Reviewed by:
Third-Year Medical Student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Reviewed: 06/21/23
If you are interested in attending a medical school known nationally and internationally for its commitment to creating scientific knowledge, read on to learn more about how to get into Drexel Medical School.
Drexel Medical School is a unique institution because it combines two of the oldest medical colleges in the nation: the Hahnemann Medical College and the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, the first American medical school to confer degrees to women. Combined, these schools have offered students considerable innovations in education, research, and the delivery of compassionate care.
With a strong emphasis on biomedical and translational research, Drexel has always been a vital contributor to the growing healthcare needs of society. In fact, Drexel has one of the largest centers for spinal cord research in the mid-Atlantic region and one of the largest HIV treatment centers in the greater Philadelphia area!
If this impressive school has piqued your interest, this guide will tell you more about how to get into Drexel medical school. Keep reading to learn about Drexel’s application timeline, their secondary essays, the interview process, and more admission-related information!
To cater to students in every stage of their medical careers, Drexel offers several programs to its prospective students:
MD Program: a typical four-year medical program.
MS/PhD in Biochemistry of Health and Disease: a combined Master of Science and PhD, focused on studying the interface between chemistry and biology.
MS in Biotechnology: a degree focused on cutting-edge technologies used in bioscience and biotechnology.
MS in Cancer Biology: designed for students interested in learning the fundamentals of cancer.
MD/Ph.D. Physician Scientist Program: for students interested in a career in academic medicine and medical research.
MS in Microbiology and Immunology: to study infectious disease pathogens and host response.
MS/Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics: a dual degree program for students interested in cross-disciplinary biomedical problems.
MS/Ph.D. in Neuroscience: a dual degree that studies the neuroscience systems in depth.
Ms/Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Physiology: involves highly active research programs involving experimental pharmacology and physiology.
MD/MBA: a combined MD and Master of Business Administration for students to build business skills to manage practices or organizations.
MD/MPH: a joint MD and Master of Public Health that teaches students how to be physicians with a public-health orientation.
Continuing Education Programs: various programs to help existing physicians or other healthcare providers stay up-to-date on the latest medical practices.
ELAM Program: the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine fellowship for women faculty in schools of medicine, dentistry, public health, and pharmacy to develop skills needed to navigate the healthcare environment as a woman.
ELH Program: the Executive Leadership in Health Care fellowship for women in mid-senior level positions that desire executive leadership positions.
ELATES Program: the Executive Leadership IN Academic Technology, Engineering, and Science program to promote senior women faculty.
WHEP Program: the Women’s Health Education Program focuses on women’s health issues and concerns as patients and professionals.
With so many options to choose from, Drexel is sure to have a program that you will not only enjoy but that will advance your medical career!
Drexel Medical School boasts a unique and progressive history. As a result, this impressive institute has an equally unique student body. To get a good idea of what Drexel considers their ideal candidate, let’s look at Drexel Medical School’s admissions statistics.
Source: Drexel Medical School
Drexel’s acceptance rate is about 6.1%. Considering that, on average, 16,000 students apply to their College of Medicine every year, this makes Drexel Med School’s acceptance rate a competitive one.
In terms of the student body, the average GPA of a student accepted to Drexel Med school is 3.66. While GPA is not the only thing admission teams look at when assessing med school applications, it is important and something you should be mindful of during your undergraduate degree. We will go into more detail about undergrad requirements below.
Furthermore, the mean MCAT score for Drexel med students is 511. It is a good idea to have this as your ideal number when you’re preparing for the MCAT. Try your best to work towards attaining this score in order to make yourself a strong contender for acceptance.
Now, let’s look more closely at how to get into Drexel medical school. Like any other competitive medical program, there is a myriad of requirements needed in order to be accepted to med school. This means it is paramount that you’re familiar with Drexel Medical School’s requirements before beginning your application journey.
Since the most popular option for students is the MD program, this guide will go over the precise admission requirements for aspiring MD students:
The first step to applying to any medical program is to have an undergraduate degree. The exact major you choose to pursue doesn’t matter per se, but there are certain competencies Drexel recommends its students have prior to matriculation.
Drexel no longer has specific course prerequisites but asks students to have coursework and experience in the following areas:
In these courses, as well as any others that make up your undergrad, you should aim to maintain a 3.66 GPA to be considered a competitive applicant.
If you are concerned that you have a low GPA and won’t be accepted to med school, remember that GPA is not everything. Admission committees look at more than just grades when deciding on applicants. That being said, there are things you can do to get into med school with a low GPA.
Applicants must also write the MCAT to be eligible for admission at Drexel Medical School.
As we said above, Drexel’s average MCAT score is 511. This should be your target score if you are considering applying to Drexel’s MD program.
If you have multiple MCAT scores, Drexel will pay particular attention to your most recent. While the committee does not look at your best score but reviews all of them, they place extra emphasis on whichever exam you wrote last. That being said, Drexel only accepts scores that are up to three years old.
To ensure your final MCAT score is the best, you should create a comprehensive study schedule that involves understanding theory and applying it!
The MCAT isn’t the only assessment students must complete in order to apply to this medical school. They must also write the CASPer.
This test largely assesses your non-cognitive and interpersonal skills to create more objectivity in the admissions decision process. The CASPer will take around 75-90 minutes to complete and consists of both video and written scenarios.
If you are unfamiliar with the CASPer test or looking for guidance on completing it, check out our complete and comprehensive guide to CASPer.
As per their requirements, all applicants are required to submit letters of recommendation from professionals with whom they built strong connections and who can objectively speak to their academic and personal potential. These letters typically have the most impact if they’re written by professors.
For this reason, Drexel prefers if students’ undergraduate institutions provide the committee letters. However, if this option is not available, students can submit up to four letters of recommendation as part of their application. Ensure you begin making meaningful connections with your professors early into each semester so they can attest to specific skills and abilities you have.
When contacting potential recommenders for your Drexel Medical School’s letters of recommendation, be mindful to give them plenty of time to write. This way, if they have any concerns or require clarification, you will be able to guide them adequately.
If you are unsure of how to secure strong letters of recommendation for your med school application, don’t panic! There are some amazing online resources available to help you get the impactful letters of recommendation that you want.
You are also required to write a personal statement to apply to Drexel. This statement should give the committee more insight into who you are, what motivates you, and why you chose medicine.
Drexel has a secondary application as a part of their application process. This secondary application will ask you to include more information about your personal experiences and characteristics. You will also have to answer certain essay prompts, which we will discuss further in this guide!
Knowing these extensive admission requirements, you might be curious about the Drexel Medical School acceptance rate. As we said above, Drexel only acceptof all its applicants.
With the stress of completing your application requirements, ensuring you meet all of the necessary deadlines may be overwhelming. To make this process less stressful, here are key deadlines you should keep in mind:
Source: Drexel Medical School's Admission Timeline
Most of your application to the Drexel School of Medicine will be completed through AMCAS, including your transcripts, MCAT scores, letters of recommendation, and other supporting details. The rest of your application, like your secondary application, will be completed through Drexel’s application portal.
For students who feel weary about Drexel’s high GPA and MCAT requirements, you may want to consider an early decision application. If you’re sure Drexel is the perfect medical school for you, this binding application means you cannot accept an offer from any other medical school if Drexel accepts you into their program.
Since Drexel values commitment, they typically review these applications with more leniency. Since fewer students apply early, there is also less competition.
As we stated earlier, there are a few essays students must answer as part of their secondary application. To ensure you’re as prepared as possible for your application, these are the prompts you can expect to see:
“Please discuss all of your current and recent activities and engagements that have prepared you for medical school. Please be sure to include any traditional and/or non-traditional clinical exposures and volunteering experiences that you have done that are not already included in your application. (2000 characters)”
For this question, detail any relevant work or volunteer experience you have engaged in and relay its relevance to medicine and your particular medical goals. Include details like how you’ve learned proper patient etiquette and bedside manners and how to communicate with diverse patients. This is your chance to prove you have already begun honing important skills required of physicians!
Remember, Drexel asks its students to have significant service and clinical experience, so ensure you mention your commitment to community service as well.
“Why are you interested in Drexel? Please also explain how you meet various elements of our mission - compassionate care, diversity, spirited inquiry, collaboration, and opportunity. (1500 characters)”
This is a classic “Why Us?” university essay. Drexel wants to see how you might be a good addition to the university culture. Talk about how your skills and values align with Drexel’s, and how you will both benefit from and contribute to the school. You can also discuss the experiences you’ve had in the past that have shaped your values and that have led to apply to Drexel.
“Please describe any extenuating circumstances that may have affected your medical or non-medical service experiences, including any circumstances that impacted your engagement in activities, academics, and MCAT that would have helped to prepare you for medical school. (1500 characters)”
This essay is pretty open-ended. It’s a good opportunity for you to explain any gaps or difficulties in your schooling that may appear unsightly on your application. It’s also an opportunity to demonstrate how you have overcome those difficulties.
Think about any challenges you faced during the final year of your undergraduate career that further inspired you to pursue medicine, changed your view on medicine, or even made your journey to medical school difficult.
Drexel values resilience and wants to see that you have a strong commitment to medicine, even in the face of adversity. This essay is similar to your personal statement; you can share a specific experience that you feel fits this prompt.
Students struggle with their personal statements because medical schools often give little direction on what they expect in these statements in an effort to give students the freedom to share whatever they feel is most important.
Your personal statement should help distinguish you from other applicants. Some common topics you can consider writing about include:
You also want to touch on Drexel’s missions and visions when writing your personal statement. Drexel values diversity, compassionate care, a commitment to local and global communities, collaboration, excellence, and translational and biomedical research.
Ensure you weave some or all of these values into your personal statement to prove your interests align with Drexels, thus, making you a perfect candidate for their medical school! Don’t focus solely on why you think Drexel can advance your medical career - show the admissions committee how you can also contribute to Drexel!
Applicants selected to interview will attend virtual interviews sometime between September to April of the given admissions cycle. This interview is an essential part of the admissions process and helps the committee get to know each applicant more personally.
To prepare for this interview, go over common interview questions and review your application. Keep note of any additional experiences or information you’d like to share, and ensure you let some of your personality shine through!
Don’t just memorize your answers, as this can make you seem like you lack confidence and can make your answers come across as robotic and flat.
Drexel medical school’s tuition ranges depending on the program. Typically, each semester at Drexel will cost MD students approximately $32,846. For a full year, this brings the total tuition and fees to $65,692. See the table below for a breakdown of tuition cost per program at Drexel’s College of Medicine.
To help ease the burden of these high costs, Drexel offers its students several awards, scholarships, grants, and work-study opportunities.
If Drexel Medical School is a top med school contender for you, you may be wondering how you can leverage your application so that it stands out. Here are some tips to help you distinguish yourself from other applicants:
To ensure you are as prepared as possible for Drexel’s MD program, you should aim to have a substantial amount of clinical experience as well as volunteer work. To do so, begin early! You can join pre-medical clubs at your university during your undergrad to gain better insight into opportunities you can pursue to begin building your medical resume.
Since the Drexel School of Medicine is best known for its biomedical and translational research, you should try to have some research experience before matriculation. This can give you good content for your essays or personal statements and can prove your values and commitments align with Drexel’s.
Drexel is a unique medical school! It is a combination of two medical schools, including a women-only university that offers unprecedented opportunities for women.
If you’re a female applicant, consider mentioning this in your application to explain the importance of providing space for women in the medical field. You may also draw upon your own experiences that make you grateful for schools like Drexel.
If you have any remaining questions about how to get accepted into Drexel medical school, keep reading to find your answers.
Yes, Drexel Medical School is competitive. It has an acceptance rate of 6.1% and high admission requirements. The median GPA of accepted students is 3.66, and the median MCAT score is 511. All these factors combined makes Drexel a competitive med school option.
Yes, students must have an MCAT score no older than three years to apply to Drexel. If you have several MCAT scores, Drexel will look at the three most recent with extra attention given to your most recent.
You may be wondering, is Drexel a good med school? The answer is yes, Drexel is considered one of the leading medical schools in the country. It has made several large contributions to the field of biomedicine and research and is well-known for its distinguished faculty, diverse programs, and academic rigour.
No, Drexel is not an Ivy League medical school.
Drexel Medical School is known for its commitment to equality, as one of the first medical schools to offer degrees to women, and its research efforts. It is home to the nation's leading spinal cord research center and one of the nation’s best malaria study centers.
Drexel Medical School is the 88th-best medical school for research and the 90th-best medical school for primary care.
Regardless of whether you want to join Drexel Medical School to contribute to its extensive research efforts or to reap the benefits of its diverse program and course offerings, this school can be an excellent stepping stone to help advance your medical career!
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