UMB StaffRecent national reports forecast alarming physician shortages over the next 20 years driven by population growth, increased demand for health care services, and the impending retirement of a significant portion of the physician workforce.
The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) is taking steps to address this problem by expanding its MD program class size over the next five years. The strategic initiative has received approval from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
Beginning with the entering class of 175 students in Academic Year 2026-2027, UMSOM will gradually increase enrollment to 200 students by Academic Year 2031-2032. The entering medical school class of 2025-2026 has 173 students.
The expansion comes at a critical time, as the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis and the Association of American Medical Colleges have reported projections that there will be a need for as many as 200,000 primary care and 200,000 specialty care physicians in the next 20 years.
“We are seeing projections of physician shortages that are deeply concerning for the future of medical care in the U.S.,” said UMSOM Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, who is also the vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor at UMSOM. “According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. could face a shortage of up to 84,000 physicians by 2036, with more than one-third of currently active physicians expected to retire within the next decade.”
He added: “Our goal is to do everything we can to address this critical demand and ensure that patients have access to high-quality care.”
The LCME approval confirms that UMSOM has the resources and infrastructure necessary to support this expansion, including faculty, facilities, and clinical training opportunities.
This initiative builds on UMSOM’s recent efforts to strengthen Maryland’s health care workforce including:
- Rural Health Initiative: A major program to increase the number of physicians practicing in underserved rural areas of Maryland.
- New BS/MD Program with the University of Maryland, College Park: Designed to attract students interested in technology-driven medical careers, addressing emerging needs in health care innovation.
In addition, UMSOM is working on increasing the availability of practicing physicians to serve as preceptors for student clerkship rotations and creating new electives for students.
“Expanding our class size empowers us to launch and grow innovative programs that address critical health care needs,” said Donna Parker, MD, FACP, senior associate dean for medical education and chief academic officer for the Medical Education Program. “This flexibility ensures we can adapt to the evolving challenges of health care while strengthening our role as leaders in medical education.”
