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

• Published in: Journal of Osteopathic Medicine (Online) Vol. 118; no. 5; pp. 331 - 336
• Main Authors: Basha, Maureen E., Bauer, Laurie J., Modrzakowski, Malcolm C., Baker, Helen H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Osteopathic Association 01.05.2018; Walter de Gruyter GmbH
• Subjects: Accreditation; Career Choice; chief academic officer; Enrollments; Faculty, Medical; Female; female medical students; Females; Gender identity; Humans; Medical education; medical school enrollment; Medical schools; Osteopathic medicine; Osteopathic Medicine - education; Students; United States; United States
• ISSN: 2702-3648; 2702-3648; 1945-1997
• DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2018.064

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; <.001).