The Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine is ranked in the top 50 medical schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report’s list of best graduate schools for 2023.
In the category of medical schools training primary care physicians, the Long School of Medicine was ranked 36th, up from 46th last year.
“This is a remarkable accomplishment for our students, faculty and staff, and an achievement we are all proud of,” said Robert Hromas, MD, FACP, dean of the Long School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs. “Their efforts over the last five years have made a huge impact on the health of not just San Antonio, but the region. Discoveries made here have been translated into important advances in medical care everywhere.”
Dr. Hromas went on to note that the rankings demonstrate the efforts of many people, programs and partnerships working together to create strong training in clinical care and innovative research, most notably through the school’s longstanding partnership with University Hospital.
The school also broke into the top 50 in the category of research medical schools, ranking 47th, improving its position from 52nd last year.
“The rise in our national research category ranking is a result of the tremendous effort of our faculty, trainees and staff to develop robust and cutting-edge research programs, which have received increased national recognition and garnered higher levels of extramural grant support,” said Manzoor Bhat, PhD, interim vice dean for research in the Long School of Medicine. “We are proud of our collective achievements and are poised to make ground-breaking discoveries for the treatment of human diseases.”
The school also continued to rank highly in the category of best medical schools for diversity, ranking 25th in the nation. This high honor can largely be attributed to diversity in medicine being a core part of the university’s mission to provide quality care to the community, according to Sekinat McCormick, MD, interim vice dean for the Office for Inclusion and Diversity.
“Being recognized for our incredible diversity here at the Long School of Medicine is an absolute honor. It means that others are seeing the intentional, deliberate work that has been taking place on our campus,” Dr. McCormick said. “Diversity, equity and inclusion permeate all that we do: from our admissions of diverse students to the education of how health diversity affect patients, to our community outreach efforts. It’s because of all this that we are one of the best institutions in the country for diversity. And what a charge it is for us to continue to uphold this standard for ourselves as we continue to grow our efforts.”
U.S. News and World Report produces medical school rankings each year to help prospective medical students determine the best options for their medical career path. Only fully accredited programs in good standing during the survey period are ranked. Methodology for rankings is based on faculty resources, academic achievement of entering students and their career paths, and reputational assessments by other schools’ deans and residency directors.
The School of Nursing was also recognized as a top graduate school in the category of doctor of nursing practice, ranking 67th. The DNP program was launched in 2012. Last year, it was also ranked among the best programs in the country, and was the first year that the DNP program included its family nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner tracts.
“The School of Nursing continues to be a leader in nursing education in South Texas,” said Sara Gill, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate dean of graduate studies, adding more information on the school’s rankings will be forthcoming.