The struggling job market has many people leery of enrolling in school; however, there are some programs that re still worth the time and money that higher education requires. One field that has been on the rise over the years is the medical field. Medical school enrollment has been on the rise since the early 2000’s and it appears the trend is still improving.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), medical schools have seen an increase since 2006, when there was a shortage of physicians. While the latest study was done in 2011, it still showed the medical schools having an increase in enrollment for the 2015 year by 30-percent. This increase is largely due to the push in 2006 for the medical field. It was clear that the rate of people graduating medical school was not going to be enough to cover the number of baby boomers that would be over 70 years of age.
The AAMC has been monitoring the medical school enrollment for several years and has seen a steady increase in enrollment trends. With the monitoring of the enrollment, the AAMC can help the medical school communities stay up to date on the supply and demand for physicians. Even looking past the 2015 school year, the enrollment appears to be holding steady at a roughly 30-percent increase to 2002 enrollment numbers.
If you need to find medical assistant schools, there has been such a growth that new schools have been started since 2002. While a majority of the increase in enrollment will occur at the original schools, more people are finding medical assistant programs that are available at lower schools. Even with the increased enrollment, it is believed there is still a shortage of physicians. The schools have also monitored to see what specialties the shortages will be in and what causes people to drop out.
Trends tracked by the AAMC give a good indicator that the medical industry is still a field that is in high demand. It is also a key part in determining the future of the workplace in the medical area and helps with policy changes, health care reform, and necessary growth needed from other health professions, including medical assistants.
A medical assistant is needed because they are the direct support and line of communication with the patient. Having a certification to be a medical assistant allows a person to work in any medical area, including hospitals, private offices, chiropractic centers, and much more. Because the medical school enrollment trend is still on the rise in 2015, completing a quality medical assistant program will ensure having a job in the future, regardless of what specialty you wish to go into.