Premed Pressure: Examining whether premed students experience more academic stress compared to non-premeds.

Academic stress is one of the primary factors threatening university students' well-being and performance. Undergraduate students who are working towards applying to medical school, defined as being on the pre-medicine or "premed" pathway, are suspected to have higher academic stress compared to their peers who are not premed. However, what factors contribute to academic stress for premed students is not well understood. We sought to answer: Do undergraduates perceive premeds have higher, same, or lower stress than non-premeds? How do academic stress levels between these groups actually differ? What aspects of being premed cause academic stress? and Who has left the premed track and why? We surveyed 551 undergraduates from one large institution in the U.S., and answered our research questions using descriptive statistics, chi-squares, and linear regressions. Overwhelmingly, participants perceived that premed students experience greater academic stress than their counterparts. Yet, we found no significant differences in academic stress reported among students in our sample (p > 0.05). Premed students reported their academic stress was exacerbated by not feeling competitive enough to get into medical school and by needing to maintain a high GPA. Further, students with lower GPAs were more likely to leave the premed track compared to those with higher GPAs (p = 0.005). Students reported leaving the premed track because another career appeared more interesting and because of the toll the premed track took on their mental health. In conclusion, our findings can inform instructors and universities on how to best support premed students.