Checking Up on the Gender Gap in Medical School Applications and Enrollments

The Association of American Medical College recently released new data on applicants and first-time enrollments at U.S. medical school for the 2015-16 academic year. In 2015, there were 18,724 women who applied to U.S. medical schools. This was an all-time high. The number of women applicants increased by 6.2 percent over 2014. Over the past decade the number of women applying to medical schools has increased by more than 30 percent.

In 2015, there were 19,725 men who applied to U.S. medical schools, up 3.5 percent from 2014. In 2015, women made up 48.7 percent of all medical school applicants.

In 2015, 9,860 women matriculated at U.S. medical schools. They made up 47.8 percent of all new medical school enrollments. Over the past decade the number of women enrolling in medical school has increased by 18.6 percent. During the same period the number of new male matriculants has increased by 22.8 percent.