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113th AAMC Annual Meeting: Leadership Forum Examines Trends, Future Opportunities Plenary Speakers Address Challenges, From Bioterrorism to Health Disparities Roundup from San Francisco: AAMC's 113th Annual Meeting Notes Trends, Concerns, Solutions Medical School Applications May Be On the Rise For the Love of Country: Afghan-American Physicians Rebuild Medical Education in Their Homeland Caring for Community: Loma Linda Medical Students Organize Health, Mentoring Programs Viewpoint: The State of the VHA Is Strong A Word From the President
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Medical School Applications May Be On the RisePreliminary data for 2003 indicates a six-year decline in the number of medical school applicants might be coming to an end. Based on the number of individuals who took the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in 2002 and initial applications to date, the total number of applicants is projected to increase by 4 to 6 percent next year. The MCAT program administered 57,573 examinations this year, an increase of 5.6 percent over last year's total. In addition, applications processed to date through AAMC's American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) are up 6 percent compared with the same time last year. Currently, 115 medical school programs participate in AMCAS. "With our nation facing new health challenges and a possible physician shortage, the apparent flagging interest in the medical profession as reflected by the shrinking applicant pool over the last several years has been cause for some concern," said AAMC President Jordan J. Cohen, M.D. "These early projections for 2003, however, provide hope that the six-year decline may finally be over." Smaller pool; trend may subsideSince 1996, when almost 47,000 individuals applied to medical schools, the number of applications has declined steadily, dropping by 1,000 to 4,000 each year. This year's applicant pool of 33,501, while the smallest in the past six, saw a 3.9 percent drop from the 2001 total of 34,859. Prior-year drops, however, were more dramatic, which may indicate the decline could be leveling off. Despite the drop in submitted applications, the number of accepted applicants to U.S. medical schools has remained stable, at around 17,000 since 1980. In 2002, there were 16,486 students enrolled in medical schools, compared with 16,365 in 2001. A significant trend that started in 1997 - and is still evident in the last applicant pool data - is the sharp decline in the number of males applying to medical schools. Almost 17,000 males applied this year, compared with 18,142 in 2001. Although fewer females applied for the 2002 entering class, the decline in applications among females was less steep: 16,454 women applied to medical school in 2002 versus 16,717 in 2001. Men comprised 51 percent of the applicant and matriculate pools, while females comprised 49 percent of each. Ten years ago, women made up less than 40 percent of the national medical school entering class. Despite the six-year application decline, the total number of applicants is still almost twice as many as the approximately 17,000 available places in U.S. medical schools. The academic credentials of applicants have also remained strong, with this year's mean applicant grade-point average (GPA) at 3.46, and entrants' average GPA scores at 3.6. The MCAT scores among the 33,501 applicants and entrants have equaled or excelled last year's levels. "Medical students today are an exceptionally impressive group of people," Dr. Cohen said. "If the early predictors for 2003 are accurate, we will continue to attract outstanding students for years to come." By Suria Santana |
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