Located in Berks County, P.A, Drexel Medical School was formed from the merger of two medical colleges – Hahnemann Medical College and Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. The institution has built its reputation as a citadel of learning that integrates research and innovation with health care. It is ranked among the top medical schools in Pennsylvania and the US. Students can gain incredible experience providing care to patients with different illnesses and injuries with affiliation to several training sites. This blog covers how to get into Drexel medical school, including the requirements, statistics and tips for how to get accepted in 2024.
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Mission Statement
Drexel University College of Medicine delivers innovative biomedical education in an environment that embraces inquiry and collaboration, founded on excellence in patient care, and based on a culture of, and respect for, diversity. These principles are built upon the College of Medicine's legacy of a firm commitment to meeting the health care needs of the communities in which we live and work.
Available Programs
Drexel Medical School offers beyond the conventional MD four-year curriculum. While it is not compulsory, medical students can participate in research, finish a dual degree program at the graduate level or engage in the school's program in Women's health and Medical Humanities. These programs present a chance for students to discover and pursue their interests while in medical school:
Check out a recap of admission stats, available programs, and interview format
Academic Curriculum
Preclinical years
In the first two years of medical school, students go through a preclinical curriculum, followed by USMLE step one and two years of clinical rotations. Also, the student body is divided into six learning groups. Along with their respective groups, each student participates in small group learning and social activities like community service projects. The preclinical years at Drexel cover basic biology and physiology. Case-based learning is also included throughout these years. Students can submit applications for research funding in the summer between the first and second year.
Clinical Curriculum
In the third year at medical school, students will go through core clinical rotations. Six courses are required in the fourth year, and you can dedicate the remaining time to other clinical electives, studying for graduate programs or going for interviews. The core clinical curriculum comprises Surgery, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Neurology, Ambulatory Medicine and OB/GYN.
Fourth Year Requirements include Sub-internship, Pathway-specific rotation, Emergency medicine or critical care, Transition to residency and Residency-immersion.
Application Timeline
Drexel's Accepted Student Timeline states that:
Plan to Enroll: Students who have decided their first-choice medical school should choose this on or before April 30
Applicants accepted after April 30 should choose Plan to Enroll or Commit to Enroll no later than two weeks, following acceptance.
Commit to Enroll: Students must cancel applications to other medical schools (after choosing this option) on or before July 15
Admissions Statistics
Drexel has an oddly high medical school acceptance rate for a private medical school. Out of the 11,717 applicants to the College of Medicine last year, 1,506 got to the interview stage, and only 811 got accepted. Eventually, only 254 accepted students chose to attend Drexel last year.
Overall acceptance rate: 1.98%
In-state acceptance rate: 6.6%
Out-of-state acceptance rate: 1.5%
Average MCAT score: 512
Average GPA: 3.75
Drexel Medical School overall acceptance rate:
Recommended Courses
Drexel Medical School has no specific medical school prerequisites or requirements regarding a student's major or course of study. Seventy-two percent of the students who opted to attend Drexel last year had math or science majors at the undergraduate level.
Recently, Drexel has shifted from demanding certain premed coursework to reviewing applicants based on important academic and professional coursework and experienced competencies. The admission committee requires proficiency in certain areas, including:
Tuition and Debt
Drexel is not one of the cheapest medical schools in the US. The medical school tuition at Drexel Medical School is comparable with other private schools. Upon acceptance, students can expect to pay approximately $84,000, including tuition and fees, health insurance and other costs. About 84 percent of students get a form of financial aid, but most graduates end up with about $240,180 in debt after leaving the College.
The medical school offers different programs that provide students with loans, grants and work opportunities. To be eligible for financial aid, students are expected to submit parental data on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and complete the College's online application.
Funding Opportunities
Students of Drexel Medical School have multiple options for financing their medical education. Medical students and graduate students in medical school can access medical school scholarships. Scholarship offers and grants are available from private groups like fraternal and religious organizations, professional associations, labor unions, ethnic associations and social groups.
Selection Factors
Drexel medical school reviews and selects highly qualified and goal-driven students who exhibit the passion, intellectual prowess, integrity and emotional intelligence to be outstanding medical practitioners. The school encourages applications from nontraditional students and commits to building a diversified student body. The admissions committee uses a holistic review process during admission considerations. The committee appreciates students who have surmounted challenges and have shown proven commitment to community service and leadership.
The committee also considers students with diverse experiences and are choosing medicine as a second career. Students are required to have a good understanding of physical and biological sciences and a general knowledge in other fields, irrespective of their field of study.
Applicants are expected to submit a composite letter of recommendation or pre-professional committee letter if their school has a pre-medical advisory committee, including science and non-science professors. If this is not an option, students can submit at least three letters from college-level instructors – two from science and one from non-science fields. The letters from individuals have to be objective evaluations of the applicants based on a recent professional relationship.
Together with the AMCAS application, the admission committee will require supplementary materials from applicants, including answers to two secondary essay prompts.
Sample Drexel Secondary Essays
Sample #1
Question 1: If you are a recent graduate, please tell us what you have been doing since graduation. You may answer "Not applicable." (no character limit listed)
Following my graduation, I am continuing to mentor and work with students by retaining my position as a private tutor. Working with students to help them achieve their academic goals is an extremely rewarding experience that has allowed me to work with students from all walks of life. From helping students achieve their admissions test goals, to teaching multiplication tables I have been able to foster success and establish study habits that stay with my students long after our lessons have concluded. Knowing that the work I am doing helps students get into their dream college or gets them on this trimesters honor roll is a wonderful feeling. I have pursued more clinical experience at X Hospital shadowing ER physicians to broaden my understanding of the medical profession and continue to expose myself to the many facets of the profession. Personally, I am striving to improve my communication by learning to speak French and working to maintain and strengthen my Spanish and Greek. I believe that to serve the diverse population that exists in this country it is critical that I do my best to be able to communicate with individuals with various levels of English proficiency. I have pursued industry experience in research and development within health science. In this forthcoming position, I will work under senior scientists to further develop my communication, teamwork, and scientific inquiry. My time from now to potential matriculation will be spent refining my professionalism in the work setting while investing in personal growth, making me more adept to serve the patient population as a future physician. (265 words)
Question 2: What else do you feel is important for us to know about you? You can use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application. You can also talk about how COVID-19 impacted you. For example, it may have caused disruptions or changes in your plans. If there is something you would like to share regarding how this event impacted you, share that information here. (500-word limit)
My last year at X University was an arduous time in my life. My father’s health deteriorated, so he had to stop working to undergo a series of surgeries. During this time, I was caught between trying to be supportive to my family, and focusing on academics. From this situation arose another challenge; financially, I had to begin to support myself. I already worked as a tutor, but hours were inconsistent and I needed to find a second job. I found employment as a Physics T.A. The hardship of having to be away from my family in tandem with long working hours weighed heavily on me. To deal with this responsibility I consulted advisors to see how they navigated their work-life balance. With their advice in mind, I began to regiment my work, adhering to blocks of time in which I would grade, invoice students, and construct lessons. I would try to accomplish this on campus, so that at home I could dedicate my time to studying and familial obligations. Despite these challenges, I worked diligently and had my two best semesters of college. I could not control the situation, but I did not let my circumstances control or define me. (200 words)
Interview Formats
Students are invited for interviews as part of the admissions process. The admission committee uses this to get acquainted with the applicant. You also get a chance to assess Drexel's offerings.
Video interviews will be held for the this application cycle. You will not visit the campus for the interview. Applicants will get instructions for the virtual interview process after the invitation and schedule confirmation. The interview email will come from the Office of Admissions. Once applicants upload their photo and complete the competency grip, they will be able to schedule the interview via the online scheduling system. Interviews are conducted from September to April and are an important stage before acceptance.
Applicants through the school's Special Programs will get an email regarding the scheduled interview date. If you need to cancel the interview, do that at least 72 hours before the date. You can also reschedule to an earlier date online.
Are you getting ready for a medical school interview? Check out our answer for one of the most common medical school interview questions out there - "Tell me about yourself."
Acceptance and Waitlist Information
Drexel Medical School sends the first acceptance notices via email from October 15. If you do not get an admission offer in the initial round of the acceptance batch, you may be included on the Drexel waitlist.
Applicants on the deferred list will be reviewed during the monthly decision meeting. From Mid April, deferred applicants who have not been denied or accepted will be included in the waitlist. About 60 students from up to 300 applicants on the waitlist get acceptance offer. Applicants will be contacted if they are taken off the waitlist. You should be ready to respond to the offer as soon as you get the notification.
Contact information
Email: [email protected].
FAQs
1. How do I check my application status?
The website for applicants provides updated information regarding your status. You will need your I.D. and Password to log in.
2. When should I submit my application?
The school receives applications through AMCAS from June 1 through December 1. Medical school admission is highly competitive, so it is advisable to submit the application as early as possible to increase the chance of success. Applications are reviewed at the Medical College upon submission.
3. What are the oldest MCAT scores accepted?
Drexel medical schools require MCAT scores within two years of the application Drexel considers all the candidates' scores and not the best score if you have written the MCAT multiple times.
4. When will I get my secondary application after applying through AMCAS?
Once the school receives your verified application from AMCAS, you will get an email with a link to the online secondary application. Every applicant will get this link. You should allow up to four weeks after the initial AMCAS verification to get the secondary application link. Students can contact the school if the link to the secondary application fails to arrive within the timeframe. The ID and password sent with the link should be saved for later.
5. Can students send extra recommendation letters?
Yes, the school will accept extra letters. The letters should be forwarded via the AMCAS Letter Services and should include the student's AMCAS ID number whenever possible.
6. Can international students apply to Drexel Medical School?
No. The school only accepts applicants who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Permanent residents are required to send a copy of their green card with the secondary application.
7. Does the school accept transfer students into the second- or third-year classes?
Drexel Medical School does not accept transfer students currently.
8. When will the medical school classes start?
Orientation for accepted students is held in the first week of August. All accepted students will get orientation information from mid-June.
9. Will I get any notification once I complete my file?
Yes, the status will be available online. Students are advised to check the portal regularly.
10. Will I be notified if I get an interview invitation?
Yes. You will get an official notification via email. You can also view the status online.
11. Is medical school personal statement required along with the secondary essays?
Yes. The school requires applicants to submit a personal statement as part of their AMCAS application. When writing your personal statement for Drexel, keep in mind that the school gets many applications, and this presents an opportunity to impress the admissions committee and show competencies.
12. Can I request for deferral of matriculation if I am accepted?
Accepted candidates who already have a place in the entering class can request a deferral of matriculation for one year. Students need to send the request to the Office of Admissions on or before July 15 of the matriculation year and may highlight their plans for the period. Recently, deferral requests have been granted to students looking to finish research projects, pursue other academic opportunities, or participate in volunteer or service activities like Teach for America. The admissions committee will determine the appropriateness of the deferral request. If the request is approved, the applicant will get a place in the following year's entering class.
13. I do not have a premed advisory committee later. What letters are received as alternatives?
The school will require recommendation letters from three faculty members who can vouch for the candidate's abilities in the classroom – two letters from science professors and one from a non-science professor. The school does not consider letters from research mentors or supervising physicians as a requirement. The letters must be from faculty members. Once you have provided the three required letters, then all other letters will be accepted.
14. Can I forward updates to my application?
Applicants are allowed to send up to three updates through the application system. Visit the applicants' website and use your I.D. and password for login. Click on the "Status" tab and the "Document Upload/Status" choice on the left. You can upload one of each of the following: transcripts, resume/CV and an update letter. These items cannot be updated once the upload is complete. Accepted files should be in pdf format and below 8Mb in size.
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