By Doug Bennett
The University of Florida College of Medicine retained its spot as the state’s top-ranked medical school and remains among the nation’s premier institutions, according to new graduate school rankings issued today by U.S. News and World Report. Two other UF colleges — Nursing, and Public Health and Health Professions — made significant gains in the rankings, placing them among the country’s best.
The College of Medicine is ranked No. 16 for research among public universities and No. 37 in the nation overall. In primary care, the college ranked 34th nationally for public institutions and No. 48 overall.
In the U.S. News diversity index, the College of Medicine is No. 19 among public universities and No. 26 overall. Those standings are calculated using metrics that include enrollment of underrepresented groups — 24.3% in 2021.
The UF College of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, or D.N.P., made major strides in the national rankings while remaining No. 1 in Florida. It is now the nation’s No. 15 public program and No. 25 among all institutions. That is up from No. 24 among public schools and No. 36 overall last year. Among public health doctoral programs, the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions now stands at No. 18 among publicly funded schools of public health and No. 29 overall — up four and 12 places, respectively, from a year ago.
“UF Health continues to be among the nation’s elite for health science education and medical research,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health. “These ongoing distinctions are the direct result of the talent and persistence shown by the faculty and staff in our health-related colleges. Their continual dedication is what propels UF Health forward and inspires us all.”
Factors used to compile the College of Medicine rankings include a nationwide survey of faculty and academic administrators, faculty-to-student ratio, federal research funding and acceptance rates. In recent years, the College of Medicine has adopted novel approaches for discovery and medical education, including being a national leader in advancing the application of artificial intelligence. Its faculty also includes world-renowned physicians and scientists.
“The UF College of Medicine continues to solidify its place among the nation’s best institutions for research, primary care and diversity of our medical school classes. It is very rewarding to see the accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students recognized yet again,” said Colleen G. Koch, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., dean of the College of Medicine and the Folke H. Peterson Dean’s Distinguished Professor. “None of this can happen without immense dedication from the entire College of Medicine team. Everyone should be extremely proud of their role in achieving national recognition.”
In the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, faculty members have been at the forefront of fighting the coronavirus pandemic with prominent research and beneficial public outreach. They did so while continuing an unwavering commitment to educating their students.
“Our faculty members’ many contributions to pandemic response, including disease modeling, studies on aerosol transmission, wastewater surveillance, collaborations with the World Health Organization on the implementation and evaluation of vaccine and treatment trials, and combating misinformation through numerous media interviews have no doubt played a part in this recognition from our peers,” said Michael G. Perri, Ph.D., dean of the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions.
The doctoral program in biostatistics, which is run by the UF colleges of Public Health and Health Professions and Medicine, is 11th among public universities and 21st overall.
The College of Nursing’s D.N.P. program earned a place among the nation’s best once again. Earlier in the year, U.S. News also ranked the nurse practitioner role No. 1 in the 2022 Best Health Care Job list, further solidifying the importance of a quality DNP program.
“The significant advancement of the College of Nursing’s D.N.P. program in the rankings is a testament to the commitment to excellence by our students and faculty,” said Anna M. McDaniel, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, UF College of Nursing dean and the Linda Harman Aiken Chair. “I am humbled by the college’s mission to impact practice and advance health equity, and I look forward to continuing to transform health through innovative practice, preeminent research and our exceptional academic programs.”
Patients at UF Health hospitals can take comfort knowing their medical care is supported by nationally recognized clinical and research expertise, said Ed Jimenez, CEO of UF Health Shands.
“Every day, patients from around the state and the southeastern U.S. choose UF Health for its exceptionally high standards and warm care,” Jimenez said. “Through the challenges of a pandemic, our health care providers and staff never wavered. These rankings are a tribute to their efforts to provide extraordinary patient care, research and education. Together, they rise to meet any challenge.”
The latest rankings help solidify UF’s thriving national reputation. In September, U.S. News & World Report ranked the school the country’s No. 5 public university. Other UF colleges remain highly ranked by the publication, including the College of Pharmacy at No. 5 nationally and the College of Veterinary Medicine at No. 9. Those rankings are unchanged because not all programs are ranked every year by U.S. News & World Report.
