Compare medical schools based on the general rankings provided by publications like "U.S. News & World Report." These medical ratings are based on surveys answered by prominent medical school faculty and doctors nationwide. The publication ranks medical schools according to areas of medical specialization. It also provides separate rankings based on the schools' reputations in areas such as biomedical research and primary-care training.
Compare the rankings of medical schools in "U.S. News & World Report" with the rankings of other publications that rank schools worldwide so you can see how other medical professionals and non-U.S. publications perceive American medical schools. The "Times Higher Education" supplement ranks medical schools worldwide in the area of biomedical research. Several U.S. medical schools figure prominently in those rankings also.
Examine the amount of research funding each school receives, especially in your intended area of specialization. Funding obtained through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicates the quality of research and faculty members conducting the research at the schools. This information is regularly published online by organizations such as the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research in North Carolina. Lists for nearly every area of medical practice are published, providing an idea of which schools are at the top of their game in both the basic medical sciences and in clinical science.
Rank schools from these sources according to cost, quality and any other characteristics you deem important.