Out-of-State Applicants Drive Application Increase at West Virginia's Med Schools

Out-of-state students appear to account for most of the increase in applications to West Virginia's three medical schools, the Charleston Daily Mail reports.

Application volume is up dramatically at all three schools.

The West Virginia University School of Medicine received 2,037 applications last year, 55 per cent more than the 1,307 applications it received in 2004-2005. Application volume appears to be strong again this year, with 1,749 applications having already been received a month before WVU's November 15 deadline. WVU enrolls 110 students each fall.

Marshall University received 1,573 applications last year, more than twice the 785 applications it received the year before. A school staff member said she thought Marshall's increased outreach to prospective students helped explain the increase. Marshall accepts about 65 new students each year.

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine is seeing a smaller but still significant increase in applications, with a 2005-2006 applicant pool that is about 11 per cent larger than the 2004-2005 pool. Last fall, approximately 2,500 people applied for the 200 spaces the School has available.

Officials from WVU and WVSOM both said they would like to see more in-state applicants, but that for now the majority of their applicants come from out of state.

Source: "Out-of-Staters Filling Med Schools," by Jessica K. Karmasek, the Charleston Daily Mail, October 16, 2006