States with abortion bans saw greater drops in medical school graduates applying for residencies
By LAURA UNGAR
AP Science Writer
A new report finds fewer U.S. medical school graduates are applying to residency programs, but the drop is more pronounced in states that ban abortion compared with other states. Figures released Thursday by the Association of American Medical Colleges showed continuing declines for the second straight year. According to the latest data, the number of applicants to these post-graduate training programs dropped slightly across the board from the spring of 2023 to the spring of 2024, with larger decreases seen in states with abortion bans. Those states saw a drop of 4.2% from the previous application cycle, compared with 0.6 % in states where abortion is legal.