But the effects of the gender ratios are still limited to the younger students and those at the start of their medical career.

"As you go up the hierarchy it gets more and more male-dominated," says Hundert. "This is just the first step. It will take a full generation before the students now will become professors and fill other faculty positions, but we're thrilled. It's a trend we find really delightful."

Though it is hard to predict the future trends in gender ratios. Hundert says he believes they will probably continue to represent the general population. Also, women at higher medical positions will continue to encourage more women to enter the field.

"More female physicians will create more role models for women interested in a medical career," Kalkanis says.

Getting Older Too

Besides the women-men ratio, another significant feature of the Class of '99 is its high proportion of older candidates. This year there are 54 students over the age of 24, including a 45-year old high school science teacher.

In fact, Kalkanis notes that more and more students are taking time off and pursuing other interests before entering medical school.

"Everybody is at a different stage of their lives," Kalkanis says. Some members of the first-year class include a midwife, the first female graduate of West Point, and individuals who taught in Central America or worked on Wall Street.

Continued Interest

Although the number of law school applicants has declined over the past few years, the number of applicants to medical school continues to rise dramatically.

According to Foster, a medical career is "still perceived as not only interesting and exciting, but also one that is stable."

Foster says medicine is a field that combines many interests and thus appeals to many students.

It is an area that blends "constant intellectual excitement and molecular biology with humanitarian and societal concerns," Foster says.

Hundert notes that most of the students were involved in some community service work in their undergraduate years.

"There is, more than ever, a tradition of service," says Hundert. "It is very heart-warming to see more and more students who have done public service."