Medical schools growing more diverse

Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of medical school applicants rose 17.8%, according to Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). While the number of applicants and first-year enrollees for the 2022-2023 school year has reverted to pre-pandemic levels, several traditionally underrepresented groups are seeing increases in first-year enrollees.

The number of applicants and matriculants (i.e., students entering medical school) who self-identified among traditionally underrepresented groups saw the following increases:

• Black of African American: 14% increase in applicants and 9% increase in matriculants
• Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin: 7.3% increase in applicants and 4% increase in matriculants
• Asian: 13.3% increase in applicants and 17.7% increase in matriculants

Not all underrepresented groups saw increases. The number of American Indian or Alaska Native applicants remained nearly the same from 2020-2021 and matriculants declined by 9.3%.

Source: AAMC