MDNews - San Antonio

M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S S A N A N T O N I O ■ 2 016 1 5 Med School Enrollment ALMOST 21,000 STUDENTS — a record high — enrolled in U.S. medical schools in 2015, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports. That represents a 25 percent increase since 2002, A AMC notes. The organization says the number of medical school applicants grew by more than 6 percent in 2015, double the increase in 2014. Male versus female enrollment did not change from the previous year; males represented 52 percent , compa red with 48 percent of enrollees who were female. However, women saw a greater increase in fi rst-time applications in 2015: a 6.2 percent jump compared with a 3.5 percent increase among men. "The nation's medica l schools are creating innovative education a nd training programs to prepare tomor- row's doctors to meet the challenges of the changing health care environment," Darrell G. Kirch, MD, President and CEO of the A AMC, stated in a news release. "This dynamic landscape is leading to a record number of students applying to and enrolling in medical school." Despite the increases, demand for physicians is still expected to outpace supply in coming years. The forecasting fi rm IHS Inc. projects demand will rise by as much as 17 percent from 2013 to 2025, with the shortage in physicians reaching 90,000 by 2025. Even taking into account factors such as postponed physician retirements, a bigger role for adva nced practice nurses and the expansion of retail clinics to take some of the burden oˆ traditional practices, a sig nif ica nt shor tfa ll in available physicians is expected. ■ ON A ROLL BY STEVE BARRETT Now, healthcare is about balancing employees, technology, reimbursements, regulations, reform… and patient care. We help you spend time on what matters most – your patients. Healthcare Services I San Antonio, Texas I 210.384.8000 I www.ssacpa.com

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