Doctor of Medicine programs, consistent with the decline in the national average, according to data released by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Kommaraju said that one of the potential reasons for the drop in applicants could be students deciding to take gap years before medical school. “People want to have more medical experiences, research experience or improve their GPAs before making the commitment to medical school,” Kommaraju said. Agarwal explained that as programs are shrinking, the number of spots available for residents is decreasing too, causing some hesitation to commit to medical school. “Medical school in my opinion is an emotional and financial commitment," Agarwal said.

Source: Daily Sun January 14, 2026 19:50 UTC