Cynthia Yeldell: 615.327.6986 or 615.280.0319 or cyeldell@mmc.edu

Stacey Nickens: 615.775.8601 or snickens@mmc.edu

MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP PRODUCERS OF PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS

New Study from the Annals of Internal Medicine Ranks Meharry second in the nation in Social Mission and fourth in Primary Care Physician Output

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(Nashville, Tenn.) – (June 14, 2010) – A new study from the Annals of Internal Medicine ranks Meharry Medical College as one of the nation’s top producers of primary care physicians and second highest in “social mission score."

The first-of-a-kind quantitative study funded by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation ranked all the nation’s 141 allopathic and osteopathic medical schools based on three metrics: 1999-2001 medical school graduates who practice in primary care, number of medical school graduates who work in health professional shortage areas and number of physician graduates who are underrepresented minorities in medicine. The three metrics combined create a social mission score and ranking.

Morehouse School of Medicine ranked first in social mission while Meharry came in at number two. The other Tennessee medical school ranked in the top twenty using this new methodology was the twelfth ranked East Tennessee State University’s Quillen School of Medicine. Howard University, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and the University of Kansas round out the top five. 

In primary care physician output, two Tennessee schools rank in the top five in the nation. East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine is the number one producer of primary care physicians in the nation, followed by  East Carolina University Brody School, West Virginia SOM, Meharry Medical College and Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine.

“This powerful new study and ranking is very important because it validates in a sophisticated and evidence based manner the impressive work of institutions like ours and the value proposition we incessantly articulate to our applicants, student and trainees -- that primary care and serving underserved communities is important to communities all across the nation," said Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP, President & Chief Executive Officer of Meharry Medical College. “Often the elite and larger schools have real difficulty embracing and emphasizing the worth of primary care as a career pursuit for medical students. In spite of its rigorous scientific basis, the practice of medicine is indeed a social pursuit and, as I often tell our students, when you put the initials M.D. behind your name it comes with a strong obligation to serve.”

The study, led by Fitzhugh Mullan, M.D., a professor of health policy at George Washington University, breaks new ground in medical school ranking research. Medical school rankings often come under fire of their methodological weaknesses including using subjective rather than objective assessments. Researchers hope this study will be a starting point for further dialogue addressing the role of medical schools in determining the make-up of the U.S. physician workforce.

“The social mission of medicine and medical education should be important to everyone. It isn’t just about rural areas or just about poor people, it’s about the entire fabric of how we deliver care,” Mullan said. “As patients are insured through health reform, the first place they will go is the primary care office. Medical schools need to be mindful of the nation’s requirements for primary care, for doctors prepared to work in underserved communities and for minority physicians to help meet the growing and changing needs of the country.”

The 10 schools with the highest social mission scores (ranked from highest to lowest):
 

About Meharry Medical College

Meharry Medical College is the nation’s largest private, independent, historically black academic health center dedicated solely to educating minority and other health professionals. True to its heritage, it is a United Methodist Church affiliated institution. The College is particularly well known for its uniquely nurturing, highly effective educational programs; emerging preeminence in health disparities research; culturally sensitive, evidence-based health services; and significant contribution to the diversity of the nation’s health professions workforce. Diverse Issues in Higher Education’s ranking of institutions annually lists Meharry as a leading national educator of African Americans with M.D. and D.D.S. degrees, and Ph.D. degrees.