In a pandemic-wracked year, U.S. medical schools enrolled their most diverse class on record, according to data released recently by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the non-profit that administers the MCAT.
Applications for the 2021-22 school year surged, driven by strong increases of racial and ethnic minority applicants. For the first time since the AAMC began keeping track, the majority of applicants did not identify as white. And, after years of small increases, matriculation by Black or African American students jumped 21% compared to last year. Black or African American students made up 11.3% of first-year students in 2021, a yearly increase of nearly 2%.
The 2021 statistics came as a surprise in light of the economic difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many individuals lost their employment, many women had to drop out of the workforce to address care-giving responsibilities. So, I don’t think we expected such a significant increase,” said Norma Poll-Hunter, senior director of workforce diversity at the AAMC. 
Norma Poll-Hunter
Although the pandemic created roadblocks, it may have also inspired some students to want to become doctors.
