Students aspiring to enter medical school are increasingly opting to distribute their applications across various medical fields, such as pharmacy and dentistry, rather than concentrating all six applications solely on medical schools. Approximately one in six medical school applicants has adopted the so-called 'all-in' strategy.
On July 29, the admissions information platform JinHakSa released an analysis of application data from 3,264 students who applied to at least one medical school for the 2026 academic year, totaling 16,909 applications.
According to JinHakSa, the highest percentage of applicants, 30.9%, applied to only one medical school, followed by 17.6% who applied to two. This means that nearly half, or 48.5%, of applicants submitted applications to just one or two medical schools.
In contrast, only 16.1% of applicants submitted all six applications to medical schools. This indicates that students are strategically considering other options rather than forcing themselves to fill all application slots with medical schools.
On July 29, the admissions information platform JinHakSa released an analysis of application data from 3,264 students who applied to at least one medical school for the 2026 academic year, totaling 16,909 applications.
According to JinHakSa, the highest percentage of applicants, 30.9%, applied to only one medical school, followed by 17.6% who applied to two. This means that nearly half, or 48.5%, of applicants submitted applications to just one or two medical schools.
In contrast, only 16.1% of applicants submitted all six applications to medical schools. This indicates that students are strategically considering other options rather than forcing themselves to fill all application slots with medical schools.
So where did medical school applicants focus their remaining applications? The analysis of the total 16,909 applications revealed that 82.9% were concentrated in the 'medical field,' which includes medical schools.
Breaking down the application distribution, 58.2% were for medical schools, followed by 9.8% for pharmacy schools, 6.5% for dental schools, 5.2% for traditional Korean medicine schools, and 3.3% for veterinary schools. This suggests that while medical schools remain the primary target, applicants are also considering other medical fields when structuring their application portfolios.
JinHakSa's Director of Admissions Strategy, Woo Hyun-cheol, stated, "Not all medical school applicants strictly follow the 'all-in' strategy. The actual application data shows that rather than solely aiming for medical schools, students are considering a portfolio that includes dental, traditional Korean medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary schools as part of a medical-centered approach." He added, "This result indicates that students targeting medical schools view the entire medical field as a single support system."
Breaking down the application distribution, 58.2% were for medical schools, followed by 9.8% for pharmacy schools, 6.5% for dental schools, 5.2% for traditional Korean medicine schools, and 3.3% for veterinary schools. This suggests that while medical schools remain the primary target, applicants are also considering other medical fields when structuring their application portfolios.
JinHakSa's Director of Admissions Strategy, Woo Hyun-cheol, stated, "Not all medical school applicants strictly follow the 'all-in' strategy. The actual application data shows that rather than solely aiming for medical schools, students are considering a portfolio that includes dental, traditional Korean medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary schools as part of a medical-centered approach." He added, "This result indicates that students targeting medical schools view the entire medical field as a single support system."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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