This fall, over 1,700 students -- the largest class on record -- began their first year at the nation's 125 accredited medical schools, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The AAMC said in a press release that this class size represents a 2.1 percent increase from the class that entered in 2004.
"For the last several years, enrollment has hovered at around 1,600, so this is the first time it broke 1,700," AAMC Public Relations Director Retha Sherrod said.
In addition to the increase in class size, the AAMC also said medical schools experienced a 4.6 percent increase in the number of applications they received from 35,735 last year to 37,364.
Mirroring this national trend, the University's Medical School has seen a slight increase in its class size as well as in its number of applicants, Medical School Admissions Director Beth Bailey said.
Sherrod said the AAMC was concerned earlier this year that there could be a potential future shortage in the nation's number of physicians, due in part to a high number of "baby boom" physicians who will retire soon. Therefore, the AAMC recommended a 15 percent increase in medical schools' class sizes by the year 2015.
According to the AAMC, the increase in the number of minority applicants partly boosted the higher number of applications. The number of Hispanic, Mexican-American and Asian applicants increased from 2004 while the level of black applicants remained constant.
M. Norman Oliver, associate dean of diversity at the University Medical School, said the Medical School has seen a "major increase" in the number of minorities that are underrepresented in the field of medicine, primarily African-Americans and Hispanics, over previous years.
The current first-year class at the University Medical School includes 18 students, out of a class of around 140, who are underrepresented minorities, Oliver said. Oliver added that this number is higher when Asian and South-Asian students are included.
"The School of Medicine Admissions Committee and the Admissions Office have made a very concerted effort to really look for highly-qualified minority students and to do our best to convince them that U.Va. is the place to be," Oliver said. "We have been successful in doing that over the past few years."
Oliver added that one "key ingredient" of this recruitment process is comprised of the minority students who already attend the Medical School. Oliver said these students have organized a group that is working in conjunction with the Admissions Office to recruit other minority students, which will continue to be a priority for the Medical School.
"With all those things going for us, the success we've seen in the last couple of classes will continue," Oliver said.
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