2014 Rank #2
Harvard Medical School

Location: Boston, MA

Tuition: $49,875

Current Enrollment: 709

Curriculum: During the first two years, students complete the basic curriculum, comprised of courses in biomedical sciences, social and population sciences, pathophysiology, and clinical skills. Students who want to apply for research funding must complete the Scholarship in Medicine course, and students who plan to do a community or international summer project must take the Physician in Community course.

Clinical Training: Students complete required 1-month to 3-month clerkships in their third year, primarily at one of several teaching hospitals in the Boston area. The fourth year leaves room for elective clinical rotations, advanced courses, and scientific research at home or abroad. All fourth year students complete a capstone course in which they review and reinforce the skills needed to manage common medical procedures and focus on the importance of compassion and professionalism in medical practice.

Student Support: Incoming medical students are divided into five academic societies. Each society is supervised by their own faculty and staff members, who encourage small-group learning, peer evaluation, and the development of formal mentoring relationships throughout the four years of medical school. Upon starting clerkships during third year, students are assigned a hospital-based mentor who guides them through their early clinical experiences and helps them choose a career path. 

URL: http://hms.harvard.edu/departments/medical-education