MEDICAL SCHOOLS: NUMBER OF MINORITY APPLICANTS DROPS

      The number of minorities entering medical schools "dropped
 this year, most drastically in states that have rolled back
 affirmative action," according to a study released Saturday by
 the Association of American Medical Colleges.  The AP/Seattle
 Times reports that there was an 11% drop in black, Native
 American, Mexican-American, Chicano and Puerto Rican applicants
 to the nation's 125 medical schools.  The number of minority
 applicants accepted also decreased, "with 6.8% fewer of those ...
 accepted for 1997 than in 1996."  
      CONCERNS
      The AAMC blamed the downturn on the decisions by a  federal
 court in Texas and the voters of California "to end educational
 preferences for minorities."  Although only California, Texas,
 Mississippi and Louisiana are directly affected by those
 decisions, educators fear that "[m]inorities are discouraged from
 applying, and administrators have become overly cautious about
 admissions policies" (Srinivisan, 11/2).  AAMC President Jordan
 Cohen said, "This is an ominous sign for the medical community
 and our nation, which badly needs a physician work force that is
 both diverse and reflective of our society as a whole."  Cohen
 added, "We fear that medical school admissions committees are
 being bullied into strict reliance on only quantitative criteria
 like GPAs and test scores.  Test scores are important for
 measuring an applicant's knowledge, but we know that an
 individual's character and ability to communicate effectively are
 also critical."  
      DUE TO PROP 209?
      According to the AAMC report, 17% fewer minorities applied
 to medical schools in California, Texas, Mississippi and
 Louisiana, while the number of minorities applying to medical
 schools outside the four states dropped only 4%.  In addition,
 the number of minorities accepted in the four states dropped by
 27% (AAMC release, 11/1).  However, according to American Civil
 Rights Institute Executive Director Jennifer Nelson, "It is a
 leap of logic ... to assume that changes in California and Texas
 graduate schools account for this nationwide trend" (AP/Seattle
 Times, 11/2).  There was an 8.4% overall drop in applications to
 medical schools in 1997 (AAMC release, 11/1).