Medical science has emerged as one of the most sought after discipline to pursue, and is said to deliver a promising career. Many aspiring individuals are interested in exploring this field and serving the society at large. With technological innovations and advanced approaches making their way into every domain, medical science is also stepping up and embracing positive transformations. The leading educational institutes catering to the medical sciences discipline are leaving no stones unturned to provide students with quality curricular and co-curricular facilities, while paving the pathway to a promising career.
One such dedicated front runner in the field of medical education is the University of Utah School of Medicine (SOM). It was established in 1905 and is located on the upper campus of the University of Utah (U of U) in Salt Lake City, Utah.
SOM offers the only MD program in the state, and engages in year-round community outreach programs to encourage students to consider careers in health care, including medicine. Over the last four years, applications to the MD program have nearly tripled. This growth is owed to the school’s clinical and campus resources, along with Salt Lake City’s incredible lifestyle benefits.
Ranked among the top 50 of US medical schools, SOM offers the No. 5 ranked Physician Assistant program. In addition to traditional MD degree, it also offers combined degrees such as MD-PhD, MD-MPH, and MD-MBA.
Perched on the foothills of the incredible Wasatch Mountains, the University of Utah campus overlooks Salt Lake City. Right from the campus, students can access hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails. The deeply powdered slopes of 11 ski resorts lie within a half-hour’s drive of campus. Five national parks, 43 state parks, 120+ golf courses, a vibrant downtown scene, and affordable living complete the picture.
An Abode of Excellence
With a clinical footprint covering nearly 10% of the US, students at the University of Utah enjoy uncommonly broad access to a variety of health care settings. Urban, rural, and even frontier populations offer unrivaled diversity of clinical experience.
The University of Utah Health is renowned for being the only university health system in the Mountain West, handling 1.7M+ annual patient visits. It employs more than 5,000 practicing clinicians and nurses in its four hospitals, the Clinical Neuroscience Center, and 12 community health centers. The physicians also support a joint on-campus venture with the Intermountain Healthcare-operated Primary Children’s Hospital.
It also provides the students constant exposure to research. The school is known for expertise in genetics, cancer, biomedical informatics, neuroscience, and infectious disease. As stewards of the world’s largest collection of multigenerational pedigrees tied to health information, the University is advancing a new era of precision medicine and population health through its Utah Genome Project (UGP). UGP is a large-scale genome sequencing and analysis initiative pooling faculty expertise, genetics resources, and leading-edge computational technologies. Medical students are part of this effort, helping advance prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of genetics-influenced conditions.
SOM has one of the nation’s highest faculty-to-student ratios. A seamless integration with the 23 departments allows students, residents, and fellows to receive deep exposure to pioneering efforts in healthcare value and quality.
Leadership’s Mettle
The person taking University of Utah to the pinnacle of excellence is none other than A. Lorris Betz. An MD and PhD, Betz serves as interim Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, CEO of the Health System, and Executive Dean of the medical school, having served previously in that role from 1999-2011.
He is an internationally-recognized leader in academic health administration. Betz has led U of U Health’s system-wide mission of providing world-class patient care, delivering outstanding medical education, and conducting transformative research. Additionally, he has initiated efforts that led U of U Health to be recognized among the nation’s top 10 academic medical centers for eight consecutive years.
Another personality responsible for the development of the university is Michael L. Good, the Dean of the SOM. He joined the university in August 2018, after more than three decades of teaching, innovation, and leadership at the University of Florida (UF). Good’s leadership has enhanced U of U Health’s reputation as an academic health system that provides world-class health care, research, education, and service to the state, region, and nation.
Achieving the Best in Education and Healthcare
University of Utah Health serves the people of Utah and beyond by continually improving individual and community health and quality of life. This is achieved through excellence in patient care, education, and research; each is vital to its mission and makes the others stronger. It provides compassionate care without compromise and educates scientists and health care professionals for the future. The university also engages in research to advance knowledge and well-being.
Driven by values of compassion and collaboration, the university emphasizes on embracing innovation and the responsibility to enhance healthcare. Diversity and integrity being the hallmarks of the U of U, it aims to deliver quality services and gain trust.
Jewels of the University
Throughout its journey of transforming individuals into successful and dedicated professionals, the institute has nurtured numerous graduates, who are transforming the world through their endeavors. Some of the renowned alumni of the U of U include Russell M. Nelson, MD. PhD, who helped develop the heart-lung machine and performed Utah’s first open heart surgery in 1955; Homer R. Warner, MD. PhD, founded the nation’s first biomedical informatics department, pioneering evidence-based clinical care, in 1964; and Robert Jarvik, MD, who developed the Jarvik-7 artificial heart.
Emphasis on Research and Patient Care
The University of Utah School of Medicine is internationally regarded for its innovative basic science and biomedical research. It is renowned for Nobel laureate Mario Capecchi’s landmark work in gene targeting to pioneering investigations in areas as diverse as neural interfaces, and using stem cells to regenerate healthy tissue in diseased hearts.
With almost $246.7 million in annual research funding, the School of Medicine also has earned a well-deserved reputation among physicians and scientists as a place where faculty and students can pursue creative and novel ideas in a collaborative and supportive environment.
Providing Financial Assistance
The university not only provides excellent educational facilities, but also offers adequate financial support to the students. SOM and the Financial Aid Office assist students in meeting the cost of attending medical school through various scholarships and loans. Funds from various sources may be ‘packaged’ to cover costs of attendance. These may include loans, scholarships, federal aid, and various repayment programs. It also offers awards on the basis of merit, although many are based on demonstrated financial need.
Career Development Initiatives
The university aims to ensure that each student is provided with the very best career opportunities. With a wide array of openings and experiences, it allows each student to build their own road to career excellence. Co-location with University Hospital and the U of U Health system gives medical students deep clinical exposure from day one. The university’s hallmark is to provide opportunities to participate in pioneering efforts in health care value and quality. Its residency match rate is higher than the national average of 96.2%.
To Know more about The University of Utah School of Medicine, visit: https://medicine.utah.edu/
