Demonstrating its push for excellence, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has climbed to No. 46 in the 2015 edition of “Best Graduate Schools” published by U.S. News & World Report.
Under the leadership of Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Miller School, and CEO of the University of Miami Health System, the Miller School has moved up from No. 56 in 2006—rising 10 spots in the past eight years in U.S. News’ annual ranking of the nation’s top medical schools for research.
“Our climb in the national rankings reflects the improving caliber of our medical students, master’s students and Ph.D. (research) students, the advances in our education curriculum and the world-class quality of our researchers and educators,” Goldschmidt said. “We are deeply committed to excellence in all aspects of the Miller School’s mission, including education, research and clinical care.”
U.S. News also ranked the Miller School’s physical therapy graduate program No. 9 in the nation. The master’s degree/doctoral program consistently has ranked in the top 10 since U.S. News began ranking physical therapy programs in 1995.
“Our faculty and students are leaders in clinical practice, scholarly activity and community service,” said Sherrill H. Hayes, Ph.D., PT, professor and chair emeritus of Physical Therapy. “It is gratifying to have our program continue to receive this national recognition.”
Also ranking in the top 10 was UM’s Tax Law program, which came in at No. 5, tying with Boston University and Columbia University. UM’s School of Law is also among the nation’s most diverse law schools, ranking No. 40 of 98 schools on U.S. News’ Law School Diversity Index.
Other UM graduate programs ranked among the top 50 include the College of Arts and Sciences’ clinical psychology program, which ranked No. 32; and its earth sciences program, which ranked No. 42; and the School of Business Administration’s health care management program, which ranked No. 46.
Noting the ongoing transformation of the nation’s healthcare landscape, the Miller School’s Laurence Gardner, M.D., executive dean for education and policy, said the medical school’s learner-centered curriculum will reflect those changes, including an increased emphasis on wellness and preventive care. Among the innovative programs offered to Miller School students is one of the few four-year M.D./M.P.H. dual degree programs, which uses the latest technological advances while promoting global health approaches. The program has 150 students.
“Our students have access to state-of-the-art educational and clinical resources that are training them to become caring, compassionate and effective physicians in the future,” Gardner said.
Despite across-the-board reductions in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Miller School also gained in the latest rankings of NIH funding, placing in the top 40 nationally, with six departments rising in rank this past year.
Omaida Velazquez, M.D., executive dean for Research, Research Education and Innovative Medicine, pointed to the importance of a collaborative spirit as one of the keys to the Miller School’s high ranking.
“Our researchers bridge diverse disciplines and share their knowledge with other institutions and corporate partners,” said Velazquez, who also holds the David Kimmelman Endowed Chair in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. “In that way, we are training the next generation of physician-scientists, who will bring new knowledge from ‘bench to bedside’ to improve clinical care here and around the world.”
For the medical school research rankings, 114 schools provided the data needed for the ranking calculations. The medical school research model is based on a weighted average of eight indicators including quality assessment, peer assessment, NIH research activity, and student selectivity.
U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” guidebook will be on newsstands April 8, 2014.
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL 33124
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