ratings by medical school deans and senior faculty from the schools surveyed.
The diversity index ranking is based on a medical school’s total enrollment of underrepresented minority students (URM) and the ratio of a school’s URM to state or national numbers.
The rankings in rural medicine, primary care production, and health professional shortage areas are based on the percentage of a medical school’s graduates practicing in these categories.
U.S. News also periodically ranks programs in the arts, sciences, social sciences, humanities, and health, which includes physical therapy and physician assistant programs.