New Data About Who Enrolled in Medical School Last Year

Pre-Med & Medical School
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Highlights:

  • The number of medical students enrolling in 2024 increased 0.8%

  • The number of new students from UiM ( American Indian or Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander) groups declined sharply.

  • The total number of medical school applicants declined 1.2%, to the lowest level since 2017-18.

Race and ethnicity:

  • Black or African American matriculants declined 11.6%, the third year in a row of declines. Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin matriculants fell 10.8%.

  • American Indian or Alaska Native matriculants declined 22.1%. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander matriculants declined 4.3%.

Gender:

  • For the sixth year in a row, women made up the majority of applicants, matriculants, and total enrollment.

Socioeconomic:

  • Applicants with a parent whose highest level of education was less than a bachelor’s degree or any degree with an occupation categorized as “service, clerical, skilled, and unskilled” declined 2.2% compared to 2023-24, and the number of matriculants from this group fell 2.1%. It was the third year in a row of declines among both groups.

  • The number of first-generation applicants fell 1.6% and the number of matriculants in this group declined 2.3% over 2023.

Miscellaneous

  • 166 matriculants are military veterans, a decline from 171 in 2023.

  • As in previous years, medical school matriculants have strong academic credentials, with a median undergraduate GPA of 3.86, slightly higher than in previous years.

  • The mean MCAT score for matriculants was 512, the same as 2023-24.

  • Matriculants range in age from 17 to 55 years old (including 2.8% who are over age 30).

  • The 2024 entering class demonstrated a strong commitment to service. Matriculants cumulatively performed over 16.4 million community service hours, an average of 709 hours per student.

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Are med schools admissions staff reading apps blind to race? Are fewer minorities applying to med school? Are there other factors leading to this result?

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From the linked article:

  • American Indian or Alaska Native
    • Applicants decreased 15.4%.
    • Matriculants decreased 22.1%.
  • Asian
    • Applicants increased 3.8%.
    • Matriculants increased 8.4%.
  • Black or African American
    • Applicants increased 2.8%.
    • Matriculants decreased 11.6%.
  • Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin
    • Applicants increased 2.2%.
    • Matriculants decreased 10.8%.
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders
    • Applicants did not change.
    • Matriculants decreased 4.3%.
  • White
    • Applicants declined 5.2%.
    • Matriculants declined 0.3%.

I know a lot of people speculated the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision might have a significant impact on med school admissions. These shifts are similar to what we have also seen at some colleges, so perhaps that is indeed happening.

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In keeping with US Supreme Court rulings, medical schools are limited in how they may use race/ethnicity data when reviewing students for admission. Race may not be explicitly considered.

Compared to 2021, the decline is even more stark.

Black matriculants-1,627 of which 1,300 matriculated to non HBCU schools. 7% of matriculants versus 14% of the population.
2124 matriculated in 2021 so a 23% decline.
Hispanic matriculants- 1,357 of which 1,000 matriculated to schools on the mainland (excluding Puerto Rico). 6% of matriculants versus 19% of the population. 1,575 matriculated in 2021 so a 14% decline.

A side note about ethnicity–starting this application cycle there is a new identification category–Middle Eastern/North African

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