Drexel University College of Medicine’s Medical Science Programs have established a new Early Assurance program with conditional acceptance to the College of Medicine. The Drexel Pathway to Medical School (DPMS) program accepted its first class into the program beginning July 2003. The DPMS program gives the disadvantaged applicant a unique opportunity to prove his or her ability to succeed in a medical school program by taking a rigorous program of courses in a medical school environment. After successful completion of the DPMS program, the students will retain their admission into the College of Medicine.

Prerequisites

The program is designed for students from a lower socioeconomic/disadvantaged background. Prerequisites for the program are one year of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, (each with laboratory), and one year of English literature and behavioral science (psychology, sociology and philosophy) courses. In addition, a 2.90 undergraduate math/science GPA and a minimum MCAT score of 20 with no section below a 6 is also required. An applicant who meets these requirements may be considered for an interview with the College of Medicine. Applicants may then be granted provisional acceptance into the College of Medicine and be accepted into this Early Assurance Program.

Program

A maximum of 25 students are accepted into the program each year. This allows for small group instruction during the summer enrichment portion of the program and individual counseling with an administrative advocate throughout the program. DPMS students take medical school courses along with 140 Interdepartmental Medical Science (IMS) program students and graduate level courses with 60 Medical Science Preparatory (MSP) program students. The DPMS and IMS students have the medical school lectures simulcast into the Center City campus lecture halls from the Queen Lane campus and also break down into smaller conference groups headed by a faculty member. DPMS is a hybrid of the IMS and MSP programs which have been in operation for more than two decades and have proven year after year that they are superior programs aimed at helping students increase their credentials for medical school admittance.

Curriculum

The program begins with a mandatory six-week academic assessment and counseling enrichment sessions beginning the third week of June and continuing throughout the month of July. Students take a one credit “Medical Science Preparation” course as pass/fail and students are not charged tuition or fees for this session of the program. During this course students will explore the following general principles:

Biochemistry: chemical basics of life; energy production and consumption in metabolism; biological information transfer.

Physiology: cellular and molecular physiology; muscle physiology. These concepts are essential for understanding Medical Biochemistry and Medical Physiology and integrating them with clinical cases.

Pharmacology: these lectures will provide insight into the biochemical and physiological aspects of drug effects.

During the fall semester (first week of August through December), students take the following courses:

During the spring sememster, January through May, the students will take these additional courses:

 * As of summer 2007, students entering the program having already satisfied the MCAT requirements to retain their medical school acceptance will take the 3 credit Medical Immunology (IMSP-570S) course as pass/fail rather than the MCAT Review courses. Credits for fall semester 17; credits for spring semester 10.

Successful Program Completion

The DPMS program is a one-year graduate level certificate program. A minimum 2.75 GPA is required to receive the Certificate of Program Completion. In order to retain final acceptance with the College of Medicine, students are required to have the following: at least a 3.00 GPA, a minimum 8 on the Physical and the Biological Sciences, 7 on the Verbal Reasoning and a score of “M” or better on the writing sections of the MCAT, pass Medical Immunology (if applicable), satisfactory participation in the Medical Science Preparation, and a program recommendation.

Drexel University College of Medicine
Office of Professional Studies in the Health Sciences
Room 4104 NCB
245 North 15th Street, Mail Stop 344
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Telephone: 215-762-4692
Email: postbac@drexel.edu