Despite increased tuition costs and a slumping economy, the number of students applying for medical school is holding more steady compared with others.

Only 20 percent of medical school admissions officers reported that more applicants declined admission in 2009 because of financial hardships than they did in 2008, according to a national Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions survey. This is compared to the 28 percent of applicants in MBA programs and 39 percent of law school applicants who declined admission.

Blake Phipps, Lawrence senior and the president of the Pre-Medical Club at KU, has been accepted to KU Medical Center and will start classes in August. Phipps said he only had one concern with the financial aspect of going to medical school.

“I think something is going through legislature that ends subsidized loans for students,” Phipp said. “It would add a much more financial burden.”

Phipps said increasing costs did not concern him because, the way he saw it, he would already be spending nearly $200,000 to finish medical school. A slight increase would only be a small percentage of that large amount, Phipps said.

According to Kaplan Inc., a company that serves students in learning, the University of Kansas has a high number of undergraduates who apply to medical school every year. The University had 188 applicants last year according to the Association of American Medical Colleges Web site.

Jeff Koetje, director of Pre-Health Programs for Kaplan, said the information in the survey was helpful and interesting for pre-med students.

The survey provides insight to students who are looking to apply to medical programs offered by different universities around the country.

Shawn Lillig, Basehor medical student and 2007 KU graduate, said he has seen an increase in class sizes for the last two years.

“They’ve actually increased the number of people they accept,” Lillig said. “So it’s just more people getting accepted now.”

Lillig said he believed the rise in the number of applicants was because of the growing need to provide medical care to rural and underserved areas.

“If you come from a rural area and plan to practice primary care, they’re going to find someone who will work there,” Lillig said.

He also said the medical school was trying to increase its minority population.

The faltering economy and the loss of jobs don’t concern him much, Lillig said.

“It’s one of those jobs that don’t go out of style,” Lillig said. “I think there’ll be plenty of job opportunities still.”

— Edited by Sarah Kelly