Enrollment figures at the nation's medical schools are the highest in history, but the number of first-time applicants declined slightly this year. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, first-year enrollment at U.S. medical schools in 2008 increased nearly 2 percent from last year's numbers to more than 18,000 students.
Not only are the newest medical students numerous, they are increasingly diverse. The number of Latino and Native American first-year enrollees increased by more than 10 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
According to the report, more than 42,200 people applied to medical schools in 2008. While this is one of the largest applicant pools in more than a decade, the number is still down 3 percent from last year.
For more:
- read the ModernHealthcare.com article