Wedum now plans to complete the pre-medical requirements as a special student next fall, before applying to medical school.

Frustration with the political system seems to be changing the plans of many to medicine. "I considered going to law school, but a feeling of political alienation made me drop those plans," said a Radcliffe social studies major who is now pre-med.

The approach of graduation also seems to be driving people toward medical school. "I was hassled by the draft, hassled by what I was going to do. Graduation made my consider long-term goals and forced me to look for a specific direction," said David C. Logan '70, a special student who plans to attend medical school in the fall.

Assurance of a high-paying job undoubtedly motivates many students to enter medicine. While other job markets are shrinking, the demand for doctors is at a new high.

Both Fox and Arkema say they have noticed that financial motives are big among those planning to enter medicine from Harvard.

Wedum said he thought that the increase in scholarship students at Harvard had added to the number of pre-medical students.

"I would have been premed long ago if I had had to worry about money at all. People who are aware of the fact that little green slips don't float through the mail will tend to look for something secure," Wedum said.

The rise in the number of Harvard pre-medical students comes despite increasingly intense competition for a limited number of places at the 180 American medical schools. Nearly 15 per cent of the medical school applicants in the class of 1970 were turned down at all their choices. Pre-medical advisors predict that figure will increase.