The class of first-year medical students stepping onto U.S. campuses for the 2023–2024 academic year was more diverse than in previous years, with some historically excluded racial and ethnic groups making bigger gains than others, according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
Compared with the previous academic year, there was a:
- 14.7% rise in matriculants who identified as American Indian or Alaska Native.
- 4.5% rise in those who identified as Hispanic, Latino or of Spanish origin.
- 0.1% drop in matriculants who identified as Black or African American.
- 6.9% drop in those identifying as Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander.
Black students comprised 10% of all matriculants in 2023–2024, up from 8.4% in 2016–2017. Those who are Hispanic, Latino or of Spanish origin accounted for 12.7% of total matriculants this year, up from 10.5% in 2016–2017. Research has shown that a more diverse physician workforce improves health outcomes.
“It’s important to look at trends and, specifically, look at trends over longer periods of time,” said David Henderson, MD, the AMA’s vice president for equity, diversity and belonging in medical education. “When it comes to medical school enrollment, there is an upward trajectory. However, even that is not as steep as it needs to be, and we are faced now with the probability that the trajectory is going to change and we may well see some significant decreases unless we can figure out how to pivot very quickly.”
A post-affirmative action world
The change Dr. Henderson refers to is the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last summer that restricts higher-education institutions—including medical schools—from considering an applicant’s race or ethnicity in admissions decisions. The decision broke nearly 50 years of precedent that allowed a limited use of affirmative action.
“We are in, and have been in, a fairly poor situation for quite some time and the loss of affirmative action only makes things all the more difficult going forward,” Dr. Henderson said in an interview. “Schools are in largely uncharted territory and it may take time for schools—and medical schools collectively—[to determine] what is the most productive path forward. There is broad consensus that we do need to move forward, but the question is just how.”
Learn more about the work the AMA is doing to improve equity, diversity and belonging in medical education.
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More first-year observations
Despite medical schools seeing 4.7% fewer applicants for the 2023–2024 academic year when compared to the previous year, the number of first-year enrollees was up 1.2% this year. Total medical school enrollment grew by 1.6%
“While we do not know the exact explanation for the decline in the number of applicants to medical school, it will not deter our continuing efforts to increase the number of diverse applicants and matriculants who will make up the future physician workforce,” AAMC CEO David J. Skorton, MD, said in a statement.
Some other facts about first-year matriculants:
- Women accounted for 56.6% of applicants, 55.4% of matriculants and 54.6% of total enrollment in 2023–2024, making this the third consecutive year that women comprised the majority of these three groups.
- First-generation matriculants rose 2.5% compared with last year, to 2,606.
- There are 171 military veteran matriculants, up 11% from 2022–2023.
- The median undergraduate grade-point average was 3.84, higher than in previous years.
- Matriculants ranged in age from 18 to 62 years old, including 709 students older than 30. This is a wider age range than in previous years, and more older students are represented in this group.
At the 2023 AMA Annual Meeting, the House of Delegates adopted policy to “recognize the consideration of race in admissions is a necessary safeguard in creating a pipeline to an environment within medical education that will propagate the advancement of health equity through diversification of the physician workforce.”
In July, Dr. Henderson moderated an episode of the “ChangeMedEd Webinar Series” featuring six expert panelists to help unpack the Supreme Court’s decision and its implications for the future of medical education and the physician workforce. Watch it now.
