About Us

The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is one of the leading medical education institutions in the United States.

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JABSOM ranked #24 in the country in Primary Care in the 2021 “Best U.S. Medical Schools” list by U.S. News & World Report.

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The medical school also is a national leader according to educational data released in 2021 by the Association of American Medical Colleges which show:

• JABSOM has led the nation the past five years in producing Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander physicians
• JABSOM has a larger proportion of faculty who are women than 88% of other medical schools
• More JABSOM graduates are practicing primary care 10 years following graduation (the time it takes for full training and licensing to practice) than occurs at 78% of other medical schools (with more graduates choosing a primary care field for training than 88% of other medical schools)
• More JABSOM graduates are practicing in-state 10 years following graduation than occurs at 50% of medical schools
• JABSOM medical graduates considered themselves better trained to care for people of different backgrounds than graduates at 99% of medical schools
• More JABSOM medical graduates planned to care for the underserved than graduates at 85% of medical schools, and
• JABSOM led the nation in preparing students to address health disparities in their communities

Our Vision: A.L.O.H.A.

Aloha is a cherished tradition in Hawai‘i, comprised of many layers which guide our way of life. At JABSOM, aloha embraces diversity. Aloha is also spelled out in our school’s vision: Attaining Lasting Optimal Health for All — ALOHA.

History

In Hawai‘i roots are important. People here have a special need to remember, and pay homage to the past and to those who went before us. Few could guess back in the late 1960’s that Le‘ahi Hospital would become the genesis for a major medical school. One who did, and was instrumental in its founding was Hawai‘i’s Governor John A. Burns. The Board of Regents named the school “The John A. Burns School of Medicine of the University of Hawai‘i” in tribute to him. The goals and philosophy of JABSOM epitomize the public career of the late Governor Burns and his vision for Hawai‘i.

The School opened in 1965 as a two-year program of basic medical sciences, and became a four-year degree granting program in 1973.

The Hawai‘i State Legislature’s commitment to a medical school for the people of Hawai’i was strengthened when lawmakers approved use of tobacco “Master Settlement Agreement” funds to build and help operate the Kaka‘ako oceanfront campus of the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). The campus, a site chosen by Governor Ben Cayetano, opened in 2005. We proudly educate our students and the people of Hawai‘i about the dangers of smoking and we treat those suffering from tobacco-related disease.

Many prestigious private foundations as well as the U.S. and foreign governments have provided generous grants and funding over the years. This distinguished list includes the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Pew Memorial Trust, and the Queen Emma Foundation, just to name a few.

In 1992, a Harvard University study of the nature and scope of medical education reforms in the United States and Canada identified the John A. Burns School of Medicine as one of ten “… leaders in the reform and improvement of medical education.”