As nationwide interest in biotechnology fields and medical school grows, the interest in science-related fields at the College has also increased dramatically in recent years.
"I think science interest has increased because society is becoming more technically based and run," physics major Chadwick Cook '95 said. "In order to compete in a world which is quickly advancing its technologies people need a somewhat technical background."
Since 1990, enrollment in science courses at Dartmouth has increased 13 percent, according to a recent report by a committee looking at enrollment issues.
The January report also said overall academic interests of incoming students for the last five years have been highest in the sciences. The committee said the increasing number of students taking science courses has contributed to enrollment problems in the last few Fall terms.
For the Class of 1998, figures indicated a little more than 50 percent of entering students expressed an interest in the sciences.
"The increase reflects this nationwide trend, largely in biology and chemistry and also engineering," College Registrar Thomas Bickel said. "This is in part due to interest in medical school and other science-related fields."
"Fifteen years ago there was a decline, but now the figures are going up to what they were then, but they are redistributing themselves more into the biological sciences and chemistry," he said.
Chemistry Department Chair John Winn said he has seen biology and chemistry enrollments "go through the roof."
"One can tie it into student dissatisfaction with other career choices and the rising interest in medical school and biotechnology fields," Winn said.
Winn added that crowding of some classes continues to be a problem.
"Our current faculty is spread as thin as we can spread itself," he said. "But we have a large supply of graduate students that are teaching assistants."
The increased interest in sciences is outpacing the College's supply of professors. John Walsh, the associate dean of faculty for the sciences, said he would like to add new professors and class sections, but there is always competition among departments for scare financial resources.
"We've added adjunct and visiting faculty, but you can't adjust the size of the faculty quickly," he said. "And there is nothing we can do about space and building size."
While enrollment in the science and pre-medical required courses have gone up, the number of majors within science-related departments has fluctuated in the past 10 years.
According to the Registrar's Office, in 1985 there were 335 majors within the sciences, including biology, chemistry, computer science, earth science, engineering, earth science, mathematics and physics. The number dropped in to 187 in 1990, but increased 45 percent to 270 in 1994.
The increased enrollment in science courses has paralleled the dramatic nation-wide rise of applicants to medical school.
Sue Malin, director of admissions at the Dartmouth Medical School, said the increase in applicants to medical school reflects the interest of students in service professions.
"Medicine is perceived as a stable profession, especially in the challenge of this economy," she said.
According to Malin, the number of applicants to DMS has increased 142 percent from 1990. In 1990, 3,317 students applied, while this year 8,038 applied. Each year, there are only 86 spots open for the entering classes at DMS.
"There are major trends in the job market," said Roshni Alli '97, a biophysical chemistry major who said she intends to apply to medical school. "In the 80s, the trend was more towards corporate, business type jobs. Now the trend is towards medical careers."
Science majors at the College generally say they think Dartmouth is not as competitive or restrictive for science majors as other universities.
"I don't feel restricted, but taking a lot of science courses does limit your choices a bit," Alli said.
Many science courses are offered during Fall term, making it difficult for majors to schedule their leave terms.
Michael Kidd '95, an engineering major, said it is very difficult to fit the courses he wants into his schedule.
"Also, since Language Study Abroad programs generally get you three humanities credits, it is not advantageous to spend a term abroad for this," Kidd said. "This would mean having to double up on science courses the next term to balance things out."
