At the UCSF School of Medicine, we work across disciplines, professions, and communities to improve health for everyone.
As the only school of medicine in the nation’s leading public university devoted exclusively to the health sciences, we bring together education, research, patient care, and public service. Our faculty, learners, and staff are united by a shared purpose: to understand health and disease, translate discovery into better care, educate the next generation of health and science leaders, and address the most urgent health needs of the communities we serve.
Our work extends throughout San Francisco, the Bay Area, and California’s Central Valley. Across UCSF Health, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, the San Francisco VA Health Care System, UCSF Fresno, and many other affiliated sites, our learners train alongside experts caring for patients with a wide range of needs and experiences.
The School of Medicine is internationally recognized for scientific discovery, innovation in medical education, and excellence in patient care. Our faculty have made discoveries that have fundamentally changed the understanding of human health and disease, with six receiving the Nobel Prize for their contributions. But our greatest strength is the broader community of faculty, learners, and staff—and their willingness to collaborate, question what is possible, and turn knowledge into meaningful improvements in human health.
Our Mission
The UCSF School of Medicine advances human health through education, research, patient care, and public service.
We pursue this mission by:
- Educating physicians and scientists prepared to lead in a rapidly changing world
- Advancing discoveries that deepen understanding and improve health
- Delivering compassionate, evidence-based care
- Partnering with communities to address health needs and expand opportunity
- Fostering an environment in which people from different backgrounds and perspectives can contribute and thrive
Our History
The School of Medicine traces its roots to Toland Medical College, founded in San Francisco in 1864. It became part of the University of California in 1873 and moved to Parnassus Heights in 1898.
From the beginning, the School’s history has been shaped by public service and partnership. UCSF faculty have cared for patients and trained learners at San Francisco’s public hospital since 1873 and have partnered with the San Francisco VA for more than half a century. Today, our work spans a broad network of campuses, hospitals, clinics, research facilities, and community settings across the Bay Area and in Fresno.
Throughout its history, the School has helped transform medical education, advance foundational and clinical science, and improve care for patients in California and around the world. That tradition continues as we confront emerging challenges—from persistent health inequities and changing community needs to the opportunities created by new technologies and scientific discovery.
Our Impact
Every day, members of the School of Medicine community:
- Make discoveries that change how health and disease are understood
- Educate and mentor future physicians, scientists, educators, and leaders
- Provide exceptional care across diverse clinical settings
- Build partnerships that strengthen the health of communities
- Translate evidence and innovation into better health outcomes
