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Numbers of Black and Hispanic Medical School Matriculants Have Declined, a Problem that May Intensify

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A recent piece by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) predicts that numbers of underrepresented minorities in medical school may dwindle further amid recent executive orders regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion in federally funded programs. 

After the 2024 Supreme Court ruling that race-conscious college admissions policies violated the 14th Amendment, numbers of Black and Hispanic matriculants to medical school fell by double-digit percentages compared with the previous year. 

This downswing was particularly troubling, considering that higher proportions of Black primary care doctors are correlated with longer life expectancy and lower mortality rates for Black individuals, according to a 2023 JAMA Network research article. Furthermore, a variety of studies have shown insidious biases against Black patients.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, in 2024-5, Black medical school enrollees declined 11.6% and students of Hispanic origin fell 10.8%. The decline in enrollment of American Indian or Alaska Native students was 22.1%. New Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander enrollment declined 4.3%.

Here is the KFF piece.

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More Medical Students, Fewer Applicants, and a 3.86 (!) GPA Mean

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The AAMC published information recently demonstrating several trends about last year’s cycle:

1) The number of medical students has expanded because of new medical schools. First-year matriculants increased 0.8% from the previous academic year to 23,048.

2) On the other hand, the number of applicants decreased for the third year in a row. There was a 1.2% decline versus 4.7% the previous year and 11.6% two years ago. Remember, though, that there had been a huge increase in numbers during the height of the COVID pandemic.

3) Underrepresented minority group matriculant numbers generally declined.

4) What impressed me was that the current incoming class had a mean GPA of 3.86. Wow!

You can see all of the numbers and the AAMC’s conclusions here.

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Leverage the MSAR for Your Benefit

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The Medical School Admission Requirements database (MSAR) is an online resource that allows users to search, sort and compare information about U.S. and Canadian medical schools. (I hate to date myself, but when I was applying, the MSAR was a hard copy book.) The annual MSAR usually comes out this month or next; if you’re applying to medical school, I’d recommend purchasing the 2024 version when it’s here because it provides so much information about institutions and their admissions statistics. The MSAR allows you to compare schools by median MCAT scores, AMCAS GPAs, and other criteria. (Of course, how institutions utilize the MCAT score is variable, which contributes to the shameful opaqueness of the medical school admissions process.)

You should use the MSAR to help determine which schools are in your range and which are “reach” schools. While it’s fine to have a lot of “reach” schools (if you can afford it), it’s critical to ensure you are applying wisely to schools that match your numbers. The advantage of the MSAR is that you can make evidence-based decisions. I’ve found some applicants have eye-opening experiences when they thoroughly review schools’ statistics and either realize that their numbers are low and that they should apply accordingly or, happily, that they have numbers that match with top schools. Either way, reviewing the data is critical to good decision making.

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The Medical School Admissions Process is Totally Broken – From Start to End

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The medical school admissions process is cruel. I recently told that to a strong applicant who was “ghosted” by five institutions this cycle. Poor or absent communication is only one of the problems. The lack of clarity about selection criteria causes confusion, and expensive supplementary applications that generate money for schools are sometimes exploitative.

Check out my Doximity op-ed piece “The Medical School Admissions Process is Falling Short,” and feel free to leave a comment on the site about your experiences and opinions.

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Medical School and Residency Admissions: It’s Not Personal

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When I was in my second year of medical school, a third-year student (who later also went into emergency medicine, as I did) came to speak to our class about being on the wards. He gave an animated talk about how important it was to recognize that when residents, attendings, or nurses hollered at us on our clinical rotations, 99% of the time, it wasn’t personal. He likened the situation to Boston traffic – how drivers lean on their horns for little cause because they are simply frustrated about their days.

It’s not personal, he said.

I say the same to those I mentor. Candidates get an interview at one highly ranked institution but rejected at what is considered a lesser one with no clear cause. Faculty interviewers mix applicants up with one another; some turn up wholly unprepared – reading students’ applications for the first time during the interview itself. Remember: It’s not personal. This process is arduous and cruel, and most candidates, faculty, and program coordinators are tired and doing their best in a dysfunctional system.

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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