The history of the D.O. in this country over the past 40 years shows that after a slow start, the D.O. became more prominent in the 1990s with the number of applicants peaking in 1998. The start of a new century showed a decline in new applicants that only began to reverse itself in the early part of the 21st century when the Great Recession ushered in a revival of D.O. applicants that continues today.
Academic Year |
Applicants |
First-Year Enrollment |
Total Enrollment |
Graduates |
1977-78 |
3,918 |
1,163 |
3,926 |
971 |
1978-79 |
3,530 |
1,322 |
4,221 |
1,004 |
1979-80 |
3,856 |
1,426 |
4,571 |
1,059 |
1980-81 |
3,786 |
1,496 |
4,940 |
1,151 |
1981-82 |
3,885 |
1,582 |
5,304 |
1,017 |
1982-83 |
3,924 |
1,682 |
5,822 |
1,317 |
1983-84 |
4,045 |
1,746 |
6,212 |
1,287 |
1984-85 |
4,126 |
1,750 |
6,547 |
1,476 |
1985-86 |
3,869 |
1,737 |
6,608 |
1,560 |
1986-87 |
3,514 |
1,724 |
6,640 |
1,593 |
1987-88 |
3,326 |
1,692 |
6,586 |
1,572 |
1988-89 |
3,030 |
1,780 |
6,614 |
1,609 |
1989-90 |
3,160 |
1,844 |
6,615 |
1,529 |
1990-91 |
3,224 |
1,950 |
6,792 |
1,534 |
1991-92 |
4,163 |
1,974 |
7,012 |
1,532 |
1992-93 |
5,752 |
2,035 |
7,375 |
1,606 |
1993-94 |
7,506 |
2,162 |
7,822 |
1,752 |
1994-95 |
9,336 |
2,217 |
8,146 |
1,843 |
1995-96 |
10,213 |
2,274 |
8,475 |
1,932 |
1996-97 |
10,781 |
2,535 |
8,961 |
2,009 |
1997-98 |
10,764 |
2,692 |
9,434 |
2,096 |
1998-99 |
9,554 |
2,745 |
9,882 |
2,169 |
1999-00 |
8,396 |
2,848 |
10,388 |
2,279 |
2000-01 |
7,708 |
2,927 |
10,817 |
2,510 |
2001-02 |
6,898 |
3,043 |
11,101 |
2,536 |
2002-03 |
6,324 |
3,079 |
11,432 |
2,607 |
2003-04 |
6,814 |
3,308 |
11,857 |
2,713 |
2004-05 |
7,292 |
3,646 |
12,525 |
2,756 |
2005-06 |
8,258 |
3,908 |
13,406 |
2,708 |
2006-07 |
9,477 |
4,055 |
14,409 |
3,000 |
2007-08 |
11,231 |
4,528 |
15,634 |
3,364 |
2008-09 |
11,742 |
4,950 |
16,893 |
3,588 |
2009-10 |
12,617 |
5,227 |
18,143 |
3,631 |
2010-11 |
13,147 |
5,428 |
19,427 |
4,159 |
2011-12 |
14,087 |
5,788 |
20,663 |
4,458 |
2012-13 |
14,945 |
5,986 |
21,741 |
4,806 |
2013-14 |
16,454 |
6,636 |
23,071 |
4,997 |
2014-15 |
17,944 |
7,012 |
24,564 |
5,323 |
2015-16 |
20,447 |
7,219 |
25,876 |
5,472 |
2016-17 |
20,720 |
7,575 |
27,485 |
6,038 |
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Source: Courtesy of American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) |
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Data Table-Trends in Osteopathic Medical School Applicants, Enrollment, and Graduates 2017 |
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Data compiled from the AACOM Application Service (AACOMAS) and the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (COMs) to summarize the applicant pool for the entering class. |
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