First-year enrollment at U.S. medical schools for 2008-09 increased by 277 students or 1.6%, representing the largest class ever at 18,036 students, the Association of American Medical Colleges reported today. Most of the increase was at three medical schools that recently established branch campuses or plan to: Mercer University School of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, and University of Arizona College of Medicine. Women comprised 48% of the entering class, Latinos 7.9%, African Americans 7.2% and Native Americans 1%. After increasing for five years, the number of applicants was relatively unchanged at 42,231. "In a time of great economic uncertainty, interest in the healing profession of medicine remains stable," said AAMC President and CEO Darrell Kirch, M.D. "As medical schools expand to meet the nation's demand for more doctors, there will be even more opportunities for the most qualified and well-rounded aspiring doctors to pursue rewarding careers in medicine."