The University is producing one of the highest number of medical school applicants in the country.

According to annual survey results from Kaplan, a test preparatory and educational training company, 438 University students applied to medical schools in 2009.

Far from seeing a dip, that number rose to 465 applicants in 2010, said Keri Pipkins, associate director of the Career Center.

Jeff Koetje, director of pre-health programs for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, said the survey asks admissions officers questions regarding admission trends, factors that are important to admission and the role of the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, in the application process. Kaplan surveyed 83 medical schools out of 133 across the nation in August.

“One of the strongest points was that a low MCAT score is the biggest application killer,” Koetje said. “The MCAT looms large.”

While Koetje said the second application killer was a student’s grade point average, he added that strong MCAT scores may earn a student merit-based financial aid — a benefit offered by 81 percent of the schools surveyed.

“The MCAT is not just a factor of getting into medical schools, it’s a factor of paying for medical schools,” Koetje said.

Koetje said financial aid is significant, especially during the weak economic conditions nationwide. He added that there is not a correlation between high numbers of medical school applicants and the economy.

“When it comes to medical school applicants, it’s not tied to the economy,” Koetje said. “It’s such a long process; it’s a lifelong dream. They’re not going to let the state of the economy dictate when they apply to medical schools.”

Other than the MCAT’s role, Koetje said other myths surround medical applications. He said while 90 percent of surveyed admissions officers said it is common for applicants to write about family medical experiences in their personal statement, only 24 percent claim it helps students gain admission.

He said there are benefits to having a large group of undergraduates from the University applying to medical school, such as learning how to collaborate with future colleagues and how to work together.

“I think (one of the pros is) you have the opportunity to have a large community of pre-meds that form around a common interest,” Koetje said.

Pipkins said a major advantage of having a large undergraduate class applying to medical school means a greater opportunity to get involved in organizations around pre-medicine.

Both Koetje and Pipkins agreed on the competitive nature of the medical school application process.

“I think students feel like that it’s a lot of competition,” Pipkins said. “Students come into our office feeling like they’re not doing enough or not strong enough of an applicant as someone else.”

To alleviate some of the concern and worry surrounding medical school, the pre-health advising program offered more frequent drop-in hours during the first two weeks of school so they ‘were able to address students’ immediate concerns,” Pipkins added.

Brian Towell, vice president of recruitment for the medical fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon said nerves are associated with the application because getting into a school is competitive and selective. The benefit of having a large number of undergraduate applicants is that “the medical field can accept the best of the best,” he added.

Koetje said being informed will lead to better decisions regarding the medical school process.

“The single most important piece of advice is to be informed and educated for the process so they can be properly equipped with insights about what medical school is right for them,” Koetje said.