Major Medical Schools Opt Out of U.S. News Rankings
Major Medical Schools Opt Out of U.S. News Rankings
The medical schools of Columbia, Stanford, Penn, and Mount Sinai, along with Cornell, Duke, Chicago, and Washington, have announced their departure from the U.S. News & World Report medical school rankings, citing its narrow and elitist perspective and a lack of focus on diverse and well-trained doctors.
Columbia, Stanford, Penn, and More Drop Out of US News Medical School Rankings
February 2, 2023
Leading medical schools in the United States, including those of Columbia, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania and Mount Sinai, have announced their decision to stop participating in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. This follows a similar move by Harvard University’s medical school earlier this month, leading to speculation of a revolt similar to the one led by Yale’s law school. The deans of these medical schools have criticized the rankings, stating that they perpetuate a narrow and elitist perspective on medical education and prioritize standardized test scores and institutional wealth over training a diverse and well-educated cohort of doctors.
The deans have also expressed concerns about the rankings reducing the achievements of these schools to one number, the total federal funding received, which does not represent their hard work, dedication, and impact on society. The schools are instead planning to create new metrics that reflect their education, research, and patient care efforts, as well as the diversity and equity of their programs.
U.S. News & World Report has responded by saying that its mission is to help prospective students make informed decisions about their educational future and that students deserve access to all relevant information. Some higher education observers have speculated that this move by the medical schools, following the law schools, signals a death knell for the rankings. However, undergraduate and other rankings are different from those of law and medical schools.
5 takeaways:
Leading medical schools in the United States, including Columbia, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania and Mount Sinai, have decided to stop participating in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Harvard University’s medical school also announced their decision earlier this month, leading to speculation of a revolt similar to the one led by Yale’s law school.
The deans of these schools criticized the rankings for perpetuating a narrow and elitist perspective and for prioritizing standardized test scores and institutional wealth over diversity and education.
The schools plan to create new metrics that better reflect their education, research, and patient care efforts, as well as their programs' diversity and equity.
U.S. News & World Report stated that its mission is to help prospective students make informed decisions and that they believe students deserve access to all relevant information.