Medical EducationSPECIAL COMMUNICATION

Women in Osteopathic and Allopathic Medical Schools: An Analysis of Applicants, Matriculants, Enrollment, and Chief Academic Officers

Maureen E. Basha, PhD; Laurie J. Bauer, MS, DO; Malcolm C. Modrzakowski, PhD; and Helen H. Baker, PhD, MBA
Notes and Affiliations
Notes and Affiliations

Received: August 21, 2017

Accepted: August 30, 2017

Published: May 1, 2018

J Osteopath Med; 118(5): 331-336
Abstract

In the 1993-1994 academic year, female enrollment was 34.7% in osteopathic medical schools and 40.2% in allopathic medical schools. To assess progress in female enrollment since that time, the authors examined admission data in the ensuing years, including female applicants, matriculants, and first-year students in osteopathic and allopathic medical schools, as well as female chief academic officers at these institutions. In the 2004-2005 academic year, 50.3% of first-year students in osteopathic medical schools were women; however, by the 2013-2014 academic year, that figure dropped to 44.2%. The percentage rose slightly by the 2016-2017 academic year to 45.9%. Additionally, for the 2016-2017 academic year, allopathic medical schools had a significantly higher proportion of female matriculants than did osteopathic medical schools (49.8% vs 45.9%, respectively; P<.001).

Read Full Article