Accreditors have given Baltimore-based University of Maryland School of Medicine approval to increase its MD program class size over the next five years.
The medical school will gradually increase its enrollment to 200 students by the 2031-32 academic year, up from 175 expected to enroll in 2026. Leaders at the medical school said the expansion is a “strategic initiative” to address the nation’s physician shortage, which is expected to reach up to 84,000 by 2036, according to projections from the Association of American Medical College.
“We are seeing projections of physician shortages that are deeply concerning for the future of medical care in the U.S.,” Mark Gladwin, MD, dean of UMSOM and vice president of medical affairs at the University of Maryland, said in a news release.
“Our goal is to do everything we can to address this critical demand and ensure that patients have access to high-quality care.”
The expansion was approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which accredits MD programs.
