CBS NEWS – Medical schools applications are surging, as the coronavirus outbreak prompts young people to reconsider health care professions.
Applications are up 18% nationwide to medical school nationwide, compared to the same period last year, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
It’s been called the “Fauci effect,” with academics attributing the surge to the visibility of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Rahi Patel, a University of Minnesota junior on the pre-medical track, told CBS Minnesota:
“You see on the TV the health care workers and it’s obviously really taking a toll, but I think it also just underscores how important they are and the impact that they have.”
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of that.”
In addition to the visibility of science and medicine, other factors are in play.
The quarantine has given more people the considerable time needed to fill out medical-school applications.
The economic toll of the pandemic, which has cost nearly 10 million people their jobs, is also prompting some to seek a high-paying career, medical-school deans say.
An associate dean of admissions at the University of Minnesota’s Medical School, told CBS Minnesota:
“All of the many issues related to the pandemic have motivated young people to make decisions about their career and commit to applying to medical school,” …
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