Study of U.S. medical school applicants, 1975-76.

This annual descriptive study provides statistics on the demographic and background characteristics, academic ability, and career plans of applicants to the 1975--76 first-year class. Comparisons with the preceding year's applicant pool, traditionally the focus of the applicant study series, show a slight decline in the size of the pool, a continued increase in the number of women applicants and acceptees, and a slightly higher acceptance rate for all applicants. The study has been expanded by reinstating data on the socioeconomic background of applicants and by providing general summaries on topics such as career plan preferences of applicants. New to the series is an analysis of "in-phase" applicants, that is, undergraduate college seniors applying to medical school for the first time. The conclusion outlines those activities of the Association of American Medical Colleges over the past year that are related to the medical school admissions process.