For first time, men a minority in graduating class
CMAJ 1998;158:568
© 1998 Canadian Medical Association
The latest edition of Canadian Medical Education Statistics, published by the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges, estimates that Canada produced 1582 medical graduates in 1997. Although females have accounted for more than 50% of first-year medical school enrolment in 3 of the last 4 years, 1997 marked the first time women comprised more than half of the graduates. French-language schools first reached this proportion in 1987, and now more than 60% of their graduates are women. In English-language schools, the percentage of female graduates stands at 46%. The overall Canadian total is 50.3%
The Class of '97 is also the first to reflect undergraduate enrolment cuts implemented by provincial governments during the past decade. Due to these reductions, the 1997 class is the smallest graduating cohort since 1975. Since some of them are visa students, not all members of the Class of '97 will establish practices in Canada following postgraduate training.
Data also show that the number of medical degrees awarded peaked in both Quebec and Ontario in 1985. Between 1985 and 1996, the size of Quebec's graduating class decreased by 14.2%, while Ontario witnessed a 5.8% reduction. During the same period, the size of the University of Manitoba's graduating class dropped from 95 to 76 students, a 20% decline.
Today, successful medical school applicants tend to be older and have received more formal education than their predecessors. In 1996, 67% of new students possessed at least a bachelor's degree. A decade earlier, only 30% of first-year students had earned a degree prior to admission.— Lynda Buske
| Medical degrees awarded by Canadian universities, 1975 to 1997 calendar year
 |
This column was written by Lynda Buske, chief, physician resources information planning, CMA. Readers may send potential research topics to Patrick Sullivan (sullip@cma.ca 613 731-8610 or 800 663-7336 x2126; fax 613 523-0937).
 |
Send a letter to the editor responding to this article
Envoyez une lettre à la rédaction au sujet de cet article |
Pulse