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Since 2001, interest in UNMC’s College of Medicine has steadily grown. Last year, the college had a 14 percent increase in its application rate, receiving 1,268 applications to fill 120 seats in the Class of 2010. Nationally, applications rose 4.6 percent, according to data released this week by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Jeffrey Hill, M.D., who is in charge of College of Medicine admissions, said the increase is the direct result of more aggressive recruiting of students – inside and outside Nebraska.
“Our reputation as a medical school is increasing and permeating across the country,” said Dr. Hill, associate professor in UNMC’s Family Medicine Department. “Students are finding out what great training they get here and that they leave clinically competent.”
“The College of Medicine admissions team has done an excellent job in recruiting stellar students,” said UNMC College of Medicine Dean John Gollan, M.D., Ph.D. “The escalading number of applications is a testament to the strength of our faculty and academic programs. This results in highly competent and skilled physicians, who we are proud to have associated with UNMC.”
Nebraska’s applicant pool – reflective of the state’s steady population — has remained stable over recent years, but applications from bordering states, as well as the coasts, has risen the past few years, Dr. Hill said.
“In today’s world, it’s about recruiting,” he said. “It’s like recruiting football players at UNL. You can’t sit back and say we’re a good school. You have to be out there recruiting year-round.”
The age-old notion that UNMC — the only public academic health science center in the state — enrolls only Nebraskans is declining among non-Nebraskans. Even so, the majority of College of Medicine students still hail from Nebraska. “We are still a state school and Nebraska parents need to know if they have a qualified applicant, we want them,” Dr. Hill said.
Nationally, the number of medical school applications has risen the past four years. According to the AAMC, this year’s applicant pool — which had the highest grade-point averages and Medical College Admission Test scores in a decade — grew by 4.6 percent, with a total of 39,000 individuals applying to the 125 degree-granting U.S. medical schools. First-time enrollments this fall reached almost 17,400, a 2.2 percent increase over last year.
The UNMC College of Medicine admissions team projects another banner year, as applications are on pace to match or exceed last year. The team predicts another 5 percent increase over last year’s application rate once all Class of 2011 applications are in.
Dr. Hill makes regular visits to the state’s undergraduate schools to recruit potential medical students, while other members of the admissions team work with minority recruits and attend health fairs across the country. This year’s entering class included nine underrepresented minorities, marking the largest number in history.
UNMC’s out-of-state applications are up and will continue to rise as the state’s undergraduate institutions attract more non-Nebraskans.
“Non-residents hear the story and get interested in UNMC,” Dr. Hill said.
In recent years, applications also have risen for the College of Medicine’s Early Decision Program because students know they want to attend UNMC. Under the Early Decision Program, which allows students to commit to their first choice of medical schools, students are notified of their acceptance by Oct. 1.
In spite of an increase in applications, Dr. Hill says the academic quality of the applications remains high.
“We haven’t seen a falloff in quality,” he said. “Quality control has to be our main concern. We need to continue to train hardworking, passionate and competent physicians.”
At the AAMC’s urging, UNMC College of Medicine leaders anticipate increasing future class sizes to meet a projected national shortage of physicians. UNMC could increase its medical class enrollment 10 to 15 percent without affecting quality, Dr. Hill said. As a result, classes in 2008 could grow by 12 to 15 students, up from the current 120-member class.
Dr. Hill anticipates a continued surge in applications with the 2008 opening of the new Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education. As the new home for the College of Medicine, the state-of-the-art Sorrell Center will be a strong recruiting tool.
“Our future looks really bright in the next five to 10 years,” Dr. Hill said. “The Sorrell Center will provide another ‘wow’ factor for students. It does for me. I can hardly wait.”