Medical School Enrollment Rebounds After 3-Year Decline Post-COVID

Female matriculants experience their largest increase in 4 years; men have an even higher increase for the third year in a row.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 7:47am

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After a 3-year decline in medical school applications and enrollment following the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of first-time applicants has rebounded, comprising nearly 76% of all medical school applicants this year - an 8% increase. The total number of medical school applicants rose about 5%, reversing the previous decline. Women continue to make up the majority of applicants, matriculants, and total enrollment, though men saw larger increases in matriculants than women for the third year in a row.

Why it matters

The rebound in medical school enrollment, especially among women, is an encouraging sign for the future of the healthcare workforce after the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It suggests a renewed interest in the medical field, which could help address ongoing physician shortages and ensure a strong pipeline of future doctors.

The details

Jielu Yu, a first-generation and first-year medical student at UMass Chan Medical School, is among the new matriculants helping drive the increased enrollment. Yu took a 2-year gap after college to explore other career paths before ultimately deciding to pursue medicine, citing a desire to focus on equity and social impact. At UMass, 59% of new applicants were women and 66% of matriculants. Yu is looking forward to a future medical career that will involve technological advances like artificial intelligence to help reduce administrative workload and allow her to focus on patient care.

  • The 2025-2026 academic year saw a rebound in medical school enrollment after a 3-year decline following the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • In the 2021-2022 academic year, there was a 1-year increase in medical school applications, which was the largest gain in 10 years.

The players

Jielu Yu

A first-generation and first-year medical student at UMass Chan Medical School who took a 2-year gap after college to explore other career paths before deciding to pursue medicine, citing a desire to focus on equity and social impact.

Geoffrey Young, PhD

The senior director for the Transforming the Health Care Workforce Unit at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which represents MD-granting medical schools.

Bryan Carmody, MD

A physician who regularly blogs about medical education.

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What they’re saying

“I wasn't really sure if I was able to deal with the uncertainty and the kind of sacrifices I would have to make to be a doctor and turn that career into a lifestyle.”

— Jielu Yu, First-year medical student

“We think this may still be influenced by post-COVID effects in education. Although we don't have a definitive explanation, the increase may signal a return to a more stable level of medical school applications.”

— Geoffrey Young, PhD, Senior director, Transforming the Health Care Workforce Unit, AAMC

“If you look at long-term historical trends, medical school application numbers behave like a counter-cyclical asset with a delay, since it takes several years for applicants to make career decisions, complete prerequisites, take the MCAT, and so on.”

— Bryan Carmody, MD, Physician and medical education blogger

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

The rebound in medical school enrollment, especially among women, is an encouraging sign for the future of the healthcare workforce after the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It suggests a renewed interest in the medical field, which could help address ongoing physician shortages and ensure a strong pipeline of future doctors.