There are 10 best medical schools in the world with incredible resources and commitment to the study of medicine and clinical pharmacy. As new medical problems emerge, institutions of research and medical care are more important than ever. The schools on this list are leading the way in ensuring a healthy future for all.
Information About the World’s Top 10 Medical Schools
We have selected the world’s top university rankings for today: Times Higher Education Ranking, QS World University Rankings, Shanghai Rankings and Best Global Universities by US News.
Check out the complete information about the world’s top 10 medical schools below.
1. University of Oxford
The University of Oxford’s medical course is a traditional course, divided into pre-clinical and clinical stages. In the first few years, students are taught theoretically with little patient contact. In the final years of the course, they move into the clinical phase, spending more time at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Around 150 students are accepted onto the course each year, with a further 30 going on to a postgraduate programme that condenses medical study into just four years.
Oxford has two main libraries for medicine and clinical studies, one providing resources for the pre-clinical elements of the course and the other focusing on healthcare.
In addition to its distinctive coursework, Oxford offers students a campus life experience, where social events and small tutorials take place.
2. Harvard University
Harvard University’s postgraduate medical school has a three-fold mission: to educate, to research and to provide clinical care. Founded in 1782, it is the third oldest medical school in the US.
The school’s faculty also teach in other science departments at Harvard, as well as working in clinical departments at several of the university’s affiliated hospitals.
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There are four major teaching hospitals throughout the Boston area.
Harvard has introduced problem-based learning into the curriculum. There is also a special program, accepting only 30 applicants each year, that focuses on biomedical research.
Harvard medical students belong to one of five societies named after alumni. Students work in small groups within the society, compete in sports competitions and attend social events.
3. University of Cambridge
As with Oxford University, students can enrol on a medical degree at Cambridge University.
Graduates also have the option to study medicine, either on an accelerated postgraduate programme or a shortened version of the pre-clinical and clinical programme.
There are six applicants per place on the medical course, and around 260 are accepted overall.
Half of Cambridge medical graduates become GPs, and almost all will work in the NHS in the UK.
Entry to a medical degree requires excellent secondary qualifications and a high score on the BMAT.
Cambridge students, particularly medical students, have a busy schedule, juggling study, campus social events and a wide range of leisure activities.
4. Imperial College London
The medical programme at Imperial College London offers a range of teaching approaches, from traditional theory classes to innovative, hands-on experiences. From the first semester, students have direct contact with patients, unlike at more traditional universities in the UK. The six-year undergraduate qualification in medicine also includes a Bachelor of Science, in addition to the MBBS.
Like Oxford and Cambridge, Imperial’s courses are highly scientific, with an emphasis not only on clinical practice but also on research techniques.
Entry requirements are high; most students who are accepted will have top grades in chemistry, biology and a third subject, and will have achieved high scores in the BMAT exam. The application process also includes an interview.
Imperial is one of the most international institutions in the UK, but only a small number of overseas students are accepted onto its medical programmes each year.
5. Stanford University
Stanford University’s graduate school offers master’s and PhD programs for students who want to further their medical training. Six Nobel laureates, 31 members of the National Academy of Sciences, and 42 members of the Institute of Medicine are among the school’s current faculty.
Researchers at Stanford Medicine conduct research in a number of different areas, including cancer, immunology, genetics, and neuroscience.
The school also provides health care for adults and children, with a dedicated center for children.
6. King’s College London
Recognized as one of the top medical schools in the world, King’s College London’s (KCL) Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine features medical and pharmacy programs that serve a combined 5,000 students each year.
Tracing its roots back to its beginnings in 1839 at King’s College Hospital, the faculty in its modern form was founded in 1998 when the United Medical and Dental Schools merged with King’s College London. In 2014, the institution merged the Faculty of Medicine and part of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences into one faculty.
Established in 1895, the Department of Pharmacy offered the first pharmacy degree recognised by the University of London in 1926.
7. The University of Sydney
The Faculty of Medicine and Health houses the medical and pharmacy schools at the University of Sydney. Established as an integrated faculty in 2016, it focuses on small-group learning and hands-on experience in providing patient care, conducting research and finding solutions to the world’s most pressing health problems.
The Sydney School of Medicine has several teaching hospitals across New South Wales. Students can engage in rural and urban clinical experiences, along with many overseas opportunities thanks to the school’s strong network of international providers. Students typically spend the first two years on campus and years three and four in clinical settings.
The Faculty of Pharmacy offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees as well as postgraduate certificates in evidence-based pharmacy practice and complementary medicine.
8. University of Toronto
Founded in 1843, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto (U of T) has a reputation as one of Canada’s oldest institutions of medical study and one of the top medical schools in the country. At the heart of the Faculty of Medicine is the University Health Network, which consists of three specialty hospitals: Toronto General Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and Toronto Western Hospital. U of T faculty and alumni are renowned for their discoveries of insulin and stem cells.
U of T’s Faculty of Medicine is home to 26 departments, including speech and language pathology, occupational science and occupational therapy, and family and community medicine. A health network of twelve teaching hospitals is also under the faculty’s administration. Together, the hospitals are known for their strong emphasis on tertiary care.
9. Columbia University
Columbia University Irving Medical Center is comprised of four major academic divisions: the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the College of Dentistry, the School of Public Health, and the School of Nursing. The 25 departments cover subjects such as neurosurgery, otolaryngology, pharmacology, and systems biology.
As is often the case with top medical schools, Columbia’s medical center has affiliations with major teaching hospitals such as New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Academic affiliations include Bassett Healthcare, Isabella Geriatric Center, and Arnot Ogden Medical Center.
Columbia medical students can work in more than 40 state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research facilities.
10. John Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University founded its School of Medicine in 1893. Some of the school’s recognized accomplishments include the development of kidney dialysis, the development of CPR, the discovery of the first effective treatment for a severe form of sickle cell disease, the development of the first biological pacemaker for the heart, and the planning and performance of one of the most challenging double-arm transplants to date. Additionally, JHU’s medical school can claim to be affiliated with 16 Nobel laureates.
As one of the top medical schools today, JHU operates six academic and community hospitals, four suburban health and surgical centers, and 39 primary and specialty care outpatient locations.
