Chinese Journal of Medical Education

Chinese Journal of Medical Education ›› 2024, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (2): 155-160.DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn115259-20230306-00221

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Study on the number distribution and regional differences of medical colleges and students in the United States

Lin Huangtao1, Li Yuexin2, Jia Jinzhong3, Yan Qi4, Lei Xiaohua5, Zhu Rui1, Wen Mingyue1, Zhu Quanrong4, Xu Ming6   

  1. 1Master Degree Candidate, Public Health Major, Enrolled in 2021, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832002, China;
    2Infection Management Department, Jinan Third People′s Hospital, Jinan City, Jinan 250132, China;
    3Branch Society Secretariat Office, Graduate School of Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China;
    4Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China;
    5Emergency Transmission Department, Yaan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Yaan 625000, China;
    6Graduate School of Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
  • Received:2023-03-06 Online:2024-02-01 Published:2024-01-30
  • Contact: Jia Jinzhong, Email: jiajinzhongpku@126.com

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Abstract: Objective To understand the distribution of the number of medical colleges and medical students in the United States, to analyze the main sources of the regional distribution differences and explore the reasons. Methods Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the regional distribution of the number of medical colleges and medical students in the United States by using the data of the monitoring report of the Association of American Medical Colleges in 2020. And Theil index was applied to analyze the sources of regional distribution differences. Results By 2020, there were 155 medical colleges and universities in the United States, including 42(27.1%) in the northeast, 35(22.6%) in the central, 55(35.5%) in the south and 23(14.8%) in the west. Among them, 35(22.6%) were running schools in state capital cities, 105(67.7%) in county-level cities, and 15(9.7%) in towns and townships. There are 128(82.6%) universities and 27(17.4%) independent medical colleges. From 2011 to 2020, the total number of admissions rose from 19 000 to 22 000, and the admission ratio rose from 2.3 to 2.4. In 2020, the number of medical students enrolled in the United States, both within the state and from outside, along with the number of students currently enrolled, were 13 430, 8 657, and 94 243 respectively. The contribution rates of the number of medical colleges, enrollment, and number of enrolled students to the Theil index are 54.9%, 18.9%, and 77.6% within the region, and 45.1%, 81.1%, and 22.4% between regions, respectively. Conclusions The distribution of medical colleges and universities in the United States is not balanced. The number of medical students is increasing, but the overall scale is still small, with more medical students enrolled within the state. The regional distribution differences in the number of medical colleges and enrollment mainly come from within the regions, while the distribution differences in the number of enrolled students mainly come from between regions.

Key words: United States, Medical colleges and universities, Regional differences, Theil index

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