U-M doctor training programs rank among best in nation, according to new national survey

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Doctors nationwide rate the University of Michigan Health System as one of the best places for young doctors to train in their chosen field, across 20 medical specialties, according to a new ranking released today.

U-M residency programs earned a top spot in the country in all ranked specialties, from anesthesiology and dermatology to surgery and urology. The first-ever ranking was compiled by the physician network Doximity and U.S. News & World Report.

In 12 of those specialties, U-M ranked in the top 10 in the country. And for new doctors seeking to train at large public hospitals, U-M ranked even higher. Three specialties – otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), pathology and surgery -- ranked at number one in the country among programs at such hospitals.

The new rankings derive from board-certified physicians' answers to a survey about the best residency programs in their specialty. Each could name up to five. Nearly 3,700 residency programs were mentioned in more than 50,000 physician nominations, and U-M's consistently rose to the top.

For details on U-M's performance in each specialty, see http://umhealth.me/resrankspec 

The release of the rankings comes just as this year's class of graduating medical students prepares to apply for their residency spots, through a national system that allows them to rank their preferred training sites, and interview at those that select them for consideration.

Next spring, most of these students will open an envelope and learn where they will go, in a simultaneous national event called Match Day.

In addition to the rankings, Doximity is offering medical students and physicians access to additional data on each residency program in the 20 ranked specialties, such as the percentage of residency alumni who went on to sub-specialize, and the rank of past trainees in publication of research findings.

UMHS has the fourth-largest residency program in the U.S., according to Modern Healthcare, based on Medicare data. Training opportunities go well beyond the 20 specialties ranked by Doximity: UMHS offers physicians clinical training in 105 accredited specialties, from primary care to highly advanced subspecialties.

Currently, 1,199 residents are training in their specialty while helping to care for patients at U-M's Hospitals and Health Centers, under the supervision of U-M Medical School faculty physicians.

Additional facts about UMHS residency programs:

Some UMHS residency programs also give trainees the chance to learn and provide care at partner hospitals, including the VA Ann Arbor Health Care System, St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital, St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea Hospital and Hurley Medical Center in Flint.

The reputation of UMHS training programs attracts a large number of medical residents and fellows (advanced residents) from other states, who move to Michigan for three to seven years of training. In fact, two-thirds of each year's incoming class of residents comes from out of state.

UMHS patients benefit from the expertise of residents and fellows, as well as the faculty physicians who supervise them. About one-third of UMHS residents are doing second or third residencies in complex specialties available at few other hospitals.

After residency, doctors tend to practice near where they trained. About 40 percent of UMHS residents stay in Michigan – and most of those staying are not originally from Michigan.

In recognition of the importance of this training, state and federal governments provide funds to teaching hospitals such as UMHS, to offset the costs associated with involving residents in patient care while also training them. UMHS receives funding for 765 residency slots, but supports additional positions for residents as part of its educational and patient care mission.

Rankings methodology - http://umhealth.me/doxmeth

Access to rankings (some data are visible only by physicians and medical students): www.doximity.com/residency_navigator/programs

SOURCE University of Michigan Health System