According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, there were nearly 43,919 applicants to U.S. medical schools in 2011. For many applicants, the scores on these tests will have a large impact on their acceptance into medical school.

Knight, a biochemistry and molecular biology senior, said while he has only made the realization he wants to be a doctor in the past several years, he hasn’t been able to think of anything else he wants to do for a career.

“I know a lot of my friends who were taking it couldn’t get any sleep,” Knight said of the night before the test.

This past weekend, medical school hopefuls took their chances with the exam and will have 17 more potential test days before the exams end in mid-September, according to the official MCAT website.

Physiology and psychology senior Colleen Victor said the pressure was very nerve-racking before taking the test on Saturday, but the nerves don’t stop just because the test is over. “Right now it’s just a weight off my shoulders, but I’m sure as the date (when) I get my scores back gets closer, I’ll get more nervous,” Victor said.

Although many medical schools differ in their MCAT score requirements, the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine requires a score of at least 27, according to their website. According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the average score on the MCAT in 2011 was 26 out of a potential score of 45.

“Fundamentally, it’s a critical thinking exam,” said Kaplan Test Prep MCAT instructor and Director of Pre-Health Programs Dr. Jeff Koetje.

Several students said they studied off and on for months on their own, focusing on their worst subjects, and spent the weeks before the exam taking practice exams.

Koetje said Kaplan Test Prep helps train thousands of young test takers every year.

Although the test typically is very stressful, several test takers said they were surprisingly calm before and during the exam.

“It was really a lot more relaxed then I thought it would be,” Knight said, adding he enjoyed being able to start when he was ready in his own “cubby,” or cubical-like area, and had the ability to wear headphones to drown out the noise.

Although some students, such as Victor and Knight, now have some pressure off as they wait the 30-35 days for their scores to arrive, students such as human biology and media and information senior Grant Finlayson will have to endure the extensive hours of studying a bit longer.

Finlayson will fly to Texas this week, because nearby testing schedules were full.

“The admissions process is a timing game,” Finlayson said. “Waiting to take the test after (everyone) kind of puts you at a disadvantage. I’ll be glad when it’s done.”

Staff writer Zach Smith contributed to this report.