Many pre-med students face high levels of stress that stem from their desire to succeed.

Medicine is a highly competitive field, so it comes as no surprise to UGA pre-med students that medical schools’ admissions are so selective. “There are so many factors med schools look for so you have to find ways to excel in all portions of your application,” explained a third-year pre-med student at the University of Georgia.

She isn’t wrong. UGA students who wish to get accepted into a medical program are expected to accrue a comprehensive list of achievements as well as maintain competitive testing scores and grade point averages within their eight, or in her case, seven semesters of their undergraduate tenures.

Of the top 115 medical programs in the country, the acceptance rate for Fall 2015 was only 6.9 percent, according to U.S. News.

About 49% of UGA students get accepted into medical school. That is 11% higher than the national average. When asked about how many medical programs students should apply to, UGA’s pre-medical advisor suggested anywhere from 15-30 programs. “Admissions can be fickle, so we encourage students to apply to a number of different schools,” she said.

The two largest determining factors in a medical school application are whether an applicant has maintained a strong science and overall GPA and has competitive MCAT scores. The average matriculant numbers for overall GPA, science GPA, and MCAT are 3.7, 3.7, and 510, respectively.

The demand to perform at such high academic levels is a big source of stress for many UGA pre-med students. Another third-year pre-med UGA student said she felt her stress was at a level of eight, with ten being the most stressed.

She explained how she may have to push her MCAT test date back a few months due to her demanding 17-hour course load which would take time away from her MCAT studies. “It is so much information and so little time and you have to study for [current] classes. I barely get any sleep,” she said.

Another junior pre-med student at UGA, immediately felt the weight of her own high expectations when she said she spent between 10-15 hours a week preparing for the MCAT. “Wow, that’s not a lot,” she said.

Advisors highly recommend that students shadow an M.D., partake in undergraduate research, volunteer, have leadership experience, and create strong, professional relationships with their professors and mentors. “It is easy to fall behind. There are a lot of things to balance in addition to class,” the first interviewee said.

The last interviewee noted that while becoming a competitive candidate for medical school is a stressful process, it is not unattainable. She had a very encouraging message to first and second-year UGA pre-med students. “Start strong in every class and keep your priorities in check,” she said.

Disclaimer: names were excluded for confidentiality.