Medical school applications hit new record, enrollment up 3%, AAMC finds

U.S. medical schools officials saw a record number of applicants in 2011, with applicant ranks increasing by 1,178, or 2.8%, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The Washington-based AAMC on Monday released its annual report on medical school applications and enrollment (PDF). A total of 43,919 individuals applied to U.S. medical schools in 2011, including 32,654 first-time applicants, according to the AAMC. First-year enrollment grew by 3% to 19,230, up from 18,665 in 2010.

Other highlights include a higher number of black/African-American applicants, after the number had dipped by 0.2% in 2010. Those numbers grew in 2011 by 4.7% to 3,640. Black/African-American enrollees also rose by 1.9% to 1,375. The number of Hispanic/Latino applicants also grew by 5.7% to 3,459, with enrollment rising by 6.1% to 1,633. Asians made up 22.7% of the total applicant pool; applicants who identified themselves as white accounted for 62.3% of the pool.

Meanwhile, first-time female applicants grew 3.3% to 15,953, and female enrollment also increased to 3.2% to 9,037. The number of first-time male applicants increased by 1.9%, for a total of 16,698 applications with 10,193 enrollees, a 2.9% rise from last year. AAMC said schools continue to attract well-qualified applicants, noting their academic profiles included an average grade-point average of 3.5 and an MCAT score of 29.