Woman in mask and lab coat in front of a group in lab coats

As medical schools across the country receive record numbers of applications, some admissions officers are crediting the influence of Anthony Fauci, MD, during the pandemic — calling the trend “the Fauci effect.”

Richard V. Homan, MD, President and Provost of EVMS and Dean of the School of Medicine, recently told Virginia Business he believes many aspiring healthcare providers are motivated to serve during a public health crisis.

 “It’s like 9/11, when a lot of individuals elected to go into the military,” Dr. Homan says. “People wanted to contribute.”

EVMS applications have increased nearly 30 percent, “from 6,800 to more than 8,800 for 151 slots,” Dr. Homan says.

Meanwhile, “the American Medical College Application Service reported a nearly 17 percent increase in applications last fall,” compared to an average year-over-year increase of less than 3 percent in years past, according to Virginia Business.

Read more about the trend.