Drexel University College of Medicine

Back in my day, Drexel Med had a gagillion affiliation programs with other undergrads. Seems like that is no longer the case. The only program left standing is the program with their own undergrad- Drexel. One other thing that changed is that this is now a 8 year program, or 4 + 4. The requirements haven't changed much. I'm kinda disappointed that they added an extra year to their undergrad. Last year of college is definitely not necessary. It was the most unproductive year of college. I spent that year being bored out of my mind. In reality, it only takes about 2 years to finish all the premed requirements. My guess is they want to squeeze an extra year of tuition out of these poor students. 

Application Requirements:

- 1420 on SAT or 31 or ACT. Average accepted score is 1538 or 34 on ACT

- Application deadline is 11/1

How hard is it to get in?

7 out of 10

65 students are admitted out of 2298 applicants (2.8% acceptance rate). 125 applicants were interviewed.

Matriculation into Med School Requirements:

- Maintain a 3.6 GPA (used to be 3.5 back in my day)

- 513 on MCAT

Pros

- Philadelphia is a great city to be in. Extremely walkable, lots of great food, endless things to explore- you will have never run out of things to do in this city.

Cons

- No accelerated option

- The medical school is in turmoil due to loss of its primary teaching hospital (Hahnemann). It is recurrently in the rebuilding stage, having recently partnered up with Reading Hospital (NOT in Philly but in Reading, the poorest town in Pennsylvania).

DREXEL HISTORY

Drexel undergrad is located in University City, a neighborhood in Philadelphia. It is in close proximity to University of Pennsylvania, that Ivy League school that your Asian parents know about. So right there you have some inferiority complex. Drexel has an interesting history. It had a lot of financial issues in the 1990s and was close to being bought out by its neighbor UPenn. But it managed to turn things around and even bought the med school that bears its name in the next few years. You can read more about this exciting comeback story here and impress your interviewer with your in-depth knowledge of Drexel.

MY EXPERIENCE AT DREXEL UNDERGRAD

I was accepted into the Drexel BS/MD program in April of 2010. It was one of the greatest moments for me at the time. I thought then my life would be much easier from then on. However, little did I know how much work lay still lay ahead of me. My dad helped me move into my dorm in September of 2010. After that, he returned to Taiwan. And just like that, I was on my own for the first time, in an unfamiliar city.

When I moved in back in 2010, the school was undergoing rapid expansion. Walk a few blocks in any direction and you will see construction. There were some very old buildings (>50 year old) and brand new ones. The dorm I moved into, called Millennium Hall, was just built when I first moved in. Some say it looks like a PlayStation.

College life was very different. No longer are your parents around making any decisions for you. You decide for yourself when to eat, study, have fun, and sleep. With that being said, I never felt like I needed to pull an all-nighter. The party scene was not for me, as I have an inherent dislike of loud noises (how do people hear each other talk?). The classes were challenging. I realized the amount of effort needed was much more than I thought when I received an 80% on my first biology test (an A is >93%). Even so, there was much more free time. The structured life that was high school, where one goes to school at 8 then leaves at 3:45- was no longer there. There were some days where I had no classes at all. One could build their schedule to suit their liking.

College was also where I discovered there were much smarter people than me. Some people were so smart that it made me question why the world was so unfair. Tests after tests, they would score much better, despite studying much less. My roommate was an example. It definitely puts into doubt the statement “All people are equal”. Perhaps people should have equal rights. But equal abilities? No. There are vast differences in the capabilities of each individual.

And so I grinded away during my college years, just like during my high school years. This particular BS/MD program had a GPA requirement of 3.50 and a MCAT requirement of 31 (old scoring system). Our program started out with 30 people, then gradually dwindled down as some people either had a change of heart about doing medicine or couldn’t keep up with the grade requirements. Some simply overindulged in the college partying lifestyle and slipped up.

Being allergic to alcohol certainly prevented me from straying too far into the dark side (no alcohol, no party). I kept my head down and checked each requirement one by one. GPA requirement? Check. MCAT requirement? Check. And just like that I was off to medical school.

COST

A quick calculation of how much it will cost to come to Drexel:

Drexel runs on a "term" schedule, which is basically a quarter. There are 4 quarters per year. Normally people are in school for 3 quarters and get the summer quarter off for vacation.

Undergrad tuition (listed price is per term)

18k per term x 3 terms a year = 54k per year

54k x 4 = 216k for 4 years of undergrad

Med school tuition (listed price is per semester)

60k per year x 4 years = 240k for 4 years

Tuition is 456k for 8 years

Granted, you will probably get some scholarships for the undergrad portion to lower that cost, but this price tag is ridiculous. I think when one is applying for colleges as a student without any prior job experience, the value of money doesn't really sink in. So let me just tell you as someone who has gone through it- go to the cheapest US MD school you can get your hands on. 

Conclusion

This program gave me a chance at becoming a doctor. And for that, I am eternally grateful. With that being said, Drexel's med school is undergoing a painful change due to the fallout from closure of its primary teaching hospital- Hahnemann University Hospital (where I did my internship). Whether it fully recovers from this setback is yet to be seen. 

Prestige Score

6 out of 10

Below is some old info that no longer applies

Drexel Med has quite a few linkage programs. The most popular programs (at least from my perspective) are Drexel, Villanova, and Lehigh because these schools accept the most students. They are 7 year programs, meaning that students spend three years at the undergrad and the traditional four at the med school. Credits taken from first year medical school at Drexel Med are applied toward your baccalaureate degree.

The Scholar programs have less stringent requirements for admission.They are geared towards students who wish to become generalist in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. During their clinical years in medical school, students rotate through the designated hospitals, as indicated in brackets. To be admitted, the applicant needs to complete three interviews: one at the undergraduate, one at Drexel Med, and one at the designated clinical campus. The goal of the scholar programs is to encourage student to complete local residencies, preferably in generalist specialties such as internal medicine, family practice, and pediatrics.


I'm not sure what to think of the early assurance programs. They don't seem to be geared specifically to any type of student. I don't really know much about the early assurance programs.

The requirements for matriculation into Drexel Med are as follows:
While in the undergraduate portion of the program, students must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA in all coursework, including all BCPM classes (all biological sciences, chemistry, physics, and math), without repeating a course and with no grade less than a C. The MCAT is required prior to matriculation into the College of Medicine. Students must receive a minimum MCAT score of 9 or better in the verbal section; 10 or better in the physical and biological science sections; a total minimum score of 31 (with no individual score less than 8); and a letter score of P or higher in the MCAT writing section. Acceptance into the College of Medicine is not guaranteed.

I know. It is very specific. But this isn't to scare you, it is just to make sure you understand that they are not "guaranteeing" you a spot in their med school if you don't meet their minimum requirements.

In Conjunction with:
Fast Track Programs (7 Year)

Admission Requirements:
Drexel University

• Apply by November 1st
• Be a US citizen or permanent resident
• Graduate from a high school in the US
• Be in the top 10% of graduating class
• Have a minimum 3.50 (unweighted ) GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Have a minimum SAT score of 1360 (Critical Reading and Math sections combined in one sitting) or a ACT score of 31
• Have completed four years of science with one year of each in biology, chemistry, and physics

Villanova University

• Apply by November 1st
• Be a US citizen or permanent resident
• Graduate from a high school in the US
• Be in the top 5% of graduating class
• Have a minimum 3.80 (unweighted ) GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Have a minimum SAT score of 1360 (Critical Reading and Math sections combined in one sitting) or a ACT score of 31
• Have completed four years of math, four years of English, and three years of science (at least one semester each of biology, chemistry and physics).

Lehigh University

• Apply by November 15th
• Be a US citizen or permanent resident
• Graduate from a high school in the US
• Be in the top 5% of graduating class
• Have a minimum 3.50-3.80 (unweighted ) GPA on a 4.0 scale (Lehigh website does not specify)
• Have completed four years of math, four years of English, and three years of science (at least one semester each of biology, chemistry and physics).

Rosemont College

• Apply to Rosemont by December 1st. Once accepted, submit the Drexel Med supplemental form by January 15th.
• Be a US citizen or permanent resident
• Graduate from a high school in the US
• Be in the top 10% of graduating class
• Have a minimum 3.50 (unweighted ) GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Have a minimum SAT score of 1360 (Critical Reading and Math sections combined in one sitting) or a ACT score of 31
• Have completed four years of math, four years of English, and three years of science (at least one semester each of biology, chemistry and physics)
• Personal interview at Rosemont College before interview at Drexel Med

Scholar Programs (8 Year)
Admission Requirements:
Kean University (Saint Peter's University Hospital)

• Apply by December 8th
• Graduation from a U.S. high school and application submitted by high school senior
  1. Minimum high school GPA (unweighted) of 3.5
  2. Satisfactorily passed (or in progress) the high school prerequisite courses
• 4 years Mathematics
• 4 years English
• 3 years Science
  1. At least 1 semester each of biology, chemistry and physics
• Combined minimum SAT math/critical reading score of 1270 (or equivalent ACT score of 28)
  1. Math and critical reading subset scores no less than 560
• Demonstrated interest in science and medicine
• Interviews upon request of the Biomedicine Selection Committee

I am guessing that three interviews take place: one at Kean, one at Drexel, and one at Saint Peter's University Hospital).
Muhlenberg College (Lehigh Valley Hospital): The website does not provide all the information needed, but I believe the requirements are the same for all scholar programs.

• Apply by January 1st
• Graduation from a U.S. high school and application submitted by high school senior
  1. Minimum high school GPA (unweighted) of 3.5
  2. Satisfactorily passed (or in progress) the high school prerequisite courses
• 4 years Mathematics
• 4 years English
• 3 years Science
  1. At least 1 semester each of biology, chemistry and physics
• Combined minimum SAT math/critical reading score of 1270 (or equivalent ACT score of 28)
  1. Math and critical reading subset scores no less than 560
• Demonstrated interest in science and medicine
• Six students are admitted from a pool of 100 applicants

Robert Morris University (Allegheny General Hospital)

• (I can't find the deadline)
• To be considered, students must have a minimum SAT score of 1270 (critical reading + math only) and a minimum high school GPA of 3.5.
• RMU and AGH officials interview qualified applicants and recommend up to five students for the program each year.
• Applicants then interview with officials from Drexel.
• Preference is given to students from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia (though residents from other states are welcome to apply also), and to those who want to pursue careers in family medicine, general internal medicine or general pediatrics.

Wilkes University:

Additional information (Guthrie Clinic/Robert Packer Hospital and Wyoming Valley Health Care System)

• Apply by November 15th
• To be considered for selection to the Drexel Premedical Scholars Program, applicants must meet the following conditions:
  
  1. Be accepted into the entering freshman class at Wilkes University by November 15th of their senior year in high school.
  2. Have a minimum combined SAT score of 1270 (with no subset less than 560) (The new SAT writing sample will be considered, but no official minimum score has yet been determined.)
  3. Have a high GPA
  4. Rank in the top 10% of their high school graduating class
  5. Have satisfactorily passed the following high school prerequisite courses or equivalents: four (4) years of mathematics, four (4) years of English, three (3) years of science (at least one semester each of biology, chemistry and physics)
  6. Have had at least one shadowing experience (preferably with a primary care or general practice physician)
• Up to six (6) Premedical Scholars may be selected to the program each year.
• Once students have been accepted to Wilkes University, the Wilkes Health Sciences Office will notify students who meet minimal qualification criteria for selection to this early assurance program. To be selected, students are required to successfully complete interviews at Wilkes, at either the Robert Packer Medical Center of the Guthrie Health System or the General Hospital of the Wyoming Valley Health Care System, and at Drexel University School of Medicine.
• Only students from northeastern Pennsylvania and the lower tier of New York (from Binghamton to Corning) for the Guthrie Scholars Program and northeastern Pennsylvania for the WVHCS Scholars Program will be considered.
• Successful applicants should expect to be interviewed at Wilkes prior to December 20th of their senior year in high school. Finalists from this interview will be called to subsequent interviews in early January of their senior year in high school.
• Final selection for this program is at the discretion of the medical school at which a student interviews.

Monmouth University (Monmouth Medical Center)

• Apply by December 15th
• Graduation from a U.S. high school and application submitted by high school senior
  
  1. Minimum high school GPA (unweighted) of 3.5
  2. Satisfactorily passed (or in progress) the high school prerequisite courses
• Combined minimum SAT math/critical reading score of 1270 (or equivalent ACT score of 28)
  
  1. Math and critical reading subset scores no less than 560

Early Assurance (8 Year)
Admission Requirements:
Rosemont College

• Apply to Rosemont by December 1st. Once accepted, submit the Drexel Med supplemental form by January 15th
• Rank in the top 10% of high school class;
• Full academic high school course load, including three years of foreign language study;
• Minimum high school GPS of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale;
• Personal interview at Rosemont College;
• Recommendation from Rosemont to be interviewed by Drexel University College of Medicine;

Ursinus College (cannot find the webpage)

West Chester University

• Apply by November 15th
• Minimum total SAT score (critical reading and math) of 1300 with no subset less than 560
• Top 10% of high school class
• High school GPA of 3.50 or better
• High school course requirements – 4 years of math and english, 3 years of science (including at least 1 semester of biology, chemistry, and physics).
• Documented health care experience

Drexel Med also has programs for college students. I will not list those since this blog is dedicated to BS/MD programs for high school students.