The Majority of U.S. Medical Students Are Women, New Data Show

Women comprise the majority of enrolled U.S. medical students for the first time, according to 2019 data released today by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). This progress builds on the milestone reached in 2017, when, for the first time, women comprised the majority of first-year medical students. The proportion of women students has been rising over recent years, from 46.9% in 2015 to 49.5% in 2018. In 2019, women comprise 50.5% of all medical school students. As a result, across applicants and matriculants, the number of women increased while the number of men declined.

Regarding general admission trends, the number of applicants to medical schools rose by 1.1% from 2018 to 2019, to a record 53,371, and the number of matriculants (new enrollees) grew by 1.1%, to 21,869. The following table illustrates the recent growth in female representation in medical education:

Progress in Racial and Ethnic Diversity

The 2019 data also show that the nation’s medical schools continue to make modest gains in attracting and enrolling more racially and ethnically diverse classes, although these groups remain underrepresented in the overall physician workforce. Key findings include:

• Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin: Applicants increased 5.1%, to 5,858, and matriculants from this group grew 6.3%, to 2,466.
• Black or African American: The number of applicants rose 0.6%, to 5,193, and matriculants increased by 3.2%, to 1,916. Among black or African American men, applicants and matriculants increased 0.5%, and the total enrollment of black or African American men rose 3.7%, to 3,189.
• American Indian or Alaska Native: Applicants grew by 4.8%, to 586, and matriculants rose 5.5%, to 230.

As noted by leadership, "The steady gains in the medical school enrollment of women are a very positive trend, and we are delighted t..."

International Context: Gender Breakdown in UK Universities

The proportion of male and female students varies widely across different subjects in UK universities. Overall, 56.1 per cent of students were female, although women were in a slight minority at the postgraduate research level, and also among non-European Union students. Among UK students, 57.3 per cent were female. The data reveals deep divisions at the discipline level: the majority of subjects are skewed significantly to either men or women, with 10 of the 19 disciplines at least 60 per cent female, and five at least 60 per cent male. There was an even more dramatic gender split among students from some countries: 82.2 per cent of students from Bangladesh were male, compared with just 31.2 per cent from Jamaica.