Medicine: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Prepared for the independent practice of medicine, this rigorous academic pathway equips learners with the comprehensive knowledge and clinical expertise required to prevent, diagnose, and treat a broad spectrum of human health conditions. Grounded in scientific inquiry and patient-centered care, the program fosters the development of skilled, ethically grounded physicians capable of delivering high-quality medical services across diverse clinical settings.
- Basic Medical Sciences: Foundational study of human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology to understand the biological basis of health and disease.
- Clinical Medicine: Application of medical knowledge in real-world patient care, emphasizing evidence-based decision-making and diagnostic reasoning.
- Physical Examination and Diagnostic Techniques: Mastery of clinical skills for systematic patient assessment, including history-taking, physical exams, and interpretation of diagnostic tests.
- Patient Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Development of effective, empathetic communication strategies to build trust, convey complex information, and support patient autonomy.
- Medical Ethics and Law: Exploration of ethical dilemmas, patient rights, confidentiality, informed consent, and legal responsibilities within healthcare practice.
- Professional Standards and Practice: Training in accountability, lifelong learning, quality improvement, and adherence to national and institutional medical guidelines.
- Clinical Rotations in Core Specialties: Hands-on experience across key disciplines including internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, neurology, ophthalmology, radiology, clinical pathology, anesthesiology, family medicine, and psychiatry.
Medicine Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Medicine Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Medicine degrees, including Cardiologists, Surgeons, All Other and Pediatric Surgeons. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 778,470 professionals.
National Average Salaries
Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cardiologists 29-1212 | $239,200 | $119,970 - $239,200 | 18,020 | $115.00 |
Surgeons, All Other 29-1249 | $239,200 | $77,290 - $239,200 | 24,080 | $115.00 |
Pediatric Surgeons 29-1243 | $239,200 | $189,720 - $239,200 | 1,050 | $115.00 |
Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric 29-1242 | $239,200 | $83,390 - $239,200 | 14,160 | $115.00 |
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric 29-1241 | $239,200 | $104,240 - $239,200 | 12,110 | $115.00 |
Physicians, All Other 29-1229 | $239,200 | $66,860 - $239,200 | 315,360 | $115.00 |
Radiologists 29-1224 | $239,200 | $82,810 - $239,200 | 26,290 | $115.00 |
Psychiatrists 29-1223 | $239,200 | $77,360 - $239,200 | 24,800 | $115.00 |
Physicians, Pathologists 29-1222 | $239,200 | $83,930 - $239,200 | 11,800 | $115.00 |
Obstetricians and Gynecologists 29-1218 | $239,200 | $94,750 - $239,200 | 19,900 | $115.00 |
Neurologists 29-1217 | $239,200 | $83,500 - $239,200 | 7,700 | $115.00 |
Emergency Medicine Physicians 29-1214 | $239,200 | $114,680 - $239,200 | 33,680 | $115.00 |
Dermatologists 29-1213 | $239,200 | $118,540 - $239,200 | 10,080 | $115.00 |
Anesthesiologists 29-1211 | $239,200 | $124,450 - $239,200 | 41,890 | $115.00 |
Family Medicine Physicians 29-1215 | $238,380 | $81,330 - $239,200 | 107,950 | $114.61 |
General Internal Medicine Physicians 29-1216 | $236,350 | $70,100 - $239,200 | 66,640 | $113.63 |
Pediatricians, General 29-1221 | $210,130 | $96,240 - $239,200 | 42,960 | $101.03 |
Medicine Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $200,708 in Arkansas to $239,200 in Iowa—a 19% difference. The highest-paying states include Iowa, Idaho, and Montana. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 778,470 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Medicine by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Medicine programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Medicine is found at Indiana University (IU Indianapolis), Indianapolis (349 graduates), Rutgers University, New Brunswick (317 graduates), University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) (266 graduates), Wayne State University (WSU) (258 graduates), and Thomas Jefferson University (257 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 16,854 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indiana University (IU Indianapolis) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
349 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Public | indianapolis.iu.edu |
Rutgers University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
317 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
266 | Chicago, Illinois | Public | uic.edu |
Wayne State University (WSU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
258 | Detroit, Michigan | Public | wayne.edu |
Thomas Jefferson University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
257 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | jefferson.edu |
Drexel University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
254 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | drexel.edu |
University of Washington (UW) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
254 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
Augusta University (AU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
244 | Augusta, Georgia | Public | augusta.edu |
Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
236 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Private | mcw.edu |
University of Minnesota (UMN) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
235 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Public | twin-cities.umn.edu |
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
228 | Dallas, Texas | Public | utsouthwestern.edu |
The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
226 | Houston, Texas | Public | uth.edu |
The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
219 | Galveston, Texas | Public | utmb.edu |
Temple University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
214 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Public | temple.edu |
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
210 | Cleveland, Ohio | Private | case.edu |
The University of Texas Health Science Center |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
208 | San Antonio, Texas | Public | uthscsa.edu |
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
206 | Brooklyn, New York | Public | downstate.edu |
University of Arizona |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
202 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
University of Miami (UM) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
201 | Coral Gables, Florida | Private | miami.edu |
University of Kansas (KU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
200 | Lawrence, Kansas | Public | ku.edu |
University of Kentucky (UK) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
196 | Lexington, Kentucky | Public | uky.edu |
New York Medical College (NYMC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
193 | Valhalla, New York | Private | nymc.edu |
Tufts University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
187 | Medford, Massachusetts | Private | tufts.edu |
Ohio State University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
187 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
Albert Einstein College of Medicine |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
187 | Bronx, New York | Private | einsteinmed.edu |
University of South Carolina (USC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
185 | Columbia, South Carolina | Public | sc.edu |
Harvard University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
182 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | harvard.edu |
University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
181 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
Michigan State University (MSU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
181 | East Lansing, Michigan | Public | msu.edu |
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC-NO) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
180 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Public | lsuhsc.edu |
Tulane University of Louisiana |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
178 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Private | tulane.edu |
Texas A & M University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
178 | College Station, Texas | Public | tamu.edu |
University of South Florida (USF) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
177 | Tampa, Florida | Public | usf.edu |
University of Alabama (UAB) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
176 | Birmingham, Alabama | Public | uab.edu |
Georgetown University (GU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
176 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | georgetown.edu |
Saint Louis University (SLU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
176 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Private | slu.edu |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
176 | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Public | unc.edu |
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
175 | Richmond, Virginia | Public | vcu.edu |
University of California (UCSF) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
173 | San Francisco, California | Public | ucsf.edu |
University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
173 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
Loma Linda University (LLU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
172 | Loma Linda, California | Private | llu.edu |
University of Southern California (USC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
172 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
George Washington University (GW) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
172 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | gwu.edu |
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
170 | Little Rock, Arkansas | Public | uams.edu |
Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
170 | Houston, Texas | Private | bcm.edu |
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
170 | Memphis, Tennessee | Public | uthsc.edu |
University at Buffalo (UB) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
169 | Buffalo, New York | Public | buffalo.edu |
University of California (UCLA) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
168 | Los Angeles, California | Public | ucla.edu |
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
166 | North Chicago, Illinois | Private | rosalindfranklin.edu |
University of Cincinnati (UC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
166 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Public | uc.edu |
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
165 | Worcester, Massachusetts | Public | umassmed.edu |
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
165 | Lubbock, Texas | Public | ttuhsc.edu |
Creighton University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
164 | Omaha, Nebraska | Private | creighton.edu |
University of Toledo (UToledo) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
164 | Toledo, Ohio | Public | utoledo.edu |
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
155 | University, Mississippi | Public | olemiss.edu |
Boston University (BU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
154 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | bu.edu |
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
152 | Denver, Colorado | Public | ucdenver.edu |
Loyola University Chicago (LUC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
150 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | luc.edu |
University of Louisville (UofL) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
149 | Louisville, Kentucky | Public | louisville.edu |
Rush University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
148 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | rushu.rush.edu |
University of Pennsylvania (Penn) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
148 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | upenn.edu |
University of Florida (UF) |
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Professional)
|
147 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufl.edu |
Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
147 | Charleston, South Carolina | Public | web.musc.edu |
University of Oklahoma (OUHSC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
146 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Public | ouhsc.edu |
University of Virginia (UVA) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
144 | Charlottesville, Virginia | Public | virginia.edu |
University of California (UCSD) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
143 | La Jolla, California | Public | ucsd.edu |
University of Maryland (UMB) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
142 | Baltimore, Maryland | Public | umaryland.edu |
Columbia University in the City of New York |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
142 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
Upstate Medical University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
142 | Syracuse, New York | Public | upstate.edu |
Northwestern University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
141 | Evanston, Illinois | Private | northwestern.edu |
Wake Forest University (WFC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
141 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Private | wfu.edu |
University of Iowa |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
140 | Iowa City, Iowa | Public | uiowa.edu |
University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
140 | Omaha, Nebraska | Public | unmc.edu |
Albany Medical College (AMC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
135 | Albany, New York | Private | amc.edu |
Pennsylvania State University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
135 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
135 | Norfolk, Virginia | Public | evms.edu |
Emory University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
134 | Atlanta, Georgia | Private | emory.edu |
New York University (NYU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
134 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
Brown University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
134 | Providence, Rhode Island | Private | brown.edu |
Icahn School of Medicine (ISMMS) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
133 | New York, New York | Private | icahn.mssm.edu |
Duke University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
133 | Durham, North Carolina | Private | duke.edu |
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC-S) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
133 | Shreveport, Louisiana | Public | lsuhs.edu |
Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
132 | Portland, Oregon | Public | ohsu.edu |
Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
128 | Rootstown, Ohio | Public | neomed.edu |
University of Pittsburgh |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
126 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
Stony Brook University (SBU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
124 | Stony Brook, New York | Public | stonybrook.edu |
University of Missouri (UMKC) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
120 | Kansas City, Missouri | Public | umkc.edu |
University of Vermont (UVM) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
120 | Burlington, Vermont | Public | uvm.edu |
University of Missouri (Mizzou) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
119 | Columbia, Missouri | Public | missouri.edu |
Oakland University (OU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
117 | Rochester Hills, Michigan | Public | oakland.edu |
Wright State University |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
117 | Dayton, Ohio | Public | wright.edu |
University of Central Florida (UCF) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
116 | Orlando, Florida | Public | ucf.edu |
University of California (UCD) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
115 | Davis, California | Public | ucdavis.edu |
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
115 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Private | geisinger.edu |
Florida International University (FIU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
114 | Miami, Florida | Public | fiu.edu |
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
114 | El Paso, Texas | Public | elpaso.ttuhsc.edu |
California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
113 | Colton, California | Private | cusm.org |
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
112 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | jhu.edu |
University of Utah (U of U) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
111 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
Florida State University (FSU) |
Doctorate (Professional)
|
110 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Medicine programs
How much can I earn with a Medicine degree?
Salaries for Medicine graduates vary by role and location. Cardiologists earn a median of $239,200 annually, while Surgeons, All Other earn around $239,200. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in Iowa average $239,200 compared to $200,708 in Arkansas. Approximately 778,470 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Medicine programs?
Currently 151 accredited institutions offer Medicine degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Indiana University (IU Indianapolis), Indianapolis (349 graduates), Rutgers University, New Brunswick (317 graduates), and University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) (266 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Medicine growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 16,714 in 2010 to 20,703 in 2023-24. This represents a 24% increase overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Medicine degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Cardiologists, Surgeons, All Other, and Pediatric Surgeons. Related occupations employ approximately 778,470 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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