Each year, hundreds of Clemson University students send out applications and prepare for interviews, in hopes of landing a shot at attending the medical school of their choice. And despite recent economic turmoil, as well as looming changes to the country’s healthcare system, it seems undergraduates are undeterred about the prospects of medicine and how to finance their schooling.

A recent Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions survey found that only 20 percent of medical school admissions officers report that more applicants declined admissions for financial reasons in 2009 than in 2008. This figure is the lowest among all other post-graduate programs — 28 percent for business schools and 39 percent for law school.

“While med school is more expensive than law school and business school, and definitely more of a time commitment, the vast majority of med school students have been focused on this type of career from high school or even earlier — they’ve prepared, saved money, know what’s involved and are ready to face it,” said Dr. Jeff Koetje, director of pre-health programs, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. “That said, those who are considering declining admissions because of financial hardship should know that nearly a quarter of medical schools have actually increased financial aid in the past year.”

Denny Smith, a Health Professions advisor at Clemson, says he notices that during times of economic decline, the number of medical school applicants actually tend to go up. “In the late ’90’s and early 2000’s, during the dotcom boom, everyone wanted to go to business school. But over the past couple of years, as the economy has dipped, more people seem to want to get into medicine,” Smith said.

The numbers support Smith too. According to Association of the American Medical Colleges, the number of overall undergraduates who applied to medical school has risen almost 9 percent from 2005 to 2009.

Smith, who also teaches a class containing primarily pre-med students, states that most of his students, and the students he advises, also don’t seem too deterred or intimidated about the future of medicine, even in midst of large structural changes to the healthcare system.

“We talk in class about issues surrounding the health insurance bill, but the students don’t seem bothered or concerned,” Smith said. “Healthcare has always been highly valued in our country, so students tend to believe that being a doctor will remain a stable, well-paying career.”

Though Smith advises pre-med and pre-dental students, there are other advisors for individuals looking to get into physical therapy, pharmacy and most other post-graduate health schools.

The application process for med school generally begins during the summer in between the junior and senior years for most undergraduates, and may last from a couple weeks to a month to complete. Most medical schools require multiple letters of recommendation and personal statements. Of particular interest to most schools is not only overall GPA and MCAT scores, the standardized entry exam for medical school, but also leadership experiences and community service. However, extensive clinical and laboratory experience is what Smith calls the “unspoken requirement for medical school.”

The Association of the American Medical Colleges reports that on average, 43 percent of applicants get accepted into medical school. The average debt due to med school loans is between $140,00 to $230,000.