Pasadena, CA – March 29, 2022 – The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM) was named today as the 6th Most Diverse Medical School in the nation and 2nd in California by U.S. News & World Report as part of the 2023 Best Medical School Rankings.
The 2023 Best Medical School Rankings is part of U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the Best Graduate Schools in the country. For the second consecutive year, U.S. News published four new rankings of medical schools, including the Most Diverse Medical Schools.
KPSOM, which is located in Pasadena, Calif., opened in July 2020 with the mission of providing a world-class medical education that ignites a passion for learning, a desire to serve, and an unwavering commitment to improve the health and well-being of patients and communities.
“Promoting inclusiveness and diversity in medical education and the health professions is one of our school’s core values,” said Mark Schuster, MD, PhD, founding dean and chief executive officer of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. “The concepts of equity, inclusion, and diversity inform so much of what we do, and we continue to look for ways to become a more and more inclusive school. We are honored to be recognized as one of the Most Diverse Medical Schools in the country.”
According to U.S. News & World Report, the percentage of underrepresented and under-included in medicine, or URiM, students enrolled at most medical schools is below the percentage of URiM in their state or in the U.S. URiM is defined as students who are Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. To measure how successful individual medical and osteopathic schools are at enrolling URiM students, U.S. News & World Report included 126 medical and osteopathic schools in its consideration for Most Diverse Medical Schools. KPSOM’s inaugural class of students, who entered in 2020, is 36% self-identified as URiM. The second class, which entered in 2021, is 40% self-identified as URiM.
“We believe in the importance of diversity of thought, life experiences, race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, language, abilities, veteran status, and socioeconomic background, and this is reflected in the variety of backgrounds embedded within our student body,” said Lindia Willies-Jacobo, MD, KPSOM senior associate dean for admissions and equity, inclusion, and diversity. “We are thrilled to be recognized by U.S. News and remain committed to creating and fostering a diverse and inclusive community of students, faculty, and staff.”
In addition to this accolade, the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) commended KPSOM for its commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity in July 2021 when granting candidacy for its accreditation. KPSOM received a total of five commendations from the WSCUC, two of which highlighted the school’s efforts and progress in equity, inclusion, and diversity.
Read U.S. News & World Report’s list of Most Diverse Medical Schools here .
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About the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine is devoted first and foremost to offering an outstanding, forward-thinking medical education. Its curriculum is built on the three pillars of Biomedical Science, Clinical Science, and Health Systems Science. Students think broadly about the ways care can be more effective for everyone and learn how to advocate for better health in homes, school, workplaces, neighborhoods, and society at large. The school incorporates many of the most innovative and effective educational practices available today and gives students the opportunity to learn from the physicians and care teams in Kaiser Permanente’s integrated healthcare system . This approach provides future physicians the knowledge and skills to play key roles in the transformation of healthcare in our nation and help people from all backgrounds and settings thrive.
