2025-2026 Drexel Pathway to Medical Application Cycle (DPMS)

[KingPremed76]

Most students go on to graduate, I’m not sure of the specific stats but the only time where there were significant issues was with people who made it in DUCOM off of the appeals process. They struggled academically in M1

Do you think this is why they make it hard to successfully appeal? Do you know what all goes into the appeals process? It seems like alot of current DPMS students will have to appeal (based on previous post).

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[MelaninMed]

Do you think this is why they make it hard to successfully appeal? Do you know what all goes into the appeals process? It seems like alot of current DPMS students will have to appeal (based on previous post).

In my opinion, yes. The GPA/MCAT cutoffs are “predictors” in DUCOMs eyes of your success in M1 and when they let people in off the appeals process and then they dont succeed, it looks bad. Especially because the whole notion of an appeal is to argue that you are academically prepared for medical school despite not reaching the cutoffs. As far as I know now no current M1s who have done DPMS are dealing with this.

 

[KingPremed76]

In my opinion, yes. The GPA/MCAT cutoffs are “predictors” in DUCOMs eyes of your success in M1 and when they let people in off the appeals process and then they dont succeed, it looks bad. Especially because the whole notion of an appeal is to argue that you are academically prepared for medical school despite not reaching the cutoffs. As far as I know now no current M1s who have done DPMS are dealing with this.

Statistically speaking it sounds as though only 30% of this years cohort will actually matriculate and it’s hard to believe that admin would be okay with that number. If that is true, the program does not sound ideal. 30% is also not a great reflection. My concern is that none of these numbers are reflected on the website when I go to apply.

 

[KingPremed76]

Where exactly are you getting your data that our cohort is underperforming compared to prior classes? We have been told by several TAs that our averages were on par, just that the curve was less generous. Specifically, TAs who last year got a A- or B+ in this year's grading curve would have gotten a B or a B-. I would say that's evidence of grade deflation. Not to mention the massive wave of drop outs we had before the fall semester even ended. So many students dropping out, who had lower test scores, did affect our curve. If you are so confident about the curves being the same, post last year's biochem and physiology curve and let's compare to the one from this year. If we underperformed so badly, you would think we should have at least gotten the same curve as last year, not a worse one.

My biggest gripe with the program is how secretive they were of matriculation data. We have caught them in multiple lies about prior year's data. If I had known how tough it was in previous years, I would never had started the program with the expected GPA and MCAT changes.

Yes. Not having data does not sit right with me as a current applicant. But thank you all for being transparent 😞

 

[Capt Jack Bone Marrow]

Former DPMS student and current medical student here. I was track 2, graduated DPMS with a GPA well above the previous and current requirement, and perform extremely well in medical school (thanks to DPMS and the study habits/discipline I developed during the program). Despite other user's claims, admin is not asking anyone to write anything here. I'm taking some time off my Saturday to make sure that you have as much information as possible before making a decision about applying/attending DPMS.

Just a couple things to begin with:

• Matriculation requirements changed, but these are still attainable.
• The curriculum has not changed, DPMS alums develop exam reviews for current DPMS students and we use the current material to make these reviews. The material is EXACTLY the same as it was when I was in DPMS.
• If you are thinking about DPMS because you have a low MCAT score, DON’T. You do not need to pay $70k to retake the MCAT. Take some time off, retake the MCAT and apply to med school if the rest of your stats are good.
• The program is expensive, yes. And so is DUCOM. The entire college of medicine serves as a cash cow for the university. They can do this because they know that most students matriculating into DPMS and even DUCOM do not have much of a choice of where they are going to medical school. Only you can decide if the cost is right for you and if the ROI is worth it.

With that being said, I think DPMS is a fantastic program IF YOU NEED IT. It is an extremely rigorous program that requires a lot of determination and discipline. Your success in the program depends on no one but YOURSELF. Do not expect anyone to guide you by the hand, teach you how to study, or get you to the finish line. It is all up to you.

DPMS should be taken as a second chance at getting into medical school. You should not take it for granted. From the moment you are accepted into the program, you have a seat waiting for you at DUCOM – but you have to EARN that seat. There is a reason why you are considering DPMS (we all had one), you have to prove to the admission’s committee that you are capable of succeeding in med school and that your circumstances do not define you.

I want to address some of the things shared by other users:

• We do not know why matriculation standards were raised. If I had to guess, I would think it has something to do with the SCOTUS decision to strike down affirmative action. Around the time that the matriculation requirements were changed, wording in the DPMS website was also changed to make the program seem less like a DEI initiative. DUCOM’s DEI office also changed their name to something less “DEI-sounding”. It would be logical to think that these changes were made to draw less attention and potential criticism to DUCOM’s flagship DEI program, DPMS.
• Generally, past DPMS students excel in medical school. Many of classmates continuously score towards the top of the class in every exam. We are involved in leadership, volunteering, research, etc. Coming into medical school already knowing how DUCOM operates and personally knowing so many of our faculty definitely helps.
• Previous DPMS cohorts have advocated for the next generations of DPMS students. The DPMS class of 2023 successfully advocated for a change in the anatomy coursework, leading to the currently anatomy course, which is magnitudes better than it was before.
• Medical education is HARD - if you truly want to do medicine, you need to acknowledge and accept this.
• Medical education gets progressively harder – M1 is more difficult than DPMS, but DPMS has made it easier to navigate.
• No one is being exploited by anyone. You made a decision to pursue what is probably the hardest career you could choose. You knew the costs and matriculation requirements. You made a decision to pursue this program to achieve your goals. You can also choose to leave the program at any point.

My advice to current applicants (you don’t have to take it):

• Take everything in this forum with a grain of salt – only you can decide if DPMS is worth it. Consider that those with positive and negative opinions alike are likely biased.
• See my point above about low MCAT scores.
• Do your best to come into DPMS as Track 2 – most of my classmates that did not make contract were track 1. DPMS is a difficult program, and the MCAT is a difficult exam – do your best to not have to do both at the same time. Take some time off, study for the MCAT, and apply for DPMS as a track 2 student. Additionally, I believe that track 2 does a better job of preparing you for M1 due to the additional P/F coursework.
• If you are in undergrad about to graduate, PLEASE consider a gap year. Maybe you can work on whatever is keeping you from matriculating into medical school without a post-bacc or SMP. Taking some time off of school will give you time to put your priorities in order and figure out what you need to change in order to succeed in medicine. It will also give you an opportunity to live life for a bit before starting the most difficult 10 years of your life. Additionally, some of the best performers in my DPMS cohort were non-trad applicants with 2+ gap years between undergrad and DPMS. Please don’t rush.
• Regardless of whether you decide to do DPMS or not: be ready to work hard in a career in medicine. Do not expect anything to be handed to you in a silver platter.
• DPMS is a second chance, an opportunity to change and develop discipline. Again, there is a reason why you are considering DPMS (we all had one). For most it’s GPA or MCAT or both. You cannot expect old study habits to work for you now when they didn’t during a much easier undergrad education or when you studied for the MCAT the first time around. Unfortunately, I personally know of people that did not make contract because they wouldn’t change study habits even after failing multiple exams. You will find out very quickly if things need to change.
• And I’ll say it again. EXPECT DPMS TO BE VERY DIFFICULT. Do not be delusional in thinking that this will be an easy program and that it is a loophole for underrepresented students to get into med school. No, it is a rigorous program meant to give you an opportunity to show that you can handle med school.

DPMS is an incredible opportunity that can be a stepping stone in helping you achieve your goals. If medicine is truly what you want, and you are willing to put in the work, then I would encourage you to consider DPMS.

 

[md2028]

can you share more info in regards to how many/why a lot of people are dropping the program?

From my understanding there were close to about 17 people that did not matriculate the previous year. I am uncertain as to why. This year I’ve heard that the raise in GPA has made it that much harder.

Hello, Alum here. About 17/18 people didn’t matriculate my year. It was a split between GPA and MCAT tracks.

 

[md2028]

Is it true that they don’t accept students below a 495? And have you heard anything about the stats of matriculation? I am hearing a lot of students drop from the program within the first couple of months. Not sure why though.

Alum here. I got accepted with a MCAT below 495

 

[md2028]

My understanding is about 40% of the cohort did not make it last year, and this year is likely to be higher (its already at 30% only half way through), due to the increased metric requirement, and some changes in the exams. From what I've heard people are really not happy with the program, or with ducom as a whole. DPMS does sounds like a great opportunity initially, but once you're in it you really realize its a money grab from pre-meds who have few options

40 is not true

 

[fiona_2004]

I'm so happy there is finally a discourse on here about the program. That said, it’s genuinely baffling how some people can sit here and argue that the program hasn’t become harder when the GPA and MCAT cutoffs have objectively increased. This isn’t up for debate—it’s a fact. The lack of acknowledgment of these changes comes off as dismissive, especially to those of us experiencing the very real impact of these shifts. Admin has clearly told us that the appeals will be less successful this year. That, coupled with higher contract requirements, means that matriculation rates for this year will be historically low.

Let me make this crystal clear: the program’s difficulty this year is not just perception—it’s structural. A higher GPA cutoff means fewer people will meet contract requirements, and unless you think our cohort magically underperforms compared to previous ones (an implication I find both offensive and baseless), the program itself is setting more students up for failure under these new rules. There are many students sitting in DUCOM right now who would not be making contract this year. So many have already dropped out, even our original class president had to drop out.

If you’re a prospective applicant, you deserve to know this. Many of us walked into this program blind to these realities, and I refuse to let others make the same mistake without being fully informed. It’s not “discourse” to dismiss valid concerns—it’s denial. By the time we find out the results of this year, which I anticipate will be extremely poor compared to priors, the 2025-2026 cohort will already be making plans to attend or accepting offers. We are being vocal here so that prospective applicants have information that I wish we had before committing to the program.

And as for the speculation about our cohort’s performance, unless you have access to data we don’t, I ask you don't make baseless accusations. Focus on facts instead of perpetuating narratives that conveniently ignore the changes this year’s students are navigating. We’re being vocal so future applicants don’t have to go through what we have.

 

[OnlyTheTruth]

I think past cohorts are failing to understand that half the class right now has a 3.2 or a 3.3 do not have a chance anymore or have to appeal. But in previous years, they would have been fine. Let that sink in. I'm sure there are plenty of people who made it to DUCOM from DPMS who got the 3.2 or 3.3 and are doing wonderful but would have had to appeal this year. A previous person on here has to appeal with a 3.36 and a 508 MCAT but would have been fine last year. And a 508 MCAT is way above the cutoff. Also, if it's known that our class and our cohort is severely underperforming than last years and previous years, then why weren't more interventions or conversations done? Why didn't admin or professors sit down with us and help us? Yes, there's some self accountability but if you see a cohort severely underperforming and not performing at a matriculant level, then as as program directors you should help them and try to figure it out together.

THIS!!!

According to Admin, this year was the hardest year to get into DPMS yet, it is the smallest class size in recent years (About 50). And standards were raised to be accepted. There are 2 options for that is happening right now.

1) We are all dumb, and for some reason despite our higher metrics entering this program we are struggling.

OR (and more likely)

2) The program has changed requirements to matriculation, multiple classes have changed, and the lack of early intervention means that students dropped out very early, which limited grade curves and further hurt current students.

In the wake of the Trump presidency, programs like this will start to disappear. Poor, Minority, or Queer students will lose spaces one by one. It is unfortunate to see that this trend is happening in DPMS even before legislative changes.

 

[KingPremed76]

I appreciate all feedback. And being that metrics have changed I am listening more attentively to current students who are actively experiencing those changes. As a queer man, I have considered how DEI will impact education and my experience in med school. Before this platform it was very hard for me to find specifics about the program. I did reach out to admin but I was left with unanswered questions which led me to create an account here. Past post had alot of positive things to say about the program but it was very general. I was curious about the perspectives of people who did not matriculate because it seemed too good to be true. I did ask current M2/M3s about their experience, some had noted matriculation had been low years ago even before metric changes but that they did not know how current changes would impact the program. At first it seemed very supportive but it does worry me that the current cohort is very unhappy. However, I am glad you all are advocating for future applicants. 🙂

 

[md2028]

I believe what the current cohort fails to realize is that (from what I heard), they have played since the beginning. We told them that this would be a challenge and give it all you got. Sure some people have gotten their stuff together, but truth is: many people continue to not be focused when this is a chance at MED SCHOOL. In addition, studying all day and all night does NOT equal good scores. That is not studying effectively. There are plenty of resources like academic coaches and admin and bigs that are more than willing to help strategize with you all. It is on YOU ALL to reach out. Lastly, you all cannot rely on a “curve” that was never written out and that you all only heard from word of mouth. Truth is: in medical school, there is NO curve. You either pass or you don’t.
P.S. DPMS is not harder than M1. Idk where that notion came from.

 

[hadassah_04]

I was looking forward to applying to this program but wow…. I think I’m okay. I’m not having the best application cycle and thought this would be a good program for me, along with the IMS program, but it looks like current students have some valid concerns about how the fall semester turned out for them. Not trying to disrespect anyone but, the responses I see from the med students are also insanely arrogant… it seems like a very toxic space for a current student to be in. I feel really bad for my friend who is in this year’s cohort because they told me how great the program was during the summer program but now they told me that they even regret telling me that I should apply. It’s been real rough for them. I wish you all the best, you will all be amazing doctors, regardless of what path you take.

 

[iloveeverythingbagels]

I believe what the current cohort fails to realize is that (from what I heard), they have played since the beginning. We told them that this would be a challenge and give it all you got. Sure some people have gotten their stuff together, but truth is: many people continue to not be focused when this is a chance at MED SCHOOL. In addition, studying all day and all night does NOT equal good scores. That is not studying effectively. There are plenty of resources like academic coaches and admin and bigs that are more than willing to help strategize with you all. It is on YOU ALL to reach out. Lastly, you all cannot rely on a “curve” that was never written out and that you all only heard from word of mouth. Truth is: in medical school, there is NO curve. You either pass or you don’t.
P.S. DPMS is not harder than M1. Idk where that notion came from.

I appreciate your concern about academic performance, but as a member of the cohort in question, I feel it's important to provide accurate context. Our class has actually been under intensified scrutiny from the very beginning due to the 17 students who dropped (Edit: didn't make contract) from the previous year. This led to increased oversight from administration and TAs, particularly during the summer term.

Any perception of us 'playing around' doesn't align with reality. If there was any whatsoever, it ended with our first round of exams in September. We've been entirely focused on our studies from the very beginning. While our cohort may be facing some performance challenges, it's not from lack of effort or seriousness. We're well aware of the stakes and have been working rigorously since day one.

I understand where this perspective comes from, especially given the experiences with the previous cohort. We heard from TAs and alumni about students who weren't fully committed. The TAs felt that many of the students who dropped out (Edit: didn't make contract) last year were not taking it seriously and going out too much. One story that sticks with me is from an old alumni, now in fellowship, who mentioned a story about someone regularly traveling to Washington on weekends instead of studying and thus ultimately did not make contract.

However, this history is precisely why our cohort has been different from the start. The administration's response to last year created a much more structured and monitored environment for us this year. We've been acutely aware of these cautionary tales and have taken them seriously.

While I respect the concern from upper-year students who witnessed the previous year's struggles, our cohort's challenges stem from different factors, not from a lack of commitment or focus. We may be underperforming, but we are rigorous...or at least trying pretty damn hard. Most of our class has been locked in and focused since day one.

It's important that we maintain accuracy in these discussions, as mischaracterizations can be both unfair and unhelpful in addressing actual challenges students may be facing.

 

[md2028]

I appreciate your concern about academic performance, but as a member of the cohort in question, I feel it's important to provide accurate context. Our class has actually been under intensified scrutiny from the very beginning due to the 17 students who dropped from the previous year. This led to increased oversight from administration and TAs, particularly during the summer term.

Any perception of us 'playing around' doesn't align with reality. If there was any whatsoever, it ended with our first round of exams in September. We've been entirely focused on our studies from the very beginning. While our cohort may be facing some performance challenges, it's not from lack of effort or seriousness. We're well aware of the stakes and have been working rigorously since day one.

I understand where this perspective comes from, especially given the experiences with the previous cohort. We heard from TAs and alumni about students who weren't fully committed. The TAs felt that many of the students who dropped out in the last year were not taking it seriously and going out too much. One story that sticks with me is from an alumni, now in fellowship, who mentioned a story about someone regularly traveling to Washington on weekends instead of studying and thus ultimately did not make contract.

However, this history is precisely why our cohort has been different from the start. The administration's response to those dropouts created a much more structured and monitored environment for us. We've been acutely aware of these cautionary tales and have taken them seriously.

While I respect the concern from upper-year students who witnessed the previous year's struggles, our cohort's challenges stem from different factors, not from a lack of commitment or focus. We may be underperforming, but we are rigorous...or at least trying pretty damn hard. Most of our class has been locked in and focused since day one.

It's important that we maintain accuracy in these discussions, as mischaracterizations can be both unfair and unhelpful in addressing actual challenges students may be facing.

17 students didn’t drop. 17 did not make contract out of 70ish

 

[iloveeverythingbagels]

17 students didn’t drop. 17 did not make contract out of 70ish

You're right, my apologies, *"didn't make contract."

 

[FormerDPMSer]

There were issues with academic integrity in my year, those students were dealt with and did not make contract (I believe this is the scandal people are referring to) but it wasn’t a class wide scheme 😂 people genuinely succeeded and some people unfortunately didn’t either because of professionalism, gpa or mcat

"Those students were dealt with..." Riiiiight...the ones that got caught. Cause there is no chance 😏 anyone else was cheating and didn't get caught...

I was looking forward to applying to this program but wow…. I think I’m okay. I’m not having the best application cycle and thought this would be a good program for me, along with the IMS program, but it looks like current students have some valid concerns about how the fall semester turned out for them. Not trying to disrespect anyone but, the responses I see from the med students are also insanely arrogant… it seems like a very toxic space for a current student to be in. I feel really bad for my friend who is in this year’s cohort because they told me how great the program was during the summer program but now they told me that they even regret telling me that I should apply. It’s been real rough for them. I wish you all the best, you will all be amazing doctors, regardless of what path you take.

Clock it. To be fair, not all Drexel medical students are arrogant. But it should say something that rather than just coming on here to answer questions and talk about their own experiences that several of the medical students took time to actively disparage the current class.

 

[Meganerd2012]

Okay, since I’m a current applicant (applied before all this discourse), how about alums just tell us if they attended DPMS before or after the GPA/MCAT change. We are all adults here and can make our own informed choices. The back and forth is getting to the point where it is not helpful.

 

[KingPremed76]

Okay, since I’m a current applicant (applied before all this discourse), how about alums just tell us if they attended DPMS before or after the GPA/MCAT change. We are all adults here and can make our own informed choices. The back and forth is getting to the point where it is not helpful.

I think when they say “current student/dpmser” those are students part of the current cohort that are actively being exposed to the metric changes whereas alum have stated they are alum and are speaking from past experiences before the changes. There’s a clear difference in perspective and experience that I see based on if you are an alum vs if you are a current student which from my understanding is based on the change in the program and metrics.

 

[chirpyCHRPE]

Okay, since I’m a current applicant (applied before all this discourse), how about alums just tell us if they attended DPMS before or after the GPA/MCAT change. We are all adults here and can make our own informed choices. The back and forth is getting to the point where it is not helpful.

This is the first year of the metric change. So all past alum had the 3.2/499 requirement. The class now and going forward have the 3.4/502 requirement

 

[977602]

I completed DPMS in the 2022-2023 cohort before the raise in stats however I would've made contract with the current stats too. I didn't go through the appeal process, but my understanding is that it was not usually successful.

This program is not a scam. If you are accepted and meet the requirements to make contract, you matriculate into medical school. Most other post bacs give you an interview at most. In this program, you complete a good chunk of the M1 curriculum so it'll be review if you matriculate.

Also people upset about the lack of fairness of the situation; your feelings are 100% valid. Unfortunately, med school and residency will also be filled with more unfair BS. I'm not saying that to invalidate anyone's experiences, but you deserve transparency, and school doesn't get "more fair" after DPMS.

Reasons the cutoff was probably raised:

1. Cheating; people had whole exams they were memorizing. It was incredibly unfair to witness in the moment, but there is no way to cheat your way through med school so it came back and bit them in the butt when they matriculated. This program isn't just an opportunity to get into med school, it's an opportunity to learn how to study EFFICIENTLY. You get even less time and even more material in med school. Every exam I have taken so far in med school is harder than trifecta.

2. Poor performance of some DPMS alum at DUCOM; this may be a symptom of #1, or any number of reasons that I can't speak to. Maybe DPMS admin's thinking is that if they raise the cutoff, the students who do matriculate will be more successful.

3. 50 percentile for the MCAT is 501 I believe, so they raised it from slightly below to slightly above. Honestly STEP exams are harder than the MCAT so doing at least the 50 percentile is potentially a predictor of STEP success. Also those who do have to do the MCAT track are actually getting good practice because during M3, you have to study for STEP 2 while you do clinicals and shelf exams. Standardized exams will follow you through your whole career as a physician and you will have to juggle your job and other life factors.

DPMS will feel like the most stressful time of your life as you grow academically, but I can promise you med school is harder.

Ultimately, this program is the only reason I am in medical school and I will be forever grateful. It's not a scam, it's A LOT of work though and more so now.

 

[ninajj123]

Alum here. I got accepted with a MCAT below 495

I am curious on how studying for the mcat while also taking course was for you? was it harder or do you wish you would have got the required score prior to starting DPMS?

 

[ninajj123]

I'm so happy there is finally a discourse on here about the program. That said, it’s genuinely baffling how some people can sit here and argue that the program hasn’t become harder when the GPA and MCAT cutoffs have objectively increased. This isn’t up for debate—it’s a fact. The lack of acknowledgment of these changes comes off as dismissive, especially to those of us experiencing the very real impact of these shifts. Admin has clearly told us that the appeals will be less successful this year. That, coupled with higher contract requirements, means that matriculation rates for this year will be historically low.

Let me make this crystal clear: the program’s difficulty this year is not just perception—it’s structural. A higher GPA cutoff means fewer people will meet contract requirements, and unless you think our cohort magically underperforms compared to previous ones (an implication I find both offensive and baseless), the program itself is setting more students up for failure under these new rules. There are many students sitting in DUCOM right now who would not be making contract this year. So many have already dropped out, even our original class president had to drop out.

If you’re a prospective applicant, you deserve to know this. Many of us walked into this program blind to these realities, and I refuse to let others make the same mistake without being fully informed. It’s not “discourse” to dismiss valid concerns—it’s denial. By the time we find out the results of this year, which I anticipate will be extremely poor compared to priors, the 2025-2026 cohort will already be making plans to attend or accepting offers. We are being vocal here so that prospective applicants have information that I wish we had before committing to the program.

And as for the speculation about our cohort’s performance, unless you have access to data we don’t, I ask you don't make baseless accusations. Focus on facts instead of perpetuating narratives that conveniently ignore the changes this year’s students are navigating. We’re being vocal so future applicants don’t have to go through what we have.

thank you for sharing!

 

[FutureMD2025]

Why doesn't this program show up in the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs tool in the AAMC website? The only program that appears is called Salus at Drexel University Post-baccalaureate Program in Health Sciences which has an agreement with Temple U school of podiatry!