TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences has been designated one of the nation’s best medical schools in numerous U.S. News and World Report rankings.
OSU-CHS earned a No. 10 ranking in rural care and the No. 7 spot in health professional shortage areas. In primary care, OSU-CHS is No. 42 in primary care production and No. 13 in diversity.
“Being ranked as one of the top schools in the nation in the areas of graduates practicing in rural areas, medically needy and underserved areas, and the most graduates in primary care is a point of pride for us, but more importantly, we realize that we are answering the call and changing the landscape for a healthier Oklahoma," said Dr. Kayse Shrum, president of the OSU Center for Health Sciences and dean of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. "The ranking as one of the most diverse medical schools is in large part a testament to our partnerships with tribal nations, as well as our commitment to recruit underrepresented minorities to achieve their dream of becoming doctors. All of this speaks to our work toward creating better health outcomes for all Oklahomans."
In 2020, the nation’s first tribally affiliated college of medicine was established with the opening of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation. The No.13 ranking in diversity is a true badge of honor as more Native American students are admitted to medical school, many at OSU’s additional campus in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Doctor training is vitally needed in this current pandemic as rural America is facing a disproportionate share of the negative impacts of COVID-19. In Oklahoma, the COVID-19 mortality rate in rural Oklahoma and among tribal people is much higher than the urban death rate, increasing the need for well-trained physicians.
Oklahoma State University’s medical residency programs bring newly graduated physicians into specifically targeted rural areas to further their medical education while simultaneously serving those outlying communities with direct medical care. OSU has more than doubled its residency training over the national average in the past five years. OSU residency programs have increased 25 percent in that time supplying an accelerated stream of new doctors to rural areas just as the pandemic took root.
“At Oklahoma State, we believe your zip code should not dictate your access to quality health care,” continued Dr. Shrum. “Providing health care to rural and underserved populations is the heart of the OSU-CHS mission. Placing in the top 10 schools serving medically needy and rural areas is especially meaningful.”
The 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings surveyed more than 150 accredited allopathic and osteopathic medical schools in the United States, which grant M.D. and D.O. degrees, respectively.
U.S. News published four new rankings of medical schools, working with the data providing Robert Graham Center, a division of the American Academy of Family Physicians, to measure how medical schools are performing on key health care issues they and their graduates face.
To see the U.S. News and World Report 2022 Best Graduate School rankings, go to the Best Graduate Schools website at https://okla.st/2R1Dg7b.