Although the balance between the number of men and women applying to medical school became more balanced in 2016, it hasn't always been that way, according to Medscape.
Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges revealed the balance between male and female applicants dipped between 2006 and 2016. Here are four things to know about AAMC's data, as reported by Medscape.
1. In 2006, 48.6 percent of medical school applicants were female. Approximately 8,438 of the 17,361 applicants were women.
2. From 2007 to 2015, the percentage of female applicants remained low. It hit its lowest in 2012 when only 46.4 percent of applicants (or 9,064 out of 19,517 applicants) were women.
3. This year the number of female applicants spiked to 49.8 percent. Out of the 21,030 total applicants, 10,474 were women.
4. Why did the numbers fluctuate? The AAMC has a theory. AAMC Director of Women in Science and Medicine Diana Lautenberger said although more research is needed to determine the underlying cause, it could be that between 2007 and 2015, a high number of women with life sciences degrees were pursuing types of medical careers other than becoming a physician. "There are health professions such as physical therapy and dentistry. Women can also choose to go into biomedical PhD programs," she said.