The University of Rochester Medical Center is comprised of the School of Medicine and Dentistry, the School of Nursing, Strong Memorial Hospital, Highland Hospital, Golisano Children's Hospital, the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, and the Eastman Institute for Oral Health. These facilities (except Highland Hospital) are located on a 4 million-square-foot complex next to the University's River Campus, just a half mile south of downtown Rochester.

With more than $135 million in National Institutes of Health research grants, URMC ranks in the top 25% of all medical centers in federally funded research. A bold, 10-year initiative has resulted in dramatic increases in federal NIH funding, two new research facilities, and the recruitment—to date—of 70 of the world's finest scientists and more than 500 technicians and support personnel.

The University of Rochester's primary teaching affiliate is Strong Memorial Hospital. This world-class facility supports a regional trauma center, pioneering transplant programs, and esteemed programs that address Parkinson's, epilepsy, and other neuromuscular illnesses; cancer, cardiac illnesses, and pediatric organ transplant and heart surgery. Strong Memorial Hospital's patient care programs are consistently cited in U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Hospitals" rankings—most recently for Otolaryngology and Gynecology. In addition, the hospital has received the National Research Corporation's "Consumer Choice Award" every year since its inception in 2000.

Highland Hospital occupies a unique position within the URMC organization. It doubles as a medical facility with exceptional programs—including nationally recognized initiatives in family medicine, primary care, and geriatric care; and the top regional women's health and bariatric surgery centers—and as a genuine "community" hospital with emphasis on the patient's comfort and peace of mind. Highland Hospital supports 15 primary care practices across the Rochester area, specializing in internal and family medicine, and hosts one of the country's leading educational programs in Family Medicine. It is home to the Evarts Joint Center for geriatric care. More babies are born at Highland Hospital than any other Rochester-area hospital. Also, the Bariatric Surgery Center serves more than a dozen patients each week trying to overcome their morbid obesity.

U.S. New & World Report ranks the School of Medicine and Dentistry among the top 10 percent of medical schools in the nation for primary care, and among the top 25 percent overall. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, during its most recent visit, gave the School a perfect score—the highest possible accreditation status for a medical school. Full five-year accreditation with no citations is an achievement earned by few American medical schools.