Med School Class of '99: A Closer Look

Fifty years ago, Harvard Medical School (HMS) admitted its first two women candidates for the degree of doctor of medicine.

The event was groundbreaking for the school, which was long regarded as a bastion of all-male conservatism and had been criticized for being slow to admit females.

Now, as if to celebrate that anniversary, the school boasts an entering class of more women than men for the second year in a row.

Even though women made up less than half (40.4 percent) of the applicant pool for the Class of 1999, they constitute 51.2 percent of the class. Of the almost 4,000 students who applied that year, 166 ultimately enrolled, of which 85 are female.

Dr. Gerald S. Foster M.D. '51, associate dean of admissions at HMS, attributes these statistics to better performance by female candidates in the interview process.

Foster says the trend does not reflect any special initiative by the university to increase female enrollment. "The process is totally gender blind," he says.

"The statistics are just a result of the quality of the applicant pool, and there were no extra efforts made to include extra women," says Dr. Edward M. Hundert, associate dean for student affairs at HMS.

Hundert says women are "more naturally empathic," a quality which is highly valued in medicine. At the same time, he emphasizes that these are qualities male students can learn as well. "Either gender's brain is equally capable of being empathic. It's something you can learn and get better at," Hundert says.

According to Hundert, the higher matriculation among women may also reflect changing gender roles.

"Women are having the opportunity to realize the potential that they have as roies have changed, and they aren't being held back as much as they used to," Hundert says.

Reshma Jagsi '95, a first-year student at HMS, says the gender ratio is probably more representative of the real world.

"I think it's great that women have come so far," she says.

Harvard is not alone in enrolling more women in its entering class. This year, Johns Hopkins and Yale Universities also enrolled more female than male medical students, according to Foster.

"I think it's a reflection of how attractive medicine is becoming for women as well," says Steven N. Kalkanis '93, a third-year HMS student and outgoing president of the Student Council.

Medical school training programs now also have more openness and flexibility in accommodating students with families, says Hundert. For example, many medical schools now offer part-time residencies so that women who are raising a family can also continue their education.

But the effects of the gender ratios are still limited to the younger students and those at the start of their medical career.

"As you go up the hierarchy it gets more and more male-dominated," says Hundert. "This is just the first step. It will take a full generation before the students now will become professors and fill other faculty positions, but we're thrilled. It's a trend we find really delightful."

Though it is hard to predict the future trends in gender ratios. Hundert says he believes they will probably continue to represent the general population. Also, women at higher medical positions will continue to encourage more women to enter the field.

"More female physicians will create more role models for women interested in a medical career," Kalkanis says.

Getting Older Too

Besides the women-men ratio, another significant feature of the Class of '99 is its high proportion of older candidates. This year there are 54 students over the age of 24, including a 45-year old high school science teacher.

In fact, Kalkanis notes that more and more students are taking time off and pursuing other interests before entering medical school.

"Everybody is at a different stage of their lives," Kalkanis says. Some members of the first-year class include a midwife, the first female graduate of West Point, and individuals who taught in Central America or worked on Wall Street.

Continued Interest

Although the number of law school applicants has declined over the past few years, the number of applicants to medical school continues to rise dramatically.

According to Foster, a medical career is "still perceived as not only interesting and exciting, but also one that is stable."

Foster says medicine is a field that combines many interests and thus appeals to many students.

It is an area that blends "constant intellectual excitement and molecular biology with humanitarian and societal concerns," Foster says.

Hundert notes that most of the students were involved in some community service work in their undergraduate years.

"There is, more than ever, a tradition of service," says Hundert. "It is very heart-warming to see more and more students who have done public service."

Jagsi, for one, has noticed this personal touch among her classmates.

"I will definitely learn a lot from my classmates and their experiences," she says. "They are so personable--they want to be caregivers, not just scientists."

Still Tough to Get In

Harvard Medical School Statistics for the Class of '99:

* Number of Applicants: almost 4,000 (12% more than last year)

* Number of Spots: 166

* Average GPA: 3.75

* Average MCAT score (per section): 11

* Number of Men/Women: 81/85

* Percentage of Applicants Who Were Women: 40.4%

* Number of Students Who Deferred Entrance for 1-3 Years: 22

* Notable Admits: a 45-year old former high school science teacher, the oldest student ever to enter the Medical School; Rebecca Marier, the first female valedictorian at West Point.

* Typical Expense for First Year at HMS: $38,200

* Typical Debt for a 1995 Graduate: $66,200

* Racial Breakdown of HMS Class of '99:

- Asian: 46

- Native American: 2

- Black/African American: 11

- Hispanic: 10

- Puerto Rican: 4

- White/Caucasian: 85

- Other: 8