Medical school enrollment continues to rise, especially at osteopathic schools, according to Medscape.
Here are five observations:
1. The United States is home to 147 allopathic and 33 osteopathic medical schools.
2. For the 2016 to 2017 school year, 21,000 first-years enrolled in allopathic medical schools, reflecting a 28 percent boost from the 2002 to 2003 year, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
3. In the same time period, osteopathic school enrollment skyrocketed 148 percent, jumping to 7,369 first-years for the 2016 to 2017 school year.
4. An AAMC survey revealed competition for training sites is growing between allopathic and osteopathic schools. For the 2009 to 2010 year, 26 percent of allopathic schools said they competed with their osteopathic counterparts, compared to 53 percent for the 2016 to 2017 year.
5. The increasing medical school enrollment will help combat the predicted shortage of 105,000 physicians by 2030.