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JABSOM students

The University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) is ranked in the top 20 of medical schools in the country, based on the 2016 “Best U.S. Medical Schools” rankings released on March 10 by U.S. News & World Report. Climbing steadily on the list for several years, this is the medical school’s best ever showing in the rankings, which are closely watched among the country’s 171 accredited medical schools.

JABSOM’s ranking—19th in the U.S. for primary care medicine—represents a leap from 2015’s 57th place finish. The 19th ranking in primary care is shared with University of California-Davis, UC-San Diego, and the medical schools at the University of Chicago, the University of Pittsburgh and Washington University in St. Louis.

In addition, the UH Mānoa medical school also ranked in the top 75 in research, landing at 74th, tied with the Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine at Rutgers University. Last year JABSOM research was ranked 78th.

“We are very proud to be selected in the top 20 among U.S. medical schools in primary care,” said Jerris Hedges, dean of JABSOM. “Every year more than half of our graduating physicians choose to continue training toward licensure in primary care fields. These are physicians on the front lines of healthcare delivery—specialists in internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and emergency medicine. The U.S. News & World Report scores continue to show that JABSOM is gaining additional national recognition amongst its fellow U.S. medical schools.”

“We are so grateful to our hard-working faculty (including 1,203 volunteer MD faculty), our students, staff, our alumni and our partners in health at the major medical centers throughout the state,” said Hedges. ”We also enjoy significant support from Governor David Ige, members of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, the university ʻohana and the citizens of Hawaiʻi, and we want to express to them our deeply felt mahalo,”

“The entire campus joins me in congratulating JABSOM, Dean Hedges and the JABSOM ʻohana for the school’s stellar vault into the top 20 of this prestigious U.S. ranking for primary care medicine,” said UH Mānoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman. “Such recognition crystalizes the excellence of JABSOM, and affirms why our leadership continues to support the place of learning that produces physicians at an exemplary and now nationally recognized level.”

Governor David Ige said “Fifty years ago the John A. Burns School of Medicine opened with a vision to provide the best medical education for our community. Today, JABSOM was recognized as one of the top 20 medical schools in the country for primary care medicine. Congratulations to Dean Jerris Hedges, the faculty, staff, students and alumni for fulfilling that vision.”

“Primary care is where doctors are needed most. Building, strengthening and sustaining a medical school for Hawaiʻi has been a shared effort by public officials, our community hospital partners, and the citizens of our great state. Congratulations to all for a job well done!” said Ige.

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