According to data released last week, this fall, over 50 percent of US medical school applicants were women. This is the second consecutive year that women have outnumbered male applicants. Women also made up 49.5 percent of first-year enrollees. In addition, African-American enrollment increased by 2.5 percent and Hispanic enrollment increased by almost 8 percent, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Dr. Cohen, president of AAMC, told the Chronicle of Higher Education that although he was pleased by the increase, “the medical profession has a long way to go before it reflects the diversity of the population it serves.” In 1976, the AAMC established its Women in Medicine program. That year, less than a quarter of medical school enrollees were women; upon the program’s 25th anniversary, the percentage had shifted to nearly one half, explained Dr. Cohen. Unfortunately, however, increased entry into medical school does not equal parity among the higher levels of academia. According to AAMC data, only 14 percent of tenured faculty and 12 percent of full professors at medical schools are women. “At a time when leadership is increasingly recognized as not only essential but also in short supply, tapping the growing reservoir of women for promotion to key management positions ceases to be just right – it becomes damn smart,” said Dr. Cohen. SIGN UP to receive important updates and action alerts from the Title IX Action Network DONATE to the Feminist Majority Foundation to support its work to achieve gender equality in education
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