In what the healthcare experts hope will be the answer to the national physician shortage, medical school applications have hit an all-time high this year, according to the Association of the American Medical Colleges (AAMC) press release yesterday. First-time applicants increased 2.6 percent from last year to 32,654 students, and total applicants rose 2.8 percent to 43,919 applicants.
In 2006, the AAMC called for a 30 percent increase in enrollment, anticipating workforce shortages.
"At the same time the number of applicants is on the rise, we also are encouraged that the pool of medical school applicants and enrollees continues to be more diverse. This diversity will be important as these new doctors go out into communities across the country to meet the health care needs of all Americans," said AAMC President and CEO Dr. Darrell G. Kirch. Press release