Washington, D.C., October 20, 2004 - The number of applicants to U.S. medical schools increased for the second year in a row, according to data released today by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Almost 36,000 individuals applied to attend medical school in the 2004-2005 school year, a 2.7 percent increase over last year's applicant pool of 34,791.

Black and Hispanic applicants contributed to the rise with 2.3 percent and 2.5 percent increases respectively. However, more significant was the number of blacks and Hispanics who entered medical school this fall: black enrollment increased by 2.5 percent, while Hispanic enrollment increased by almost eight percent. In 2003, black enrollment declined by nearly six percent, and the number of Hispanic enrollees dropped by nearly four percent.

Other highlights of the 2004-2005 medical school application cycle:

• Women applicants made up just over 50 percent of the applicant pool with 18,015 applications, outnumbering men for the second straight year
• Applications from men increased almost four percent to 17,712, the first substantive gain in six years
• The number of first-time applicants rose again this year to 27,185, a nearly four percent increase
• Hispanic enrollment gains were particularly pronounced for Mexican-American males, with 200 new enrollees this year compared to 156 last year

Medical educators have eagerly awaited the latest statistics on minority applicants and enrollees because they reflect the first admissions cycle since the U.S. Supreme Court decision on affirmative action in June 2003. The AAMC believes the increases in black and Hispanic enrollment indicate that medical schools view the Court's decision as providing support for their efforts to assemble a diverse medical school class.

"While we're encouraged by these gains in minority enrollment, there is still much work to be done," said AAMC President Jordan J. Cohen, M.D. "Our nation must find ways to strengthen the pipeline of academically qualified minority students so that the education of tomorrow's doctors, and ultimately the health care of all Americans, will reap the benefits of diversity."

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 131 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 128,000 faculty members, 75,000 medical students, and 110,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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