Medical Schools for Family Medicine

The United States doesn't have enough primary care physicians to meet the health care needs of its people, and the problem is getting worse: research projects a shortage of more than 33,000 physicians by 2035. The Council on Graduate Medical Education, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Pew Health Professions Commission, and others have called for a U.S. physician workforce that is 40% primary care. With a growing and aging population, it is critical that U.S. medical schools train a physician workforce that meets the health care needs of every American.

Attributes of Strong Family Medicine Programs

Schools that contribute to the family medicine pipeline directly address the need for primary care physicians in the U.S. These schools provide a standard of education that typically includes:  

• A school mission that addresses producing community doctors to provide primary care
  
• Admissions policies that target students from rural and medically underserved areas
  
• Clinical rotations, including electives, that emphasize positive experiences in family medicine early in the curricular structure and that exposure students to community physicians
  
• Faculty involvement in medical school committees and leadership
  
• Strong family medicine interest groups (FMIGs) and leadership opportunities for students
  
• Financial support that minimizes the impact of student debt
• Education and opportunities for students to understand the importance of family medicine and the professional satisfaction the specialty brings

Medical Schools Making a Difference

The tables below show the 20 U.S. allopathic medical schools and 20 osteopathic medical schools that have achieved the greatest percentage of graduates going into family medicine residencies, based on a three-year average (i.e., students who graduated in 2015, 2016, and 2017). These schools are helping grow the primary care workforce and meet the health care needs of the country.

Find complete rankings of all allopathic and osteopathic schools here.

Lists of the Top 20 Allopathic and Osteopathic Medical Schools