Students graduate from medical school.

The University at Buffalo, New York’s flagship and a member of the Association of American Universities, is consistently recognized as one of the world’s most exceptional, most affordable universities. Our graduates agree.

Why Choose UB?

There are plenty of reasons why students choose UB — starting with our incredibly invested, world-class faculty; our distinction as a top public research university; and our standing as one of the top public schools in the Northeast, to name a few.

For emerging practitioners, there are even more reasons. The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is located on the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus — a 120-acre health care hub that’s home to hospitals, research institutes and more than 1.5 million patients and visitors annually.

As such, the City of Good Neighbors is a unique learning environment that provides diverse contexts and community complexities — from the city’s center to the region’s rural areas, only 20 minutes from the metro area.

Here, future physicians not only learn to take care of the patient in front of them, but also the community around them. From the start of our program, you’ll learn about the Buffalo community and holistically explore significant health conditions and challenges within the population here (and beyond).

Our Well Beyond Curriculum is Unparalleled

Leadership. Community. Inquiry. Collaboration. Excellence. All are important for a comprehensive curriculum in the ever-changing landscape of health care. Our program encompasses each key element.

Here is how:

Our dedication to excellence means you can expect to:
People teach CPR.
Absorb the culture of professionalism and accountability (modeled by administration, leadership, faculty, staff and fellow students) throughout our program.
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A professor teaches in anatomy lab.
Learn via evidence-based curriculum, instruction and assessment methods grounded in the science of learning.
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Students sit in a classroom.
Longitudinally master fundamental principles, health system sciences, humanism, scientific inquiry and discovery, and foundational science with meaningful correlations to the clinical practice of medicine.
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Computer monitors are mounted to a wall.
Utilize relevant technologies to enhance learning across educational experiences.
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Students smile in an outdoor setting.
Learn the right content and skills at the right time and revisit these throughout four years of the curriculum.
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Hands holding hands.
Learn and apply the biopsychosocial model of health and prevention, health maintenance and well-being — and take it into consideration to provide comprehensive patient care.
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A person wearing scrubs demonstrates a medical procedure on a mannequin baby.
Via individualized opportunities, develop skills and expertise based on your interests and career explorations.  
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A person reads a book.
Be confident in your preparation for required national exams.
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Dr. Lesse speaks to medical students.
Achieve growth through frequent and authentic assessments in multiple modalities, such as observed structured clinical exams, summative multiple-choice exams and presentations.    
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We believe in community. So, you will:
Kids learn CPR.
Build relationships with the local community and participate as an authentic member through clinical experiences, service and patient-centered activities.  
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People stand outside Urban Family Practice.
Gain a greater understanding of patient perspectives and lived experiences that relate to health, well-being and the health care system. How? We’ll incorporate members of the community within the “classroom” across your four years at UB.    
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Students sit in circles.
Feel supported through teamwork and collaboration among fellow students, colleagues, teachers, health systems partners and other health care professionals across the educational community.
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A student smiles in the Jacobs School.
Develop an understanding of the perspectives and needs — and the social, structural, economic and environmental determinants — that impact the health and well-being of the community we serve.
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A graphic of a virus.
Learn in a program that emphasizes, across all four years of training, pressing public health issues facing our society.    
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Jacobs School community members speak to one another. Flags from many countries are in the foreground.
Develop the skills to understand, communicate and effectively interact with individuals from across many cultures. Why? To provide excellent patient-centered care for diverse populations.  
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Inquiry is critical. We aim to help you:
A student takes the blood pressure of a patient outdoors.
Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make informed, evidence-based decisions in the face of uncertainty.
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Students look at a screen with data.
Incorporate scientific literacy skills using state-of-the-art information technology and tools. So, you’ll become an expert at critically reading, understanding, appraising and applying scientific literature.
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Medical students are in a group.
Cultivate a growth mindset and foster habits of curiosity + inquiry to support your success as a lifelong learner.
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Students look at research posters.
Develop the skills to conduct research and participate in scientific inquiry and scholarship in educational, clinical and translational sciences.
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Students smile with a laptop before them.
Immerse yourself in creative and collaborative problem-solving and quality improvement — all within an environment that encourages innovation.  
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Because collaboration is key, we foster an environment where you can:
Students are on and near a Jacobs School staircase.
Learn within a diverse, supportive, respectful and collaborative community where students, faculty, residents, patients and collaborating health care professions learn with, from, and about each other.
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Students attend a health fair.
Engage fully in our program and contribute to the learning of your fellow students, colleagues, faculty and other health care professionals.
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Students do a teamwork exercise.
Hone the skills necessary for effective teamwork in a variety of settings — including the classroom, clinical environment and community.
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People practice working with a patient.
Work alongside health care professionals, health care system administration and others to understand how to practice as part of an interprofessional team operating within a larger system of care.  
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A man steers a woman in a wheelchair.
Get prepared to engage patients and their families with care plans that are patient-centered, allow for patient autonomy and acknowledge the social, economic and environmental factors affecting care.
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Students stand outside the Jacobs School.
Cultivate meaningful, longitudinal relationships that promote growth and reflective practice with faculty, colleagues, patients and community members.
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Our commitment to leadership ensures:
Students work in anatomy lab.
You’ll be knowledgeable about topics related to health systems science, including economics of health care; the business of medicine; patient safety; continuous quality improvement and evidence-based, high value care.
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Students sit in the Jacobs School atrium.
Central themes of civic professionalism, societal health needs and obligations of physicians to serve our community are integrated across the curriculum.
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Students work in an educational setting.
Our curriculum takes a holistic approach to analysis. We focus on the way that a system’s constituent parts interrelate, examine other perspectives and work toward successful outcomes for the whole.  
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Students sit at a table.
We promote professional identity formation as you transform into a physician by helping you understand and reflect on the values and moral principles important for the practice of medicine and commitment to the profession.
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