Record number of applicants vying for competitive spots at U.S., University of Utah medical schools

SALT LAKE CITY — More Americans are anticipating a career in the field of medicine than ever before, as applications to medical schools have hit an all-time high.

The same is true for the University of Utah's School of Medicine, which is the only qualified training facility in a four-state area, serving students in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

Of 1,500 applicants to the U. this year, only 82 students were admitted.

The demand is creating an increasingly competitive environment, said Chris Nelson, vice president of public affairs for U. Health Sciences.

Funding parameters prohibit growth at the medical school and Nelson said that even exorbitant tuition increases, albeit unreasonable and unfair to students, would not make a dent in what's necessary to turn out quality physicians. But the U., he said, has a goal to bring back the 20 student spots that were cut in 2009, due to funding constraints.

Growth beyond that is also possible, but hinges on local partnerships and the results of ongoing Congressional cuts to Medicare.

Class sizes have been shrinking at the U. since 1970 and existing clinical faculty are continually strapped with instruction and clinical duties, as they are still seeing patients during the time they teach in order to maintain federal levels of funding, which come to the U. as part of federal Medicaid and Medicare expenditures.

"We definitely need more doctors," Nelson said.

If the school were to grow, he said he is certain that there would be enough qualified applicants to fill all available spots and also maintain their competitive edge, which would behoove the impending shortage of doctors in the country.

"We have the luck of having a fabulous applicant pool," he said, adding that the school would love to be able to accept more. "It's safe to say that for every open spot, two to three applicants would've been eligible candidates."

This year, the average age of applicants at the U. was 26, average GPA was 3.6, and each had near-10 scores on the various sections of the MCAT entrance exams. Extra-curricular experience was also exceptional, said Nelson, as many of the students who applied have worked in diverse fields within the community.