Schools are evaluated using objective data plus two sets of reputational ratings.
Objective data is composed of research activity, student selectivity and faculty resources.
The reputational score, which counts for 40 percent of the ranking score, is measured by surveying medical school deans and senior faculty and, in a separate survey, residency program directors. Research activity is determined by the amount of National Institutes of Health research grants awarded to the medical school and its affiliated hospitals. However, what it doesn't provide is a sense of the educational experience as ranked by the students or the amount of exposure to clinical medicine early on, which are important factors for prospective students to consider. Quinn said students should also see how well a school's students match for residency-an area where USC is strong, with 92 percent of graduates matched in one of their top three choices.