For Release: March 11, 2014
Contact: Derik Hertel (603) 650-1211 Derik.Hertel@Dartmouth.EDU

Geisel Rises in 2015 U.S. News Best Medical Schools Rankings,
Now Ranked in Top 20 in Primary Care

Hanover, NH—The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth has moved into the top 20 of medical schools nationally for primary care, climbing 13 spots to 18th in the 2015 U.S. News & World Report's Best Medical Schools rankings, released today. Geisel also moved up four spots to 34th in the Best Medical Schools for research ranking, placing it in the top quartile of all medical schools nationally.

Most notably in the best medical schools for primary care ranking, Geisel's rise was driven by an increase in the quality assessment score from deans and other academic medicine leaders nationally, a metric that is 40 percent of the ranking.

Also significant was an increase in the percentage of Geisel graduates who are choosing to pursue primary care residencies, which is now at a three-year average of 44.6 percent. The primary care residency rate makes up 30 percent of the ranking. Geisel's student selectivity (GPA and MCAT median) also rose this year, which helped boost both the primary care and research rankings.

Our long-standing strengths in primary care, population health and health care delivery science place Geisel at the center of addressing our nation’s need for outstanding and high-value care for all communities.

—Dean Chip Souba

In the Best Medical Schools for primary care ranking, Geisel moved ahead of Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University and Brown, among others, and shares the 18th position with the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University. Geisel is now the third highest-ranked medical school in the Ivy League, following Harvard and Penn.

"We're working hard at Geisel to attract a diverse, academically talented group of students who are driven to be leaders and who will also help solve our most pressing problems in health care," said Chip Souba, dean of the Geisel School of Medicine.

"We also want to be distinctive and make sure our work has impact and can improve lives. Our rise in the U.S. News & World Report's best medical schools rankings is a testament to this commitment and further recognition of the excellent medical education and research taking place at Geisel," said Souba.

The national need for primary care and health care delivery science expertise continues to grow, propelled by a growing and aging population, a projected 34 million more individuals receiving health care coverage because of the Affordable Care Act, and the need to provide quality, timely care that is coordinated and cost-efficient.

A major national physician workforce study published in the Annals of Family Medicine concluded that the United States likely will need about 52,000 additional primary care physicians by 2025 to meet the country's health care needs.

New Hampshire-native Karl Dietrich, a Geisel fourth-year medical student who will be pursuing a family medicine residency in July, said he will practice primary care because he wants to help serve individuals and "entire populations."

It’s been empowering to see so many people—clinicians, physician-scientists, and administrators—advocating for more training in primary care and care for underserved populations.

—Karl Dietrich, fourth-year Geisel medical student

"I am passionate about good primary care because it lays an important foundation for the rest of a patient's life," said Dietrich. "A primary care physician develops a relationship with a patient in good health that pays enormous dividends if health challenges arise. Beyond that, it provides the unique opportunity to serve entire populations and lay the framework for strong public health in a community. In primary care, physicians must be patient advocates, experts at managing a care team, and be able to focus on the big picture while keeping track of every detail. It takes extensive training, expertise and experience, but I think is one of the most rewarding careers I could imagine.

"It's been empowering to see so many people—clinicians, physician-scientists, and administrators—advocating for more training in primary care and care for underserved populations. I am grateful for the many amazing primary care experiences I have had at Geisel that have reinforced my decision," said Dietrich, a Schweitzer Fellow at the medical school.

Geisel is uniquely positioned to be at the vanguard of how the nation tackles the tough health care delivery challenges ahead, Souba said.

"Our long-standing strengths in primary care, population health and health care delivery science place Geisel at the center of addressing our nation's need for outstanding and high-value care for all communities," said Souba. "We cannot address the problems in local and global health without building a strong backbone for health service delivery, and that means a durable primary health care service line.

"We are committed to providing an outstanding medical education and to mentoring the next generation of health care leaders. Geisel's faculty are some of the best—our students benefit greatly from their excellent clinical skills, science scholarship, and dedication to teaching," Souba said.

ABOUT THE GEISEL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT DARTMOUTH: Founded in 1797, the Geisel School of Medicine strives to improve the lives of the communities it serves through excellence in learning, discovery, and healing. The nation's fourth-oldest medical school, the Geisel School of Medicine has been home to many firsts in medical education, research and practice, including the discovery of the mechanism for how light resets biological clocks, creating the first multispecialty intensive care unit, the first comprehensive examination of U.S. health care variations (The Dartmouth Atlas), and helping establish the first Center for Health Care Delivery Science, which launched in 2010. As one of America's leading medical schools, Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine is committed to training new generations of diverse health care leaders who will help solve our most vexing challenges in health care.

# # #

Return to News Releases