For the first time, more women than men enrolled in U.S. medical schools, The Association of American Medical Colleges said in a news release.
Women represented 50.7 percent of first-year medical students this year, the AAMC said.
Darrell G. Kirch, president and CEO of AAMC, said he was “very encouraged” by the growing number of women’s enrollment.
“This year’s matriculating class demonstrates that medicine is an increasingly attractive career for women and that medical schools are creating an inclusive environment,” Kirch said. “While we have much more work to do to attain broader diversity among our students, faculty, and leadership, this is a notable milestone.”
The association said the number of female medical students has grown by 9.6 percent since 2015. In that same time, the percentage of male students has declined by 2.3 percent.
Overall, the number of students in U.S. medical schools rose by 1.5 percent in 2017. Total enrollment stands at 89,904 students, the AAMC said.
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