
Academic medical centres (AMCs) are hospitals that provide patient care and educate healthcare providers in partnership with at least one medical school. As of April 2024, there were 216 active AMCs in the US, with nearly 1,400 teaching hospitals. AMCs are often affiliated with top-rated medical schools, such as Columbia University, Weill Cornell Medicine, and New York University. The largest AMC in the US by the number of interns and residents is New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Centre, with 1,945 interns and residents. Teaching hospitals first rose to prominence in the US in the early 1900s, with the first one founded at the College of Philadelphia in 1765.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of academic hospitals in the US | 216 (as of April 2024) or nearly 220 (as of October 2024) |
| Number of teaching hospitals in the US | Nearly 1,400 (as of April 2024) or 400 (major teaching hospitals) |
| Total number of hospitals in the US | 6,093 |
| Number of academic hospitals in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio | 17 each |
| Largest academic hospital by number of interns and residents | New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center (1,945 interns and residents) |
| Second-largest academic hospital by number of interns and residents | Tisch Hospital (1,333 interns and residents) |
| Third-largest academic hospital by number of interns and residents | University Hospital (1,040 interns and residents) |
Explore related products
$31.46 $41.4
What You'll Learn

There are 216 academic medical centres in the US
Academic medical centres (AMCs) are hospitals that provide patient care and education for healthcare providers. They are affiliated with at least one medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). As of April 2024, there were 216 active AMCs in the US, according to Definitive Healthcare.
The number of AMCs in each state varies from zero to 17, with New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio tied for first place with 17 academic medical centres each. These states have large populations, requiring more academic medical centres to train the doctors necessary to serve their respective patient bases. New York, for example, has nearly 20 million residents and is home to top-rated medical schools such as Columbia University, Weill Cornell Medicine, and New York University. Some of the largest AMCs in the country are associated with these schools, including Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, Tisch Hospital, and Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Pennsylvania, with an estimated population of nearly 13 million people, has notable AMCs such as The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, UPMC Presbyterian, and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. These are among the largest AMCs in the northeast. While not every teaching hospital is an AMC, there are nearly 1,400 teaching hospitals in the US, with 196 hospitals that are both AMCs and teaching hospitals.
The history of teaching hospitals in the US dates back to the late 18th century, with the first one founded at the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) in 1765. Over the years, the role of teaching hospitals has evolved, and they now serve as centres for research and innovation, pioneering new treatments and discoveries that save lives and improve the quality of life for millions. They are essential in addressing the physician shortage and providing complex care to medically complex patients.
The Evolution of Morgan County Hospital
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Academic medical centres are affiliated with a medical school
Academic medical centres, also known as AMCs, are hospitals that provide patient care and educate healthcare providers in partnership with at least one medical school. As of April 2024, there were 216 active AMCs in the United States, with nearly 1,400 teaching hospitals. The number of AMCs in each state varies from zero to 17, with New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio tied for first place with 17 academic medical centres each. These states have large populations, requiring more academic medical centres to train doctors to serve their respective patient bases. For example, New York is home to top-rated medical schools such as Columbia University, Weill Cornell Medicine, and New York University. Some of the largest AMCs in the country are associated with these schools, including Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Centre, Tisch Hospital, and Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Centre.
Pennsylvania, another state with a large population, has notable AMCs such as the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, UPMC Presbyterian, and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. These hospitals are among the largest in the Northeast region.
AMCs are intended to ensure that medical research breakthroughs lead to direct clinical benefits for patients. They combine health professional education, human subject research, and clinical care to provide the best possible clinical care. In addition to patient care services, AMCs also conduct academic, medical, and human subject research. They are often university medical centres and are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
AMCs are crucial for graduate medical education, providing physicians with the experience and exposure necessary to treat a wide range of complex conditions. They are also community hospitals that offer patient care services and are involved in graduate medical education and federally funded research. In contrast, community medical centres are non-academic providers that do not conduct as much federally funded research and have a higher share of privately insured individuals.
The Founding of Dr. Elias Santana Hospital
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Teaching hospitals differ from academic medical centres
There are nearly 1,700 teaching hospitals in the United States, with around 300 of these considered major teaching hospitals. However, not all teaching hospitals are academic medical centres (AMCs). AMCs are hospitals that provide patient care and education for healthcare providers. They are affiliated with at least one medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). AMCs confer medical degrees, whereas teaching hospitals do not, although they are usually associated with a medical school.
Teaching hospitals provide continuing medical education to medical students, residents, and other healthcare professionals through residency programs. These programs allow qualified physicians, podiatrists, dentists, and pharmacists to practice medicine under the supervision of a senior clinician in that specialty. Teaching hospitals are also known for the medical research they perform.
AMCs, on the other hand, have a heavy focus on education and research, giving them access to cutting-edge technologies, resources, and therapies. Researchers at AMCs have been responsible for major medical breakthroughs, including the creation of the polio vaccine and the first use of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis. The infrastructure at AMCs provides graduate medical education and exposure that physicians need when treating complex conditions.
In terms of patient populations, AMCs tend to have a lower volume of patients and may have fewer privately insured individuals compared to community medical centres. Community medical centres, which are non-academic providers, are less involved in graduate medical education and conduct less federally funded research.
While most AMCs are also teaching hospitals, not all teaching hospitals are AMCs. As of April 2024, there were 216 hospitals classified as AMCs and nearly 1,400 as teaching hospitals, with 196 hospitals falling into both categories.
Volunteering at a Neonatal Hospital: A Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products

The US has 6,093 hospitals in total
Community hospitals, for example, include academic medical centres or other teaching hospitals if they are nonfederal short-term hospitals. Obstetrics and gynaecology, eye, ear, nose, and throat, long-term acute care, rehabilitation, and orthopaedic hospitals are among the specialised hospitals.
Academic medical centres (AMCs) are hospitals that provide patient care and education for healthcare providers. They are affiliated with at least one medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Definitive Healthcare's HospitalView product tracked 216 active AMCs in the US as of April 2024, with the number in each state ranging from zero to 17. New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio are tied for first place with 17 academic medical centres each.
Teaching hospitals, which first appeared in the United States in 1765, provide continuing medical education to medical students, residents, and other healthcare professionals. They are usually associated with a medical school but do not confer medical degrees. There are nearly 1,400 teaching hospitals in the US, with 300 considered major teaching hospitals.
The US healthcare system faces significant challenges, including a projected shortage of up to 122,000 physicians by 2032, an ageing population, and the need for innovative treatments for complex illnesses and emerging threats. Academic medicine, which includes medical schools and teaching hospitals, plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges by educating and training the next generation of healthcare professionals and conducting life-saving research.
Negative Pressure Rooms: A Hospital Standard?
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Teaching hospitals provide hands-on clinical work
There are nearly 1,400 teaching hospitals in the United States, according to Definitive Healthcare, with around 300 considered major teaching hospitals. Teaching hospitals are distinct from academic medical centres (AMCs) in that they do not confer medical degrees themselves, although they are usually associated with a medical school.
The purpose of these residency programs is to create a safe, supervised environment where new doctors can learn to practice medicine. Those who attend a teaching hospital practice medicine under the direct or indirect supervision of a senior medical clinician registered in that specialty.
Teaching hospitals offer dynamic clinical programs where scientists and physicians work together to bring new treatments from research to patients. They are known for providing high-quality patient care, and patients generally have no reservations about receiving care at a teaching hospital.
In addition to direct patient care, teaching hospitals contribute to the US economy. A 2022 report from the AAMC notes that the patient care, education, and research work completed at teaching hospitals add more than $728 billion to the nation's GDP, supporting more than seven million jobs.
President's Day: Are Hospitals Open or Closed?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
As of April 2024, there are 216 hospitals classified as academic medical centres (AMCs) in the US. However, Definitive Healthcare puts the number at nearly 220.
AMCs are hospitals that provide patient care and education for healthcare providers. They are affiliated with at least one medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
Teaching hospitals provide continuing medical education to medical students, residents, and other healthcare professionals. They are usually associated with a medical school but do not confer medical degrees. AMCs, on the other hand, are affiliated with a medical school and do confer medical degrees.





































![The Hospital [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61oQ2sBPcmL._AC_UY218_.jpg)

