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Many of the best medical schools in the world are located in the United States. Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania immediately emerge as leading candidates in any discussion of the top medical schools in the world.

There are, however, a number of top international medical schools that should also be considered as part of any discussion of the best medical schools worldwide.

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge was the highest rated school for biomedical research outside of the United States in 2009, according to the “Times Higher Education Supplement,” a well-respected ranking publication.

Medical schools generally are divided up and rated according to the categories of research institutions and schools with top-rated, primary-care programs.

Cambridge rated only second to Harvard among all schools worldwide. Cambridge prides itself on its medical research in the areas of cancer research, cardiovascular medicine, stem cell research, epidemiology and public health, genetics, haematological and transplantation medicine, infection and immunity, diabetes, endocrinology, neuroscience and mental health and women’s health.

The school also emphasizes training in medical practice through its school of clinical medicine. Cambridge also offers PhD programs through its graduate school of life sciences, which works closely with the medical school to promote research.

University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine
Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Box 111
Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 0SP.
UK
+441223336700

http://www.medschl.cam.ac.uk/

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford ranked third among all medical schools worldwide in 2009, according to the “Times Higher Education Supplement.” Oxford, like Cambridge, is world-renowned for its research in most academic disciplines including medicine.

Like Cambridge, Oxford also houses several departments within the medical school including anesthetics, cardiovascular medicine, clinical medicine, clinical neurology and pharmacology, oncology, obstetrics, gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, rheumatology and musculoskeletal sciences, pediatrics, psychiatry, public health, primary care and surgery.

The university’s medical school is also the home of the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics and the Gray Institute for Radiology, Oncology and Biology.

Medical Sciences Office
John Radcliffe Hospital
Oxford, OX3 9DU
U.K.
+441865221689
http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine Read the rest of this entry »

Getting into a top-rated medical school can be a daunting task. Most of the top medical schools in the world have stringent admission requirements and a challenging curriculum that only the best students can handle.

The best medical schools in the world are typically located in the United States. There are some, however, that are typically high-rated programs located outside of the United States.

Harvard University

The Times Higher Education Supplement rates Harvard University’s medical school as the best in the world. U.S.News and World Report and other websites like studentdoc.com have also placed Harvard at the top of the list among U.S. medical schools.

Both the Times Supplement and U.S. News use faculty surveys and heavily weight many of their rankings on the opinion of academic leaders and medical professionals.

Research activity was heavily weighted as part of the overall score as well. Founded in 1782, Harvard Medical School has emerged as the leading innovator of medical research in the world.

The school has seven basic science departments, two in social science and one clinical science department. Harvard emerged as the top school when all factors were finally considered. Harvard Medical School boasted a budget of $544,158,873 for 2008 (figures for 2009 are not yet available).

Harvard Medical School
25 Shattuck Street
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 432-1000

http://hms.harvard.edu/hms/home.asp

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge was the highest rated school for biomedical research outside of the United States in 2009, according to the Times Higher Education Supplement.

Cambridge rated second only to Harvard in terms of its medical research and continues to make substantial contributions in the areas of cancer research, cardiovascular medicine, stem cell research, epidemiology and public health, genetics, haematological and transplantation medicine, infection and immunity, diabetes, endocrinology, neuroscience and mental health and women’s health.

The school also emphasizes the practical side of medicine through its clinical school of medicine. Furthermore, Cambridge emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of medicine by offering joint M.D./Ph.D. programs for students wishing to pursue substantial research careers.

University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine
Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Box 111
Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 0SP.
UK
+441223336700

http://www.medschl.cam.ac.uk/

University of Oxford

Even though the United States has a higher number of top-rated medical schools, Oxford University placed third on the list of the best medical schools in the world, giving the United Kingdom two of the top three institutions on the Times Higher Education Supplement list.

Oxford’s departmental list is long and includes divisions within the areas of anesthetics, cardiovascular medicine, clinical medicine, clinical neurology and pharmacology, oncology, obstetrics, gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, rheumatology and musculoskeletal sciences, pediatrics, psychiatry, public health, primary care and surgery.

It is also the home of the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics and the Gray Institute for Radiology, Oncology and Biology. Oxford is one of the world’s oldest and most respected institutions of higher education.

Medical Sciences Office
John Radcliffe Hospital
Oxford, OX3 9DU
U.K.
+441865221689

http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine

Asia has enjoyed a recent surge in its universities’ global rankings. Countries such as Japan, India, China and Korea are some of the countries enjoying academic prestige.

As they increasingly attract international students and notice, it makes sense to assume that their universities will only increase in global rankings.

Medical schools on such campuses are no exception and here are some of the best of the best.

University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo is considered among the elite of higher education institutes in Japan. It’s medical school is no exception.

In 2009, the Global University Ranking named the University of Tokyo as number 1 in Asia and number 3 in the world.

The School of Medicine offers doctorates in both medicine and health science. Surgical science, internal medicine, neuroscience and international health are just some of the 11 affiliated departments.

The school has a long tradition with respect to academia as it celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008.

University of Tokyo
7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo, Japan 113-0033
011-81-03-5841-8585
m.u-tokyo.ac.jp/english/

Peking University

Peking University is located in Haidian district, which is in the west suburb of Beijing. The university was founded in 1898 and recently merged with the Beijing Medical School.

Peking University was the number 1 ranked medical school in China according to study-in-china.org.

The medical school offers 8 specialties including preventive medicine, stomatology, clinical medicine
and biomedical English.

The school has 8 university hospitals in which aspiring doctors regularly intern. There are 10,000 students enrolled in a medical related discipline. Over a thousand of these students are pursuing a doctorate.

Peking University
Xueyuan Rd. Haidian district
Beijing, China 100083
011-86-10-6275-2264

http://www1.bjmu.edu.cn/E_bjmu/index.htm

All India Institue of Medical Science

Since its beginning in 1956, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has aimed to serve as “a nucleus for nurturing excellence in all aspects of health care.”

India Today in 2010 ranked it the top medical school in India, the sixth straight year it had received that designation. It is located in New Delhi and enjoys its current nickname “the Harvard of the east.”

Another thing that makes the school stand out is its commitment to providing affordable health-care to as many of the locals as possible. Profit is not the first priority of this institution.

All India Institute of Medical Science
New Delhi, India 110029
011-91-11-2658-8500

Getting into a top-rated medical school can be a difficult challenge. Many medical schools have stringent admission requirements and look only for the top candidates to admit each year.

There are many medical schools available to choose from, but if you want to get into a top-tier program, you will have to have a pretty impressive resume to even receive consideration.

The top programs recruit the best candidates because they also have difficult academic programs.

Candidates who possess the necessary qualities to complete these programs are generally the ones chosen for admission.

Harvard University

Harvard University’s medical school is considered the best in the nation. U.S. News and World Report and Web sites like studentdoc.com all consider Harvard to the nation’s best medical school. U.S.

News and World Report ranks schools according to a number of factors, one of the most important of which is academics.

Determining academic quality is somewhat subjective, but U.S. News and World Report has attempted to make the process as scientific as possible by issuing surveys to important faculty members of medical schools around the country such as the deans of the schools, residency directors, and the like.

Research activity was heavily weighted as part of the overall score as well. Harvard emerged as the top school when all factors were finally considered. Harvard Medical School boasted a budget of $544,158,873 for 2008 (figures for 2009 are not yet available).

Founded in 1782, Harvard Medical School has emerged as the leading innovator of medical research in the world. The school has seven basic science departments, two in social science, and one clinical science department.

Harvard Medical School
25 Shattuck Street
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 432-1000

http://hms.harvard.edu/hms/home.asp

Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

Second only to Harvard on most lists, Johns Hopkins University is just as rigorous in its academic standards. JHU has retained its position as a top-tier program for decades and has emerged as one of the premier medical institutions in the world.

Many of its specialty programs have reached the status of top-ranked programs as well. In the area of ear, nose, and throat along with rheumatology and urology, JHU had the top programs in the nation. Ten of its other programs ranked either second or third.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
733 N. Broadway, Suite G49
Baltimore, MD 21205-2196
(410) 955-3182
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/index.html Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. News and World Report publishes an annual list of Best Colleges, categorizing them in lists such as Best National Universities (schools that offer a full range of undergraduate degrees as well as master’s and doctoral degrees) and Best Liberal Arts College. U.S.

News then ranks schools within these lists based on criteria related to academic excellence.

The Princeton Review also puts out a list of Best Colleges, but their selections are based on student surveys and schools on their main list of Best 371 Colleges are not ranked (although schools are ranked in specific categories, such as “Best Library” and “Best College Newspaper”).

Students should compare information from the two publications to determine which college might be the best fit for them academically.

Best National University

Harvard and Princeton share the top spot on U.S. News and World Report’s 2010 list of Best National Universities, both earning a perfect 100 score across the publication’s evaluation categories.

The two schools also appear on The Princeton Review’s list of Best 371 Colleges, with Harvard and Princeton earning the number one and number two spots, respectively, in the rankings for Best College Library.

Harvard University
Massachusetts Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-1000
harvard.edu

Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey 08544
609-258-3000
princeton.edu

Best Liberal Arts College

Williams College in Massachusetts earned U.S. News and World Report’s number one ranking among liberal arts colleges.

Williams is also featured as one of The Princeton Review’s Best 371 Colleges and earned spots on the publication’s list of Best Northeastern Colleges (no rankings) and Top Ten Best Value Private Colleges (#6).

Williams College
Williamstown, MA 01267
413-597-3131
williams.edu

Best Master’s Universities

U.S. News and World Report ranks Master’s universities (those universities offering a full range of undergraduate degrees, master’s degrees and few doctoral programs) by region.

Villanova University earns top honors in the North, Rollins College takes the top spot in the South, Creighton University is ranked the best in the Midwest and Trinity University earns the top spot in the West.

Each school also appears on The Princeton Review’s Best 371 Colleges list in addition to appearing on non-ranked lists of the best colleges in their respective regions.

Villanova University
800 E. Lancaster Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085
610-519-4500
villanova.edu

Rollins College
1000 Holt Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789
407-646-2000
rollins.edu

Creighton University
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, NE 68178
402-280-2700
creighton.edu

Trinity University
One Trinity Place
San Antonio, TX 78212-7200
1-800-TRINITY
web.trinity.edu

Best Baccalaureate Colleges

*

U.S. News defines a baccalaureate college as one that focuses their instruction on baccalaureate degrees but awards less than half of those degrees in liberal arts fields.

New York’s Cooper Union earns the top spot as Best Baccalaureate College in the North, while Ouachita Baptist University takes the same honor in the South.

Taylor University is ranked as the Best Baccalaureate College in the Midwest, and the United States Air Force Academy earns top honors in the West.

The Princeton Review, however, holds a slightly different view of these four colleges, placing Cooper Union, Taylor and the Air Force Academy on their regional lists of Best Colleges, but not ranking Ouachita Baptist in any categories.

The Cooper Union
30 Cooper Square, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10003-7120
212-353-4100
cooper.edu

Ouachita Baptist University
410 Ouachita Street
Arkadelphia, AR 71998
1-800-DIAL-OBU
obu.edu

Taylor University
236 West Reade Avenue
Upland, IN 46989
800-882-3456
taylor.edu

United States Air Force Academy
2304 Cadet Dr, Ste 2300
USAF Academy, CO 80840
1-800-443-9266
usafa.af.mil

Good grades for a top college or university in the United States depend on history, selectivity and geographic location. Many respondents cite schools like Harvard and Yale when asked about top colleges.

However, these schools have been pushed aside by institutions like Washington University of St. Louis in recent years.

As you look at top colleges and universities in the United States, you should understand some of the facts and myths associated with higher education to find your favorite schools.

History

The history of colleges and universities can be traced to the days of Plato teaching philosophy at his academy.

Most historians agree that the University of Constantinople’s opening in 425 represented the first university featuring the academic standards we see today.

The high standards of today’s top colleges and universities go back to the rigorous studies done in medieval times at the University of Cologne and Harvard University, which opened in 1636.

Function

The primary function of top colleges and universities is to provide undergraduate and graduate degrees to the best students in the world.

Major universities like the University of California-Berkeley and Harvard University use interdisciplinary studies to ensure that graduates are grounded in science, art and the humanities.

Another aspect of the best colleges in the United States involves the notion of the “college town.” The University of Utah has breathed life into Provo, Utah, and Harvard University has put New Haven, Connecticut, on the map due to the students, teachers and staff at these schools.

Features

The essential elements of a top university include a student union, residence hall and modern academic buildings. The union acts as a fundamental resource for food, special events and study areas for students far away from home.

Major universities are investing in new residence halls with fitness centers, computer labs and restaurants to help students relax as they prepare for difficult courses.

The biggest differences between a mid-level and upper echelon university are laboratories, libraries and lecture halls built for the 21st century.

Each building should have wireless connectivity, meeting spaces and presentation equipment to break away from traditional methods of learning.

Size

There is no consistent rule dictating enrollment size for the top colleges and universities in the United States. Public university systems across the country typically enroll higher numbers than their private counterparts due to state funding.

The University of California-Berkeley enrolled 34,953 undergraduate students in 2007 while the University of Virginia enrolled 24,257 students in the same period.

These numbers overshadow the size of private schools like Princeton University with 7,334 undergraduates and the California Institute of Technology with 2,133 students. Read the rest of this entry »

Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging and focuses on the physical, mental and social changes of people as they grow older.

Various colleges and universities in the United States now offer programs in gerontology. Master’s degrees and certificates are available in gerontology.

University of Northern Colorado

The University of Northern Colorado in Greeley has a Master’s program and certificate program in gerontology.

The Master of Arts program in gerontology focuses on the preparation of working with older adults in management and direct service.

Students take courses in community resources for the elderly, social policies of the aging, health aspects of gerontology and psychosocial aspects of aging.

An internship and practicum in gerontology is also required. The Master’s program is available at the University of Northern Colorado campus or online.

There is also a graduate certificate program available in gerontology. This is an online, 12-credit certificate program for students who pursing graduate degrees in another discipline or those obtaining a professional designation such as an RN.

These students take required courses in the Master’s program along with two gerontology electives.

Hofstra University

Hofstra University is a private university in Long Island, New York. The school offers a Master of Science in gerontology.

Students focus on vocational and health counseling, individual and family counseling and pre-retirement planning. Students must complete an internship before obtaining the degree.

Hofstra University also offers an advanced certificate program in gerontology. This is a 21-semester-hour program offering an interdisciplinary background in gerontology combined with a related field placement.

Students take the required courses from the Master’s program in gerontology as well as various gerontology related electives. An internship is also required for completion of the program. Read the rest of this entry »

Gerontology is the study of aging and old age.

Gerontology degree programs focus on many different areas, including the biology, psychology and the views of aging based on society, literature, history, philosophy and religion.

Many colleges and universities across the country offer gerontology programs that prepare students for careers assisting the elderly.

High School Preparation

Students interested in pursuing a gerontology degree in college can begin preparing in high school. Advanced Placement courses in math and science will be especially helpful for college preparation.

According to the Princeton Review website, courses in English, philosophy, psychology, government and history will also be beneficial.

Outside of school, consider volunteering at a nursing home or senior center to become more familiar with the elderly and the aging issues they face.

Degree Information

Unlike geriatrics, which mostly studies medical issues associated with aging, gerontology studies aging and old age in a more interdisciplinary way.

Students pursuing this degree can expect to study the biology of aging, how aging affects the elderly psychologically, current societal views of aging and how aging has been viewed historically, which can be learned by examining literature, philosophy, history and religion. Read the rest of this entry »