To embark on a fulfilling and exciting medical career, it’s vital that you choose the best medical school for your education. If you have the option of traveling anywhere in the world for your studies, consider this list of some of the best medical schools in the world and what makes them so renowned. You can then narrow down your choices according to your tuition budget, the field of study, career aspirations, and the academic programs offered by each of these best medical schools in the World.

List of World’s Top Best Medical Schools

1. Harvard University Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Harvard University is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the United States and has one of the most prestigious medical schools in the world. It’s reported that some 20% of its graduate students are international. The Harvard Library is also the largest academic library in the world, with over 19 million volumes under the roofs of its 70 libraries.

Harvard Medical School is associated with many teaching hospitals in the area, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The university offers medical students a variety of studies, including dual degrees such as business and law. Housing is available on campus including 12 undergraduate houses for incoming students.

Check Also: 12 Free Medical Schools with No Tuition

2. Oxford University Medical School, Oxford, United Kingdom

Located some 60 miles north of London, Oxford University is said to trace its roots back to the 11th century. Today the university is known as one of the most prestigious and desirable schools in the UK and the world. More than half of Oxford’s students are involved in research as part of their overall studies, including those few admitted to its medical school, often considered one of the world’s best.

Oxford is made up of one central university and then 38 colleges and six private halls, offering a range of concentrated subjects for students. The University offers more than 900 scholarships available, including the renowned Rhodes Scholarship.

3. Johns Hopkins University Medical School, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is a private institution known for its clinical research in public health and biomedical engineering. The school has campuses in Baltimore and the nearby District of Columbia, as well as Italy and China. Undergraduate students are required to live on campus during their first two years of study.

The associated Johns Hopkins teaching hospital is highly ranked because of its many specialties, and undergraduates who wish to involve themselves in research can do so through provisions from Provost’s Undergraduate Research Awards program, among others. A faculty sponsor assists students with finding financial and other support, as needed.

4. University of California San Francisco Medical School, San Francisco, California, USA

Founded in 1864, UCSF offers only graduate-level programs for medical students. While tuition costs are increased for non-California residents, the school does have limited housing for students near two of its campuses.

The university has four fields of medical study, including dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and medicine, as well as a physical therapy program. Students are offered a range of master’s and doctoral degrees.

UCSF Global Health Sciences focuses on international health issues, and the university is associated with the nearby UCSF Medical Center, a teaching hospital. UCSF receives much of its public funding from the National Institutes of Health, more so than any other public school in the U.S., and has partnerships with Pfizer and GE Healthcare. You should definitely consider studying at UCSF medical school, which is a top medical school in the world.

5. University of Toronto Medical School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thousands of foreign students have studied at the University of Toronto since its establishment in 1827. While tuition is higher for foreign students, the university still attracts pupils from China, Taiwan, and the U.S., among other countries and provinces.

The University of Toronto is known for one major innovation, the discovery of insulin, which came from its researchers in 1920, one of whom won the Nobel prize for his work. The school’s 44 libraries also house over 19 million physical volumes.

The university offers some 700 undergraduate and 200 master’s and doctoral programs, including studies in public health and applied science. Student housing is guaranteed for all undergraduates.

Check Also: Best Medical Schools in Canada

6. Duke University Medical School, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Of the 15,000 students who attend Duke University, some 10% of the undergraduates and nearly a quarter of the graduate students are international. Undergraduates are required to live on campus for three years, and can also choose to do so during their senior year. There is no housing provided for post-graduate studies.

The associated Duke University Hospital, a teaching hospital, is highly ranked for its many specialties. Duke is also known to spend quite a bit of its funding on research; reportedly $1 billion in funds were devoted to research sciences during one recent year alone. Renowned colleges within the university include the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, the Duke Global Health Institute, and the Duke Population Research Institute.

7. Columbia University Medical School, New York, New York, USA

Located on the upper west side of Manhattan, Columbia University’s student body is roughly 30% international. University housing is provided and some 90% of their undergraduates live on campus.

The university’s College of Physicians and Surgeons is highly ranked and world-renowned medical school, as are its associated hospitals, including nearby New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell. There are also some 200 university centers and institutes at which students study and conduct research as part of their academic training.

For students who wish to study abroad, Columbia University has global centers in Beijing, Mumbai, Paris, Istanbul, Nairobi, Santiago, and Rio de Janeiro.

Discover more: Best Medical Schools in the United States

8. University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

More than 40,000 students attend the University of Michigan, just 45 miles west of Detroit. The university also hosts international students from more than 110 countries and provinces.

While the primary language of instruction is English, the university teaches some 65 foreign languages as well. There is a variety of housing options for all incoming students, including housing on and off campus.

The university has spent over $1 billion in research expenditures in recent years, with medical sciences receiving the highest percentage of research funding. The university is home to the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, the Ground Robotics Research Center, and the Addiction Research Center, among others.

9. Karolinska Institute, Sweden

Karolinska Institute is another prestigious medical school that was founded in 1810 by King Karl XIII. Since then, it has provided students with an advanced and comprehensive six-year medical program. Getting admission to this institute is no joke as it refers to merit-based candidates.

It currently houses over 6000 students for undergraduate programs, Masters, and complex single courses. It is ranked in the top 50 universities of the world with research centers within, having produced a multitude of Nobel laureates over the years.

Talking about that medical program is divided into two phases. These are pre-clinical and clinical which can lead you to a degree of MD. It currently costs up to 70,000 Swedish Krona for Non- European students. Whereas European students can study here for free.

Its scholarship programs for foreign exchange students provide enough to sustain the course of the respective program. However, this medical program has exclusivity in Swedish so candidates are required to have entry-level Swedish language courses in order to apply.

Learn more about: Best Medical Schools in Sweden

10. The University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, USA

Starting as the first medical school in the USA and now ranked as number 3, Perelman School of Medicine is a highly acclaimed university in the world. It is known to be the leading biomedical research center in the country. This Ivy League university brings its prospective students, to a four-year medical program covering everything from preclinical to clinical practice.

Their MD program is open to students from within and outside of the university. To get admission, simple requirements are to hold merit in standardized tests such as MCAT scores, etc.

It offers online information sessions every year which you can gain further knowledge from. The tuition fee for all candidates for the medical program is currently USD 67,384. It also trains students in a state-of-the-art, clinical simulation center, which has 12 exam rooms for standardized patient training.

Along with this, they offer personal aid programs for foreign students to catch up with travel and living expenses. Moreover, they also offer loans as per student requirements. UPenn has the highest rate of students getting placed as medical residents every year. That’s why it is highly regarded and sought after by thousands of students every year.

11. Imperial College of London, UK

Adding a renowned name to the list of top-notch medical schools is Imperial College London. It is a leading medical institution with the largest medical facility in Europe. If talking about ranking, among the 100 medical schools worldwide, this lands at #10 on the list. It is enriched with an innovative education system and practices.

The Institute offers broader clinical skills training as well as broad exposure to patients for practice. Housing in the Saint Mary’s campus, Its 6-year medical curriculum is divided into three phases. The first phase concentrate on basic health and literature. However, the third stage allows students to train and practice patient care, as well as conduct desired research.

Currently, the undergraduate tuition fee for MBBS in this college is €32,000 leading up to €47,000 per year. Along with this, they offer grants to provide financial aid for indigent students.

Their medical courses cover a diverse range of specialty fields and the experience assisting a further career in medicine. However, admission to this college is no child’s play. All candidates eligible must have a striking score in the required entrance tests and must be intellectually competitive to land a spot in its medical program.

See Also: Cheap Medical Schools in UK

12. University of Massachusetts, Chan Medical School, USA

Breaking away from the conventional medical education system approach, Umass currently devised a curriculum called Vista. This curriculum consists of four professional years of medical studies with an emphasis on technology integration.

With a high entrance score requirement, the Chan Medical School asks for specific merit in MDCAT for admission along with a bachelor’s degree. Their current fee for medical school applicants is $39,250 in this institute.

It offers its students a broad variety of further opportunities, putting its graduates in modern healthcare services. This medical school ranks # 47 among the leading medical schools in the country which makes it a desired institute for many.

13. The University of Singapore – Yong Loo Lin School Of Medicine, Singapore

Originally established around 1905 with only the intention of aiding the Singaporean public, the National University of Singapore was once a graduate school with a total of 23 enrolled pupils. The ideals of the institution still remain true to its original purpose. NUS’s primary goals are talent development and devotion to patient care.

The school’s medical program takes pries in generating field-oriented yet highly trained medical doctors. The 5-year MBBS program stresses cross-disciplinary teamwork and prepares students for an advanced future medical workforce. This medical school offers a comprehensive medical education and helps students become knowledgeable leaders.

The tuition fee to get into a medical program at NUS is 48,050 SGD for Singaporean students per year. However, foreign students, charge 72,824 SGD per annum. Alongside this many scholarships are offered to foreign students to cover the costs of travel and living with getting a medical degree.

14. The University of Washington, School of Medicine, USA

In 1946, the University of Washington established its School of Medicine intending to provide students with high-quality clinical training with in-depth medical skills. Located in the Pacific Northwest, the University of Washington School of Medicine, another top leading medical institute in the world is a government-based institution of higher education in the healthcare profession.

Everyone who wants to become a doctor in the United States has the opportunity to pursue that goal at UWSOM in just four years. The National Medical Council (NMC) and the Northwest Council on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) have both validated the overall quality of the clinical training offered here.

There are two parts to their medical program leading to an MD degree. In the first stage, students spend two years learning the principles of anatomy, physiology, and the concept of medical diseases. This phase of the program would be followed by a second year of practical rotations.

During the second part of their education, students rotate through several clinical settings, beginning with general practice in patient care and progressing through specialized internal medicine and advanced practice.

The tuition fee required to get admission to this accredited school of medicine is $94,457. Also, every student, but notably those requiring financial aid, can anticipate the full assistance of the institution. However, for admission, they require outstanding scores in MDCAT and relevant tests required.

15. The University of Tokyo, Faculty of Medicine, Japan

The fifteen academic programs offered by the University of Tokyo provide a unique curriculum and research possibilities. Hospitals and research institutions are connected to the Faculty of Medicine at this institution via the Medical College and the Institute of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences.

This school aims to advance knowledge in medicine and health sciences by supporting and encouraging research projects in these fields. Their academic activities span the whole medical spectrum, churning forth professionals that are simultaneously brilliant and conscientious at the global level.

This institution’s MBBS program lasts for 6 years and involves both preliminary and clinical training, preparing students to become licensed physicians. It costs entry-level admission from 4,800,000 Yen and after two years goes up to 4,920,000 each year. They also provide loan facilities to international deserving students.

Find out about: Best Medical Schools in Japan

Throughout the world, the best medical schools are renowned for their research facilities, training opportunities, expert faculty, and so on. These schools harbor highly-skilled professionals in the field of medicine. However, admission to these institutes is highly-competitive, as hundreds and thousands of students try their luck. The article outlines a few of the best medical schools for aspiring students that can go a long way in achieving their goals and academic interests. If you are still uncertain about which medical school you should apply to due to financial reasons, here is our curated list of Free Medical Schools with No Tuition.

We hope that this list of the best medical schools in the world was helpful.  Make sure to also check out our Scholarships Page for different information on scholarships and universities across the globe! You can also check all the Available Programs for International Students!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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