The Larner College of Medicine was ranked 24th for medical education in primary care and 13th for training in rural care in the 2022 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, released March 30, 2021.
Class of 2021 medical student Heng Tan (left) learns about point-of-care ultrasound from Professor of Surgery Peter Weimersheimer, M.D.
The University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine was recognized for its strength in educating future physicians in primary care and rural care in the 2022 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, released March 30, 2021.
The Larner College of Medicine was ranked 24th for medical education in primary care – up from 43rd in the 2021 Best Graduate Schools rankings – and tied at this rank with Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and University of Hawaii-Manoa Burns School of Medicine.
In terms of educating physicians who decide to practice in a rural environment – a new specialty training category that has not been included in recent years – Larner ranked 13th (tied with University of Minnesota), a testament to the College’s commitment to providing and improving access to health care for all residents, regardless of location or socioeconomic status. The College is currently in its second year of educating students at primary care practices affiliated with the UVM Health Network’s Central Vermont Medical Center as part of its Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship, a program designed for students with an interest in rural medicine.
“As the only medical school in a small, rural state, we have a responsibility to educate a diverse group of individuals in providing high quality and accessible health care to all members of a community,” says UVM Larner College of Medicine Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education Christa Zehle, M.D. “Students gain valuable clinical experience from primary care providers throughout Vermont and with our out-of-state clinical partners. A strong foundation in primary care medicine prepares our graduates to achieve excellence across all disciplines of medicine in Vermont and throughout the world.”
Vermont ranks first in the nation in active patient care primary care physicians per capita, and fifth in all physicians per capita, as reported in the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) State Physician Workforce Data Book in 2019.
“As part of the University of Vermont, and being located in this wonderful, rural region that includes our state and upstate New York, it is affirming to be acknowledged for our commitment to preparing and providing primary care physicians who serve our communities,” says UVM Larner College of Medicine Dean Richard L. Page, M.D. “We are committed to our missions of education, research, and clinical care, to the betterment of Vermont and beyond.”
The U.S. News rankings process involves a survey of 191 medical and osteopathic schools accredited in 2020 either by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association. According to U.S. News, “This data collection plus results from peer assessment surveys were used to calculate the overall rankings and eight medical field specialty rankings and to populate each medical school’s profile in the usnews.com directory.” Read more about the U.S. News Graduate Schools ranking methodology.