title: Educational programs in US medical schools, 1996-1997.
abstract: We use data from the 1996-1997 Liaison Committee on Medical Education Annual Medical School Questionnaire, which had a 100% response rate, to describe medical education programs in the United States. In the 1996-1997 academic year, there were 95 568 full-time medical school faculty members, a 4.5% increase from 1995-1996. In clinical departments, the largest increases were in emergency medicine (a 29% increase from 1995-1996) and family medicine (a 13% increase). Of all full-time faculty members in clinical departments, 76.9% have an MD or DO as the highest degree, 4.5% have both an MD and PhD, 13.9% have a PhD, and 4.7% have an academic or professional bachelor's or master's degree as their final degree. The total number of applicants for the class entering in 1996 was 46968 (0.8% increase from 1995), while the number of first-time applicants decreased 1% from 1995. First-year medical students who were members of underrepresented minority groups numbered 2236, a 4% decrease from 1995. In 1996-1997, the total number of medical students was 66712 (0.3% less than in 1995-1996). For students graduating during the 1995-1996 academic year, 13% took longer than 4 years to complete the program. There were 47 medical schools that reported that 1 or more hospitals used for required clinical clerkships had changed ownership, merged, or closed during 1996. Medical schools used an average of 6 (range, 1-36) hospitals for core clinical clerkship. Ninety-five schools required a passing grade on Step 1 of the US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) for promotion or graduation; 54 schools required a passing grade on Step 2 of the USMLE.
authors.affiliation: Division of Undergraduate Medical Education, American Medical Association, Chicago, Ill 60610, USA. Barbara_Barzansky@ama-assn.org
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barzansky
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Etzel
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003479:Curriculum / Q000639:trends; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D012570:School Admission Criteria / Q000639:trends; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States