Undergraduate medical education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Statistics
• Health Workforce Analysis

Background:

• The 1985-1986 academic year marked a period of significant data collection on US medical school admissions and enrollment.
• Understanding enrollment trends, faculty numbers, and student demographics is crucial for medical workforce planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present comprehensive statistics on US medical school applicants, enrollees, graduates, and faculty for the 1985-1986 academic year.
• To detail the demographic composition of medical students, including gender and minority representation.
• To outline the structure and duration of medical education programs, including combined college-medical school options.

Main Methods:

• Data compilation from US medical schools for the 1985-1986 academic year.
• Analysis of applicant numbers, acceptance rates, and first-year enrollment figures.
• Calculation of student demographics (gender, minority status), graduate numbers, and faculty counts.

Main Results:

• 32,893 applicants, 17,228 accepted, and 16,337 first-time enrollees, a decrease from the prior year.
• Total enrollment was 66,604 students across 127 schools, with 32.5% women.
• Minority enrollment was 16.5% (3556 black students); 16,191 graduates; 61,372 full-time faculty.

Conclusions:

• The data provides a snapshot of the medical education landscape in the mid-1980s.
• Highlights the composition of the medical student body and faculty during this period.
• Indicates trends in medical school admissions and the duration of study, with 93% of entering students having completed at least four years of college.