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East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine ranked inside the top five of this year’s U.S. News and World Report rankings of medical schools with the most graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas.  

The College of Medicine ranked fifth in that category and ranked inside the top 50 for “Medical Schools with the Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care.” 

“East Tennessee State University was founded on the desire to improve the lives of the people of this region and beyond, and these rankings speak to the heart of that mission,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, ETSU’s provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.  

The Quillen College of Medicine has made a substantial effort in recent years to increase opportunities for students interested in serving rural and underserved communities, highlighted by its EQUIP program. Introduced in 2022, EQUIP (Expanding Quillen to the Underserved through an Integrated Program) is designed to identify and mentor students from rural and underserved areas who are interested in attending Quillen.   

The program also includes the Appalachian Preceptorship four-week summer experience for rising junior and senior college students, which includes one week on Quillen’s campus and three weeks working alongside a physician and developing a community engagement project. 

“As we celebrate these rankings, they also serve as an excellent reminder of the impact our graduates can have on the communities they serve,” said Dr. Bill Block, dean of the Quillen College of Medicine and ETSU’s vice president for Clinical Affairs. “From clinics to laboratories, the Quillen College of Medicine is committed to improving the quality of life in our region and far beyond, and these rankings are reflective of that.”  

This commitment to training students to serve in rural and underserved communities was reflected at the college’s most recent Match Day in March, which saw more than half of the Class of 2024 match with a primary care residency.  

To learn more about the Quillen College of Medicine, visit www.etsu.edu/com/. To read the U.S. News and World Report rankings, visit this site.