October 20, 2009WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. medical school enrollment is up for the 11th consecutive year as colleges seek to meet a growing demand for physicians.
First-year enrollment climbed 2 percent over 2008, and now totals nearly 18,400 students. The number of applicants remained mostly stable at around 42,000. Four new medical schools opened their doors this year; several others expanded class size.
That's according to an Association of American Medical Colleges report released Tuesday.
The number of black and Asian enrollees climbed slightly while Hispanic first-year students remained mostly unchanged. Whites still make up about 70 percent of first-year students.
The group's president says residency training slots need to increase to accommodate more medical school students.
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