U.S. Med School Enrollment Up Again: Report

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For the 11th consecutive year, enrollment is up at U.S. medical schools, says an Association of American Medical Colleges report.

First-year enrollment this year was nearly 18,400 students, two percent higher than in 2008. The number of applicants remained at about 42,000. The association also said that four new medical colleges opened this year and several others expanded class size to meet the nation's growing need for physicians, the Associated Press reported.

There was a slight increase in the number of black and Asian first-year medical students, while the number of Hispanic enrollees remained about the same. About 70 percent of first-year students are white.

More residency training positions are needed to accommodate the growing number of medical school students, said the association's president, the AP reported.