UMMC’s overall school enrollment continues to climb

Published on Monday, November 11, 2024

By: Gary Pettus, gpettus@umc.edu

Photos By: Jay Ferchaud and Melanie Thortis/ UMMC Communications

It’s now six in a row: As it has every year since 2019, fall enrollment at the University of Mississippi Medical Center rose.

Released last week by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the official 2024 numbers show upturns for four of the six UMMC schools captured in its report.

Including residents and fellows, the current figure of 3,143 means UMMC added 29 trainees over last year, expanding by almost 1%, from 3,114 in 2023.

“Because we are the state’s only academic medical center, this is good news not only for UMMC, but also for Mississippi as we prepare more and more caregivers committed to a life of service,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs.

“As always, I am proud of the crucial part we play in the quest for a healthier Mississippi. And I’m especially pleased to know that most of our schools had an increase, including another significant jump for the School of Nursing.”

The School of Nursing, at 3.7%, and the School of Dentistry, at 1%, recorded the highest growth rates. Both schools have plans for new buildings. The dental school’s 42,500 square-foot clinical services addition is projected to open in January 2027.

“UMMC’s academic programs have consistently attracted outstanding students over the years, but we have clearly been gaining momentum more recently,” said Dr. Scott Rodgers, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.

The largest school, the School of Nursing, added 32 students, climbing to 893, and is poised for even greater gains, said Dr. Tina Martin, dean of the School of Nursing.

“The school is addressing the need for more nurses by building a new, larger home, one that will accommodate a 25% increase in total enrollment.” Offering almost 80,000 new and renovated square footage, the building is expected to accept students by the spring or summer of 2027.

“We remain aware of the critical nursing workforce needs,” Martin said, “and the school is uniquely positioned to increase enrollment and expand program offerings. 

“We are focused on creating more baccalaureate-trained nurses to care for patients in the state and beyond through the accelerated and traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs on both the Oxford [University of Mississippi] and Jackson campuses.”

For the School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences, a crucial training ground for researchers, the count of 243 was up by two, or 0.8%, compared to 2023.

“We are seeing growth in three program areas: Doctorate of Audiology – now in its second enrollment year – the PhD in Nursing and the MD-PhD program,” said Dr. Sydney Murphy, dean of the graduate school.

“This is a direct result of the focused recruitment efforts of the program faculty and program directors.” 

Offering degrees in a variety of programs, including doctorates in occupational therapy, physical therapy and health administration, the School of Health Related Professions also enrolled two additional students, a 0.4% hike for a total of 433.

With 648 matriculants, the School of Medicine, the second-largest campus school, enrolled six fewer students compared to 2023.

“I believe that the number of enrolled students is still aligned with our mission of producing capable, compassionate and competent physicians for Mississippi,” said Dr. Loretta Jackson-Williams, vice dean for medical education.

“We offer robust academic and career counseling services and continued pre- and post-application counseling.”

With two fewer students this year, at 39, the John D. Bower School of Population Health also showed a slight drop.

Ever since 2017, when it began training researchers and clinicians to address the factors that influence health and disease, the youngest and smallest school on campus has also seen surges in growth; it continues to make an impact on the campus and in the state, said Dr. Thomas Dobbs, the school’s dean.

“The School of Population Health is excited to welcome a strong new cohort of graduate students for 2024-2025,” Dobbs said. “We are pleased to draw new students from within UMMC, across the country, and across the globe.

“With our strong and growing research mission, we have been highly selective in our admissions to the PhD program, ensuring both the quality of the educational experience and success in our research endeavors.

“For 2025-2026 we hope to expand on our successes in the Executive Master of Science in Population Health Management program, which is one of the most impactful and cost-effective programs of its kind in the country, and in our Master of Science in Biostatistics and Data Science program, which has provided graduates with an abundance of highly competitive employment opportunities.”

For all six schools, the reported student-only enrollment number, minus residents and fellows, was 2,460, or 30 higher than last year’s and up by 1.2%

“Our location in the Jackson metropolitan area is a strength, as are the superb faculty, the well-run hospitals and the research programs,” Rodgers said.  

“And with the plans for the new buildings for the Schools of Dentistry and Nursing, we are making it clear to everyone that education is a high priority at UMMC.

“Applicants pay attention to all these factors when choosing a school, and they know that UMMC is a forward-thinking campus where one can obtain an excellent education and be prepared for a meaningful and fulfilling career.”