For the first time in three years, the University of Florida College of Medicine moved up six spots in U.S. News and World Report magazine’s annual rankings of top research-based medical schools.

After a review of 122 medical schools, UF COM ranked 42nd on the list of the country’s top 50 elite schools. The college is tied with Georgetown University on the U.S. News Media Group’s 2011 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools, available online at http://www.usnews.com/grad.

In a message on Thursday, Michael Good, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine, congratulated and thanked faculty for their contributions.

“These rankings reflect your strong and growing national reputations, the research funding you receive from the National Institutes of Health, and the academic strength of our medical student applicants. You are increasingly and appropriately recognized as national leaders in patient care, scientific research, and medical education,” Good said.

The rankings are based on a composite score of peer assessments by medical school deans and residency program directors, research funding from the NIH, MCAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate of medical school applicants, and faculty resources.