MUSC Receives Top 100 rankings in U.S. News & World Report

Charleston, S.C. (March 16, 2011) - The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has 12 programs ranked in top 100 spots for the U.S. News Media Group's 2012 edition of America's Best Graduate Schools, published online.

Of the eleven programs in top 100 spots, the Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs (CDAP), the Division of Clinical Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry, and Addiction Neuroscience faculty in the Department of Neuroscience have again been ranked in the top 10 nationwide through collaborative efforts regarding their educational and training efforts in alcohol and substance abuse.

"Once again the depth and breadth of our training, which spans from basic cellular through clinical addiction specialist treatment, have received national recognition by our colleagues," said Raymond Anton, M.D., Distinguished University Professor and CDAP director. Raymond further noted that the solid research support in CDAP, Clinical Neuroscience Division and the Neuroscience Department, coupled with a growing addiction psychiatry clinical faculty, allows MUSC to attract some of the brightest graduate students, post-doctoral trainees, and psychiatry residents interested in alcohol and substance abuse. "We are honored to be ranked amongst some of the most prestigious academic institutions in the US for our work in this area," he said.

The following are additional MUSC programs and their rankings:

• Medicine- Primary Care, 58th
• Medicine- Research, 60th
• Medicine- Statistics, 58th
• Nursing, 50th
• Health Professions- Health Care Management, 29th
• Health Professions- Nursing Anesthesia, 26th
• Health Professions- Occupational Therapy, 24th
• Health Professions- Physical Therapy, 69th
• Health Professions- Physician Assistant, 25th
• Health Professions- Speech-language Pathology, 60th

"These latest rankings are a reflection of the national recognition we have achieved due to the outstanding quality of our faculty, students, and staff," said Lisa Saladin, interim dean of the MUSC College of Health Professions. "The health care disciplines represented in the College of Health Professions are poised to assume an even more significant role in the provision of health care with health care reform on the horizon, and I anticipate that we will continue to experience growth while maintaining exceptionally high quality."

Each year, U.S. News ranks professional-school programs in business, education, engineering, law, and medicine. These rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinions about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. These data come from surveys of more than 1,200 programs and some 12,400 academics and professionals that were conducted in fall 2010. The statistical indicators used in these rankings of business, education, engineering, law, and medical schools fall into two categories: inputs, or measures of the qualities that students and faculty bring to the educational experience, and outputs, measures of graduates' achievements linked to their degrees. Different output measures are available for different fields.

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**About MUSC **Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 11,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.7 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit www.muschealth.com.

Contact Heather Woolwine (843)792-7669