The number of medical school students in the United States is on the rise, but that doesn't necessarily mean there will be more doctors.
According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, 19,230 students were admitted to medical school in 2011, a number that has been steadily increasing since 2001.
There was also an increase in total applicants to medical schools. This year, 43,919 students applied for admission, the most in a decade, according to the association's press release.
UF has seen a similar trend.
The College of Medicine has maintained its class size, with 135 available spots each year; however, it saw about an 8 percent increase in the number of applications received in 2011.
Ira Gessner, former chair of the College of Medicine's admissions committee, said the increased number of medical students can largely be attributed to new medical schools that have opened. Since 2009, three Florida universities have opened colleges of medicine: the University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University.
Gessner said it is important to keep in mind that more medical students doesn't mean more doctors, it just means more graduates from medical school. To create more doctors, there would have to be more residency programs - a requirement for certification as a doctor.
Though Florida now has nine medical schools, the number of residency spots has not increased.
"Most individuals end up staying and working where they do their residency, not where they went to medical school," Gessner said. "So are we going to get more doctors in Florida? That remains to be seen."
