Letter from the Dean of the School of Medicine

There’s a reason that The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine is consistently ranked among the top medical schools in the country. It’s not just the faculty who teach here: It’s also the students who come here to learn.

In the realm of medical education, our students fall among the best, brightest and most accomplished. But it takes more than grade point averages and test scores to make a great physician or scientist. Who you are apart from your academic achievements plays just as vital a role. It’s why, when considering students for acceptance, we look closely at what they’ve done outside the classroom and how they’ve interacted with the world around them.

Practicing medicine is about dealing with people and understanding the world we live in. The ability to relate to people can’t be taught in a classroom or gauged on a written exam. Likewise, character cannot be determined solely through test scores.

We view our medical students as the next generation of medical leaders, and we train and treat them accordingly. There is a partnership, collegiality and mutual respect between our students and faculty that is rarely duplicated. Our students have the chance to learn not just from the great minds who populate our faculty, but from the bedsides of patients from whom we all learn so much. To do so is a privilege, one we believe requires our students to possess the highest levels of candor, character, sensitivity and integrity.

Clearly academic excellence, ambition and an unwavering work ethic are key to pursuing a medical education. But at Hopkins, a medical education requires all of that and more.

Thank you for your interest in The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Please continue to explore our website to decide whether a Hopkins medical education is right for you.