A year ago, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reported that, for the first time ever, female medical school entrants outnumbered male entrants. The report revealed that women made up 50.7 percent of the 21,338 students entering medical school in 2017, up from 49.8 percent in 2016 and just enough to finally tip the scales.
It appears that trend is continuing. AAMC data released this week shows that, for the second year, females again are leading among medical school applicants (50.9 percent) and enrollees (51.6 percent).
Multiple ethnic groups showed gains as well. The number of black applicants and enrollees rose by 4 percent and 4.6%, respectively. And American Indian or Alaska Native applicants rose by 10.0 percent, matriculants increased by 6.3 percent.
“This year’s significant gains in the number of women and black men entering medicine is excellent news,” said Darrell G. Kirch, MD, AAMC president and CEO. “Medical schools have been working hard to increase the diversity of tomorrow’s doctors. While there is still much more work to do, we are very encouraged by this year’s progress.”
Overall, the total number of applicants to medical schools rose by 2.1 percent, to 52,777, after a 2.6-percent decline last year, and the number of matriculants grew by 1.3 percent to 21,622. Those increases are promising news in the midst of a significant projected shortage of up to 121,300 physicians by 2030. To help address the potential shortage, medical schools nationwide have expanded class sizes and 26 new schools have opened in the past decade. Those new schools have enrolled more than 2,000 new students, representing some 10 percent of all matriculants.
Rising numbers of applicants and enrollees mean increased competition for prime medical school spots, residencies and, ultimately, jobs. WOLFPACC can help you gain the competitive edge with one-on-one tutoring and review courses designed to help you ace your USMLE or COMLEX exams on the first try. Call 904-209-3140 to find out how.
Photo by Johathan Daniels | Unsplash
