National med school enrollment hits record high

In the face of projected doctor shortages and debate about the future of medicine, a record number of students applied to, and started, medical school this year (Source: “Medical Schools See Record Numbers Of Enrollees,” Kaiser Health News, Oct. 25, 2013).

About 20,000 students enrolled in medical school in 2013, around 2.8 percent more than the year before, according to the data distributed by the Association of American Medical Colleges on Thursday. First-time applications were also up by almost 6 percent.

Meanwhile, osteopathic medical schools saw a continued surge in their new student pool, with an 11.1 percent growth in enrollment, according to data released by the Association of American Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. These students, who graduate with a Doctor of Osteopathy, or DO degree, practice in the same capacity as MDs.