Numbers: Sep. 18, 2000

38,529 Number of applicants to U.S. medical schools last year, a 6% decrease from 1998

$90,000 Average debt of medical school graduates last year

4,140 Scooter-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms in August, in contrast to 500 in May

12 Weeks between the Associated Press's first story on the U.S. scooter fad and its running a story last week about the rise in scooter injuries

15 Number of years Kathie Lee Gifford sat beside Regis Philbin as co-host of their morning talk show

26% Increase in the show's ratings the first three weeks after Gifford departed, compared with the same period last year

3 million Number of daily hits to thespark.com's "Stinkymeat" page, which shows the decomposition of raw meat

19 Number of days it took Stinkymeat creators' neighbor to discover the rotting meat hidden in his yard

Sources: JAMA, AP; U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, AP; Los Angeles Times; AP, www.thespark.com