Educational Objective

Since accepting its first class in 1970, the primary responsibility of the School of Medicine has been to provide our students with an accessible, comprehensive and personally rewarding medical education of the highest quality and one which optimally prepares them to excel as tomorrow's physicians-caring, competent, productive and fulfilled in their chosen career serving a diversity of patients, communities and the health sciences. The school is committed to training in the full range of medical disciplines, with an emphasis on practice in the primary care specialties, in the public sector and in underserved areas of Massachusetts. Our educational program, nationally recognized for excellence in primary care training by U.S.News & World Report, has benefited from recent investments in state-of-the-art educational technology and medical simulation, and an array of expanded elective offerings to complement our new competency-based curriculum. Our education program provides outstanding clinical training and preparation for graduates' diverse career choices beyond medical school, whether in primary care or the medical specialties, and our fast-paced growth and leadership in health science research offers exceptional research opportunities for our students. 

The medical school's educational mission is enhanced by over 45 accredited residency and 28 fellowship programs; the awarding of over 31,000 continuing medical education certificates to date to the region's health care professionals; cooperative degree programs with area colleges and universities; diverse community-based education programs across the state of Massachusetts; outstanding achievements in basic and clinical research in the health sciences; and our Commonwealth Medicine initiative, dedicated to serving the state's broad community of health care and service agencies. As the Commonwealth's only public medical school, UMMS places an emphasis on partnerships with the community, creating opportunities for students to learn in and contribute to serving Massachusetts communities and the care of our vulnerable populations.

The School of Medicine's educational program has been enriched through national grant awards that promote quality, innovation and national distinction in medical education. Over the past 10 years, these awards have included: 

  • Undergraduate Medical Education for the 21st Century Associate Partnership (1998-2001), promoting teaching and understanding about our changing health care systems, medical care delivery models and health policies; 
  • Macy Initiatives in Health Communication (1998-2006), a multi-staged project designed to catapult communication skills into the mainstream of medical education; 
  • Enhancing Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine Education in Undergraduate Medical Education, AAMC/John A. Hartford Foundation (2001-2003), dedicated to enhancing our students' preparedness and commitment to care for the needs of the elderly; 
  • A Comprehensive Approach to Sexual Health in Undergraduate Medical School Curricula, Pfizer, Inc. (2001-2003), promoting the development of curricular innovations in sexual health; 
  • Educational Development for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, (2003-2007), integrating educational objectives and curricula in Complementary and Alternative Medicine into the mainstream of the medical school curriculum; 
  • Stemmler Medical Education Grant of the National Board of Medical Examiners (2003-2005), investigating the use of standardized patients in assessing medical students' behaviors and skills in the domain of professionalism; 
  • AMA Medical Education Research Consortium (2005-2007), a national consortium of medical schools dedicated to furthering rigorous research in medical education, with a focus on the "art of medicine" competencies. 
  • Marrow for Tomorrow, AAMC Caring for Community grant (2005-2007), a student-led initiative to increase the representation of underserved minority populations in the marrow donor pool through outreach and education. 


The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences trains students as scientists through laboratory research relating to human disease, and as educators by promoting service as faculty members in institutions devoted to the medical sciences. UMMS-trained research scientists also play a key role in the Commonwealth's vital biotechnology industry.

The Graduate School of Nursing , which offers master's and doctoral degrees, educates clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners and nurse managers within two specialties: adult acute/critical care and adult ambulatory/community care nurse practitioner. The collaborative doctoral program, between the University of Massachusetts’ Amherst and Worcester campuses, prepares nurse scientists for faculty, research and other nursing leadership positions.

The medical school's research enterprise has grown exponentially over the last decade. UMMS is now number two in the nation for growth in extramural funding. With the opening of the Cancer Center in 1993, UMMS and its clinical partner, UMass Memorial Health Care, are working to bridge basic and clinical research to patient care. Evolving research at the Cancer Center includes the application of gene therapy and bone marrow transplantation as treatment for cancer patients. Other areas of research excellence include infectious diseases, heart disease, genetics, bone disorders, and diabetes.

Adding to its research strength, the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research became a member of the UMMS family in 1998, bringing with it a national reputation for excellence in basic research in the biological and medical sciences. Best known for its invention of the birth control pill, the Worcester Foundation is pursuing exciting developments in three major areas: 

  • the zone between studies of cell growth and tumor biology and the clinical science of oncology 
  • basic neuroscience and its applications to disorders of the mind and nervous system 
  • analysis of how genes direct embryonic development