Record number vied for 2007-08 medical school slots

Among allopathic applicants, MCAT scores were better than ever before, with a mean of 28 points.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. Nov. 5, 2007.

Growing awareness of an impending physician shortage is partially behind an all-time high in medical school interest, experts say. So is an upcoming generation of college graduates with a strong sense of altruism, a growing population and a cyclical upswing tied to a softer economy.

Allopathic medical schools saw 31,946 first-time applicants for the 2007-08 academic year, according to the Assn. of American Medical Colleges. It reflects an 8% increase over 2006-07.

"These numbers are important because our own analysis and those of many others show that our country faces a serious shortage of doctors," said AAMC President Darrell G. Kirch, MD.

The American Assn. of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine also saw its applicant pool reach a record level for the 2007-08 academic year, with 11,500 candidates.

"The buzz right now is health care," said Jamie Rehmann, director of admission for the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Iowa. "It's a fact there are jobs, and a lot of counselors and parents are encouraging their students into health care fields."

In addition to this sense of opportunity, some say the generation that started graduating from college in 2003 is drawn to the altruistic aspects of medicine.

"Millennial students ... want to help others. They are smart and have spent a lot of time studying math and science in primary and secondary school. They feel they can improve society, and what better way to do that than medicine?" asked Carol Elam, EdD, associate dean for admissions at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.