In 2021, medical school applications from first-time candidates increased a startling 18%. More than 62,000 students applied to medical school in 2021, compared to approximately 53,000 the year prior. It’s unclear what caused such a large jump: It’s possible the pandemic was not a factor and that many students had planned to apply prior to COVID-19’s emergence. After all, it takes many years of planning to have a ready candidacy. Or perhaps individuals may have been inspired by healthcare workers’ dedication during the beginning of the pandemic. Interestingly, there was a significant increase in applications from Black and Hispanic students, which is encouraging.

With increasing numbers of candidates, medical schools will be more selective about which applicants they accept. Perhaps some students will consider physician assistant training as an alternative, however, enrollment there is up as well.

Take a look at this short piece by Dr. Thomas Cook, the Program Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency at Prisma Health in Columbia, for more analysis.