When Fredric Meyer, M.D., became executive dean of education, Mayo Clinic and dean of its medical school in 2016, he says he had a goal in mind. He wanted to see Mayo Clinic School of Medicine become one of the top 10 in the country.
Today, as U.S. News & World Report rolls out its 2019 Best Graduate Schools report, which includes best medical school scores, that goal will become a reality. Mayo Clinic School of Medicine has risen to No. 6 in medical education research rankings, garnering the school one of the top spots for best medical schools in the nation.
“We are pleased the 2019 U.S. News & World Report ranking positively reflects the tremendous research and education efforts underway across Mayo Clinic,” says Dr. Meyer, the Juanita Kious Waugh Executive Dean for Education.
He notes part of the rise for the school is due to changes U.S. News & World Report made to its reporting methodology, adding four new ranking factors to fully capture the funding of research conducted within academic organizations and adjusting reputation factors that could possibly favor larger universities. The other part Dr. Meyer notes has to do with continuous hard work on the part of administration, faculty, students and staff within the school and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science to continuously enhance reporting processes and transform the educational experience at Mayo.
The school’s high ranking in research might not come as a surprise to some. Dr. Meyer explains that research and the quest for new knowledge are integral components of Mayo Clinic's culture. Most Mayo faculty members are physician-scientists actively involved in clinical practice and biomedical or translational research, which often gives students insight into the latest advances in scientific discovery, translation and application to address unmet patient needs. Research training and scholarly activity are integrated into the school’s curriculum, resulting in Mayo’s medical students publishing their findings in peer-reviewed journals at more than twice the national average of their student counterparts.
“Clinical practice, research and education are intertwined throughout our organization, making us known for discovery and the ability to translate that into compassionate patient care. That’s the training and culture we pass on to our medical students – providing the best care and finding answers for patients where none have been provided before.”
While often referenced in medical education circles as a "hidden gem," Mayo Clinic School of Medicine continues to grow in size and reputation. The original school, which began in 1972, sits nestled on Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus, which is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 hospital in the country. Students learn from faculty who are some of the top medical experts in their fields.
In 2017, the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine expanded to a national medical school and added a new four-year campus in Arizona. This addition enabled students there to train at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona, which is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Arizona by U.S. News & World Report. The school recently also started a new program on Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus that enables third- and fourth-year medical students from other Mayo campuses to complete their last years of training at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, which is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Florida by U.S. News & World Report. As a national medical school with a shared curriculum, students can perform clinical rotations and research with Mayo experts at campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota.
Dr. Meyer notes that, while the U.S. News & World Report rankings are one benchmark used by academic medicine and prospective students, he hopes the true measure of success for any medical school is knowing the students who graduate not only have the best knowledge and skills to be successful physicians and physician-scientists, but also have the compassionate hearts and inquisitive minds to change patient lives and innovate health care for generations to come.
