After completing medical school, new doctors participate in specialized residency programs in areas like emergency or internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery or oncology and more. Individual programs may be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
School Information
Some of the best residency programs are available through medical schools that have earned top rankings from U.S. News & World Report for 2017. Three of these schools are profiled below. Harvard University was ranked #1 among medical schools, and the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University tied for #3.
Harvard University in Boston, MA
| School Highlight: This school offers various residency programs, in a multitude of areas of study. |
Although Harvard Medical School does not have its own teaching hospital, it is affiliated with 16 hospitals and medical centers, including Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Harvard's internal medicine residency program in particular is affiliated with various hospitals, including MGH. Other residency programs at Harvard Medical School include orthopedics, psychiatry, radiation oncology and plastic surgery.
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA
| School Highlight: This school, with 775 medical students, houses a faculty of 2,100 for its medical students. |
The school is the oldest medical school in the country with a teaching hospital and offers a pediatric residency in 19 subspecialties. The programs are taught by national and international specialists in their fields.
Additional programs include residencies in emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine and ophthalmology, among other specializations. Residents complete their training at area medical facilities, including the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hospital, Pennsylvania Presbyterian Medical Center and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD
| School Highlight: The school offers nearly 30 residency programs. |
There are many residency programs available at Johns Hopkins University. Students can find programs available in subjects such as internal medicine, psychiatry and surgery, among many others. In most programs, residents get clinical training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, but there are internal medicine programs that include training at Bayview Medical Center or Sinai Hospital.
Top Universities with Residency Programs
Here are three more universities that offer residency programs, each of which was ranked within the top 15 medical schools by U.S. News & World Report for 2017:
- At Stanford University in Stanford, CA, the comprehensive plastic and reconstructive surgery program includes cosmetic surgery, microsurgery and burn care.
- The University of California in Los Angeles offers a urology residency. The UCLA Hospital was ranked #3 in country for 2016-2017, according to U.S. World & News Report.
- At the University of Chicago in Chicago, IL, the emergency medicine residency takes place in three different level-one trauma centers.
After earning an M.D., aspiring medical professionals can find excellent residency opportunities at some of the country's best universities.
