In 2002, about 22% fewer medical school applications were filed than in 1997, according to a report published in the September 4, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. That works out to a drop of about 9,500 applications.

There is no generally accepted reason for the drop in applications. Some observers feel like rising medical debt and the "hassles factors" of practicing medicine are causing students to look elsewhere for careers. Others see the drop as part of a typical cycle and note there are still two applications for each opening in medical schools.

Our position at New Physician is that the six-year drop in applications is a reason for concern. Other health professions, such as nursing, are seeing a dramatic rise in applications as students view health care as a dependable source for jobs Medicine should be seeing an increase for the same reason, but is not. Our opinion, based on anecdotal evidence only, is that many senior physicians, who once acted as advocates for the medical profession, now are discouraging their children and other young people from entering the field.