According to The Times Higher Education’s World University medicine rankings, Oxford is the best university in the world for medicine, topping the league table for clinical, preclinical and health subjects.
The Times stated that Oxford University stands out in its medical research, mentioning its long-standing network of clinical research units in Asia and Africa as a particular strength. These centres enable world-leading research on the most pressing global health challenges such as malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS and flu.
A spokesperson for Oxford University commented, “It is tremendous to be listed as the best university for medical sciences, not just in the UK but in the world – above the US powerhouses of Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Stanford.”
Tim Seers, a medical student at Imperial College in London, said however that the methodology of the league tables is a problem. He said, “It places too much emphasis on student satisfaction, which skews other results. For example, Imperial intentionally makes the course difficult and offers students little support, therefore there is lower student satisfaction overall.”
The medical sciences division has enjoyed considerable success iin attracting research funding. In August 2011 more than 100 million pounds to fund research over the next five years was awarded to the university by the National Institute for Health Research.
Alice Caulfield, a first year medic at St Anne’s, commented, “It’s unbelievable, Oxford has the greatest research funds, even though it is one of the smallest medical schools.” Andrew Mawer, a fourth year medic at St Anne’s, found Oxford’s ranking unsurprising, saying, “The teaching at Oxford is really amazing. There are a lot of professors who truly are world leaders in their field at Oxford.” When asked whether he thinks the rankings will affect people’s decisions when applying, he replied, “Applicants dithering between Oxford and Cambridge will certainly be swayed by these rankings.” Mawer added that it would reflect badly on the university if they were not right at the top, saying, “Oxford would need to be worried if they dropped out of the top 10: it would certainly make it harder for them to attract the world class research scientists that give it its edge.”
Caulfield explained her decision to apply to Oxford, saying, “I chose Oxford because the course is academic and mainly theoretical. We learn about the science that underpins medicine rather than spending hours learning how to talk to patients.
“At the end of the day, medicine is a science. One needs to understand the scientific principles behind a diagnosis before learning how to communicate.”
Professor Andrew Hamilton, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, released a statement concerning the merger, ‘With the joint working agreement now coming into effect, we are determined to deliver a true health sciences partnership that provides high-quality healthcare for patients backed by the latest in world-leading medical research.’
Dr. Lancaster is convinced that the newly-integrated trust will result in many benefits, ‘The new organisation will facilitate the translation of research findings into advances in patient care, leading to improved care for NHS patients and a stimulating environment for medical training.’
