U.S. medical school enrollment is up for the 11th consecutive year as colleges seek to meet a growing demand for physicians.

First-year enrollment climbed two percent over 2008, and now totals nearly 18,400 students. The number of applicants remained mostly stable at around 42,000. Four new medical schools opened their doors this year; several others expanded class size.

That's according to an Association of American Medical Colleges report released Tuesday.

The number of black and Asian enrollees climbed slightly while Hispanic first-year students remained mostly unchanged. Whites still make up about 70 percent of first-year students.

The group's president says residency training slots need to increase to accommodate more medical school students.

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