For Medical Students

Med school enrollment on the rise, close to AAMC goal

Enrollment at the nation's allopathic medical schools is expected to expand by 30 percent during a 15-year period ending in 2016, reaching a long-term goal set by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) just a year behind schedule.

That's according to the AAMC Center for Workforce Studies' annual Medical School Enrollment Survey. The survey found that first-year allopathic enrollment is projected to reach 21,376 by 2016–17, a 30 percent increase above first-year enrollment of 16,488 in 2002-03. The AAMC's goal of increasing enrollment 30 percent by 2015 was set in 2006, using 2002-03 as the baseline.

This growth has come primarily from the expansion of existing schools, but the addition of new schools also is helping. An estimated 31,000 medical students will be added to the rolls above the 181,000 students that would have been enrolled without the growth, according to the survey.

Learn more in an American Medical News story about these findings.

Weigh in on AMA policy proposals from AMA-MSS

All AMA medical student members are invited to submit online comments on AMA Medical Student Section (MSS) resolutions through an AMA-MSS online "reference committee" forum.

Testimony submitted online will be considered for the preliminary reference committee report, which will be prepared in advance of the AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting. The preliminary report will serve as the basis for extraction and discussion at the traditional on-site reference committee meeting, which will take place June 15 during the AMA-MSS meeting.

The online "reference committee" forum will be open until noon Central time June 6. This year's AMA-MSS meeting will be the section's first advocacy-focused meeting, and all resolutions in the online forum meet the criteria for consideration.

Students also can comment on other proposed AMA policy reports and resolutions in a separate online forum. Learn more in this week's Special Feature.

Airfare discounts available for AMA-MSS meeting attendees

If you're attending this year's AMA Medical Student Section (MSS) Annual Assembly Meeting, you can receive up to a 5 percent discount on airline tickets through special agreements with American Airlines and United Airlines. Visit the AMA-MSS meeting Web page and click on "Airfare Discount" for details.

Network with top medical groups at AMA career fair

Physicians with an eye on future employment can attend the AMA's first-ever Group Practice Career Fair June 15 and network with some of the top medical groups in the country.

Held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates, the career fair will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central time at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Open to all physicians and medical students, attendees will have an opportunity to connect with the following medical groups and organizations:

• Advocate Health Care, Illinois
• Aurora Health System, Wisconsin
• Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
• Geisinger Health System, Pennsylvania
• Henry Ford Health System, Michigan
• Mayo Clinic, Minnesota
• McFarland Clinic, Iowa
• Permanente Medical Group, California
• Scott & White, Texas
• Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, Washington

Representatives from the JAMA Career Center also will be on hand.

To attend this free event, be sure to register by the June 1 deadline. Presdo Match, a social networking tool, will be used as part of the registration process to help exhibitors learn about registrants in advance of the event and identify candidates of particular interest. The tool allows attendees to network, create or connect to their LinkedIn profile and request meetings with exhibitors.

Specialties guide can help with career decisions

AMA medical student members have exclusive access to a helpful resource guide that can help them choose a career path.

Choosing a Medical Specialty: The AMA's Resource Guide for Medical Students offers detailed snapshots of the most common specialties and subspecialties with data from the Graduate Medical Education Directory, FREIDA Online and specialty associations. Specialty summaries include skills required to succeed in a specialty, interaction with common types of patients, guidance about work-life balance and more. AMA members can log in to access the guide.

Don't miss out on valuable resources for AMA members. Renew your membership or join the AMA today to begin receiving these benefits.

In addition, AMA members can attend the AMA Medical Student Section's ninth annual Medical Specialty Showcase, June 16 in Chicago, and meet physicians from a variety of specialties, including radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedics and emergency medicine. Physicians on hand will provide an introduction to their specialty and offer materials to help with career decisions.