2008 Medical School Enrollment Hits All-time High

Data released recently by the Association of American Medical Colleges, or AAMC, show that first-year enrollment at U.S. medical schools in 2008 totaled more than 18,000 students, the highest enrollment in history. However, although this development might mean the country gets more physicians, it doesn't necessarily translate into a big boost for family medicine or primary care, says one physician workforce expert.

According to an AAMC press release, enrollment of first-year students at the nation's medical schools this year increased nearly 2 percent, compared with 2007, to an all-time high of 18,036. The release attributed the increase primarily to the establishment (or planned establishment) of new branch campuses of Mercer University School of Medicine in Savannah, Ga.; Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine in Bryan/College Station; and the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix.

But will an overall rise in the number of students entering medical school benefit family medicine?

"It would be a stretch to say the enrollment high will be 'good news' for family medicine, except that it expands our pool of potentially interested students by a small percentage," said Perry Pugno, M.D., M.P.H., director of the AAFP Division of Medical Education.

"I think the impact of the numbers on family medicine will be minimal," he added. "But at the same time, I think interest in primary care careers -- especially family medicine -- will be increasing on its own for other reasons."

The AAMC data (6-page PDF; About PDFs) may illustrate one such reason: students' increased involvement in community service, as demonstrated by the volunteer experiences -- both medical and nonmedical -- described on their applications. That involvement, said Pugno, often has been shown to correlate with students' choice of specialty.

"Our student interest studies show that a demonstrated interest in service bodes well for more interest in primary care. This is one of the 'generational issues' that is fueling the slight increase in primary care career interest we saw this year," he said, referring to the results of the 2008 National Resident Matching Program.

AAMC President and CEO Darrell Kirch, M.D., said in a national press teleconference that 63 percent of this year's applicants had nonmedical volunteer experience and 77 percent had medical volunteer experience.

"They have a real sense of service, commitment and discovery that I know we all want in a future doctor at our bedside," Kirch said.

First-year medical school enrollees are not only more numerous but also more diverse this year. The number of Latino first-year enrollees increased by more than 10 percent compared with 2007 figures; Native American enrollees increased by more than 5 percent. The number of black first-year students remained nearly the same as in 2007.

Men and women enrollees are almost evenly divided in this year's medical school incoming class, about 52 percent versus about 48 percent, respectively.

Overall, although the number of applications to U.S. medical schools has increased steadily during the past five years, it leveled off this year at 42,231, according to the press release. In addition, applicants were stronger academically than ever before, with increases in the average undergraduate grade point average to 3.50 (out of 4.0) and in the average Medical College Admission Test score to 28.1 (out of 45).

A potential sticking point for family medicine: According to Kirch, the total number of positions in residencies is not expanding, so increased U.S. enrollment might mean fewer international medical graduates would be able to compete successfully for residency placement. The downside to that scenario, said Pugno, is that historically, IMGs have been more interested in family medicine than U.S. graduates.