Drexel DPMS anyone?

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Hey guys! I will write more about my interview experience later....the mcat is looming in the background and then I am going to take some much needed vacation, maybe somewhere tropical? Promise to write more when I get back, but in a nutshell it was nice (minus Philadelphia, the city is crap!).
 
Hey!! So, I applied in March and still haven't heard anything yet regarding the interview. Should I be worried or are they still giving out interviews?

Thanks!!
 
I havent heard anythng
either and i applied a while
ago. ? What does it all
mean basel!
 
I got an interview invite! Thank you God!!🙂
 
i got the invite as well...what day are you planning on going?
 
I think monday 28th. I havent called bc i am at work. what day are you going?
 
i think i'll have to wait until may 7. ~April 28 plane tix are like $600 round trip right now from FLA.
 
I got an interview invite as well!! April 28th! Yay!!
 
I scheduled mine for April 28th. I am so excited. Someone that has interviewed needs to give us some insight! pleeeease!🙂
 
I was interviewed along with entering medical students and postbac pre-meda. you start the day with an orientation about the school. then everyone splits up (you will be given a brochure along with an individualized paper that gives the break down of where you need to be) so...after the orientation you will know what time your interview will be held. after the interview you will convine for a tour of the school. finally after the tour you will have lunch with some staff and previous DPMSers (this a good opportunity to rack their brains and find out everything you need to know)...questions during the interview. I wasn’t asked any of the typical why you want be a doctor, why drexel questions, in other words the typical medical school interview questions. However, thats not to say that you wont. I spoke to another interviewee and he was asked the "medical school interview questions"

-hope that helps ..good luck
 
Thank you for your respose!🙂
 
CONGRATS to you guys! I know you will do well. Just be yourself and have fun. The interview day is pretty laid back, so don't stress out.

My interviewer asked me semi med school like questions. It was very conversational with a med school type questions thrown in the conversation.

GOOD LUCK GUYS!
 
hey guys!! So, I need some advice !!

While I was waitlisted at one of the DO schools, I applied and interviewed at the Drexel for the DPMS program. HOwever, I just found out recently that I also got into a DO school. So, my question is : should I go to DO school this fall or try and go through the DPMS program.

If I do the DPMS program, I would need to retake the MCAT for the third time now( since my bio score was a 7 instead of an 8 like they require. MY undergraduate GPA is 3.6 so I am not too worried about that! Although I am more than confident that I would be able to pull off at least a 3.0 in DPMS program, I can't say for sure that I would get the MCAT scores they require to move onto Drexel Med. Although I always had my heart set on the MD schools, I am happy with my DO acceptance. Still, I can't help but wonder if maybe this DPMS program might actually work out.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
That is a tough situation! I am not sure what I would do. I guess it just depends on how much you have your heart set on MD vs. DO.

I guess it is pretty risky because if you don't get the 3.0 or necessary mcat scores in DPMS, then you ruin your shot at MD schools (specifically Drexel) and since you turned down a DO acceptance, you ruin your shot at DO schools (because apparently if you get accepted and turn it down you are sort of blacklisted at other schools).

Also keep in mind that DPMS would cost you another year worth of loans.

Anyway, take everything I mentioned with a grain of salt because it all comes down to what is the most important to you. Really sit down and evaluate the pros and cons of each situation and see what is going to be the best for you. Good luck and either way I don't think you can make a wrong decision!
 
wow. 5 year MD 70% chance or 4 year DO 100% chance. That is literally a coin flip for me haha.
 
Anyone interviewing on May 15th? Has anyone had any success in finding a student host for the interview or should I just book a hotel? I'm waiting for the admission office to email me a list of possible student hosts...but I still havent recieved the email yet. 🙁
 
seems like an easy choice to me..D.O I wouldnt even think twice. you got a long road a head of you. medical school, residency...more residency if you want to specialize. Do you really want to prolong it if you can avoid it?? by the way what school did you get into?
 
[hey guys! thanks for the advice regarding the DO and Drexel DPMS option.

Would be too unethical to try and defer my DO acceptance for a year while I figure out if I would be able to do well in DPMS program and get the required MCAT?

In any case, I am just thinking about all the possible options. However, it seems that I will most probably go to the DO school and start the journey of becoming a doctor!!
 
The email you got suggests some of the hotels near the area. I stayed at the holiday inn located at 4100 presidental blvd. (its one of the hotels listed on the site, except its not holiday inn anymore its the crown plaza) I liked it...it was something like 200 bucks a night but if you mention drexel they take off like a 100. its 5 min away from campus. comfy beds, they have a pool and a jacuzzi downstairs, free internet..umm starbucks and Fridays right accross the street so i liked it
 
Has anyone heard a decision from Drexel for the DPMS June 2008 program yet?
 
out of curiosity. how old are most of you guys applying to prog?..i guess ill start_i am 24
 
I'll be 26 and 11/12ths.

Anyone else care to share stats?

Here are mine:
28Q
3.12 bcpm gpa
3.55 overal gpa

financially challenged non traditional non URM student

Best of luck to all who applied!
 
So I'm guessing no one has heard a decision yet?
 
Last edited:
I believe they said they meet on the 22nd and will come to a decision by the 29th
 
hi everyone! i just finished the dpms program this may and just wanted to see if you guys had any questions about the program, curriculum, what it's like in philly, or whatever. feel free to ask, i'd love to help out!
 
inthemix said:
hi everyone! i just finished the dpms program this may and just wanted to see if you guys had any questions about the program, curriculum, what it's like in philly, or whatever. feel free to ask, i'd love to help out!
Click to expand...

Thanks for offering to answer questions.

Could you do the basic SMP/postbac review below?

FIRST: List your program and your year and then

Specifically, Id like to see users here comment about

1) The Pros and Cons of their program (structure of the program, learning environment, cost, location, faculty, classes, difficulty, competitiveness, other students, buildings/classrooms/facilities, etc..)
2) The kinds of classes you've taken and a description.
3) Something they wished they knew coming into the program
4) Something they would like to tell incoming students about your program
5) Tips for students applying to your program
6) Did it help you get into medical school/dental school/etc.?
7) Anything else you'd like to add
8) A rating from 1-5 (1 being the worst (no recommendation) to 5 (full recommendation)

Also I would like to know...
1. Did you and your fellow DPMSers get along?
2. How was the summer component of the program?
3. Do DPMSers work closely with Dr. Walker? class or advising?
4. What was the success rate? Did all 25 complete the program?
 
So I was looking at the orientation website and saw that DPMS people have to be there on June 16. Looking at last years thread, you found out about your acceptance ~june 7, so I was wondering do they think its enough time to find housing and get settle? I am not from Philadelphia and a week or two doesnt seem like enough time to get housing. What did you do last year?

Program: DPMS
Date: Monday, June 16, 2008
TimeL 10:00am
Location: Room 4-104, New College Building
Click to expand...

http://webcampus.drexelmed.edu/MedicalScience/Orientation/default.htm
 
you get free housing for the summer so dont worry about housing. IntheMix: I asked this question to a lot of previous DPMSers..i am really concerned about the mcat portion of the contract. have most of your fellow dpmsers who got the 3.0 passed the mcat (got above a 24)..also, all-in-all do you think its worth shelling out 40k for the program, say in comparisson to going to caribbean school/DO school
 
FIRST: List your program and your year and then

Program: DPMS Year: 2007-2008
Specifically, Id like to see users here comment about

1) The Pros and Cons of their program (structure of the program, learning environment, cost, location, faculty, classes, difficulty, competitiveness, other students, buildings/classrooms/facilities, etc..)

Pros: I definitely think the program is organized in a way so that people are able to balance the curriculum. I liked how the classes were structured between the fall and spring semester. I thought the fall semester was definitely more intense than the spring, which is a good thing for people who are taking the mcat in april. the fall also seems more intense because it's our first semester and we're still learning the ropes of how to study for the courses. The learning environment: I would say the environment is pretty supportive. The tutoring services are GREAT. I would definitely advise other people to use them. They're free and are conducted by students who took the exact same course and did well in them. So use them! Cost: DPMS is kinda pricey, I think tuition was $22000 this year not counting housing/board and such but there's no getting around the price. Classes: I really enjoyed the majority of the classes offered. I think the med school classes are very well organized and students really get a lot out of the curriculum. The professors are really good at what they do. Even though we get the lectures through simulcast from the queen lane campus, we are able to access the material and learn the same way the med students are learning. Competitiveness: I dont think this was an issue at all since everyone in dpms is given conditional acceptance into the med school. There's no need to be competitive so I would say that everyone in general everyone was supportive of one another. This is just my opinion, there might be other people who think differently, but I thought we were all pretty supportive of eachother throughout the year. Classroom/buildings: you watch the classes in the center city campus, in the new college building, which is pretty big and there's plenty of classrooms available to study in. We spent the majority of our time in the library, where you can reserve study rooms, and just set up camp there for the day. I liked studying in the library cause you had easy access to the books/computers/and printing. Some people studied by themselves, some studied in groups together, some people studied at home. People just did whatever they thought worked best for them and what environment was most conducive to studying.

Cons: The one big con about the program to me, and this doesn't mean that everyone felt this way, was that sometimes I felt disconnected from the med school courses because we were in center city and they were being taught in queen lane. In general, there were no problems at all, but sometimes the microphones over there wouldn't work, we wouldn't have handouts that med students had, or people couldn't ask questions to the profs cause the microphone in center city didnt work. I wouldn't say this is a major negative factor of the program at all, but is just something I would have preferred to have been a little better. I dont really know if I have any other cons of the program, but I'll mention them when I answer the other questions if I think of them.

2) The kinds of classes you've taken and a description.

You start off in the fall with Biochem and the pick up Physiology around September. I took the Immunology course instead of the MCAT course and I started Immuno around November. These three courses are through the med school and then you will take Pharmacology through the graduate school. In general, I preferred the med school courses over the graduate courses because I thought they were organized very well and I got the most out of these courses. Pharmacology was not a bad course, it is definitely structured a lot differently than biochem/physio/immuno, it just requires different study techniques. I really enjoyed the medical school courses because I felt like I learned so so so much. Biochem and immuno were probably my two favorite courses throughout the year. I didnt think physio was as well organized as biochem and immuno but I still got a lot out of the course.

In the spring semester, you continue with Biochem (which finishes in Feb), along with Immuno (which finishes in Feb), and Physio (which finishes in mid-march). Pharmacology is only a semester long course which ends in december but then you pick up a Special Topics in Anatomy course and Medicine Society which are graduate school courses. Since the medical school courses ended earlier in the spring semester, it gave people more time to focus on the mcat after physio ended in march. the Med and Soc course is pretty laid back, only meeting twice a week and has a paper due every week. We talk about current topics in medicine a large group setting and write papers about our opinions on them then we meet in a small group to talk about them in a smaller setting.

3) Something they wished they knew coming into the program

Something I didn't know coming into the program was the level of studying and commitment this program requires. I quickly learned this in the summer after talking to previous dpms'ers and getting into a study routine for the summer. I graduated from undergrad in '07 so I came to the program straight from school so it wasn't like I was out of the habit of studying. But the level of studying required for this program is much more intense than anything I had done before. Other people came from masters programs and other types of schooling/work, but I think we would all agree that dpms year was unlike anything else. Just know that this year will be intense but it is definitely doable. Sometimes with all of the classes and work it's easy to lose sight of the reason you're in dpms and why you're going through all of this work. But when I would lose sight of that, I remembered that at the end of all of this I would be going to med school. And if I didn't keep studying and trying to do well, I would not get there. A positive attitude really got me through a lot and keeping positive people around me helped me stay focused and keep working hard. Just remember that you can do it and that you're in the program for a reason!



4) Something they would like to tell incoming students about your program

I would definitely tell everyone to make sure you start the program very focused with a good work ethic. As the semester progresses and you start picking up more classes it becomes more difficult to juggle everything. So I would definitely advise people to be organized and get into a study schedule right from the beginning so that it doesn't become a surprise when more and more time is required for studying. Also, I would advise people to take advantage of all the resources that are available to you. And not just the ones offered by the school. I gained so much out of meeting with study groups from other students in dpms for all of the subjects. Everyone has a different study style and approach towards the courses and by meeting with a lot of different people in my class, I gained insight on different perspectives.

5) Tips for students applying to your program
The most important part of the application I think is the interview. Make sure you come informed about the program and why you think dpms would be a good fit for you. Just like any other program, they are looking for people who will be successful at the end of the program so you have to show them that you are one of those people. When you come for the interivew, you'll meet some medical students who did dpms. Definitely ask them all the questions you want cause they are the most informed on the whole process. I learned a lot about the program from them so come with questions. Also, if you have some free time, take time to go to the center city campus to see the facilities you'll be using. Since all of our classes are held in center city it would be good to see where you'll be spending the next year.

6) Did it help you get into medical school/dental school/etc.?

Since dpms gives conditional acceptance into DUCOM then it does help people get into medical school as long as you meet the gpa requirements and mcat score. Even if people dont meet the requirements at the end of the program, many people get into other medical schools (MD or DO) through the regular application cycle.

7) Anything else you'd like to add-I think I said it all with the other questions.


8) A rating from 1-5 (1 being the worst (no recommendation) to 5 (full recommendation)

All in all I enjoyed my DPMS experience. It was a very trying year, a big rollercoast of exams, quizzes, papers, classes, and everything else. Not only are you juggling this program, you have everything else going on in your life, like friends, family, and relationships, that you have to juggle. So it's kind of hard to give it a number but since I liked the program I'll give it a 4.2..

Also I would like to know...
1. Did you and your fellow DPMSers get along?

I really enjoyed every person in our dpms class. We started with I think 24 or 25 people, all with very different personalities. I thought this was a great aspect of the program since everyone brought such different perspectives into our group. I thought we were all supportive of eachother and willing to help eachother out when we thought we could. I think it's best to take advantage of the people in your class because I learned so much from my fellow dpms'ers. Of course when you have so many different personalities in an intense environment, personalities will clash. But I think in general we got along well and were supportive of each other. I couldnt have gotten through this program without some of the people who were in my class. We not only studied together, but we had fun together too. And you definitely need some fun to get through the year 🙂 Someone else might have a different view on it but I really enjoyed everyone in dpms. I thought the admissions committee did a good job of putting together our group.

2. How was the summer component of the program?

I know it seems like a bother to start school in June, right in the middle of the summer, but I thought the summer program was a crucial part of dpms. You get a head start on the classes before anyone else and get to work on your study skills and techniques before they really count in the fall. I think this is the most important part of the summer program. You get to try out different study techniques and see what works best for you. The way i study now is almost completely different than how I studied in undergrad. I think most people would say that they changed a lot about the way they studied and the summer time gives you a chance to work on this. Also, the summer program was a great time for us to get to know the other ppl in dpms and be familiar with the facilities. Definitely take advantage of the summer and use it to the best of your advantage. The time you spend studying in the summer will start you on a good footing for the fall. Also, you'll be able to look for housing for the fall since they provide summer housing.

3. Do DPMSers work closely with Dr. Walker? class or advising?

Dr. Walker is such a great asset to the dpms program!! She really cares about the dpms students and is always there for you when you need her. I know that lots of dpms students and I went to her for advice about the program and she is really informative on what would be best for you. As for classes, she teaches some pharmacology in the summer and then does a few lectures during the pharmacology course in the fall.

4. What was the success rate? Did all 25 complete the program?

We're still waiting on the final numbers for how many dpms students have successfully completed the program because the mcat scores have not come in yet. I know we started the year with I think 25 students and throughout the year some people decided not to continue with the program due to various reasons. Most people are still waiting on their mcat scores so I can't answer this question yet!

I hope this was helpful! Let me know if there's anything I should expand upon!
 
  • Why can't the DPMS/IMS student attend the live lecture at the queens lane campus like the med students? Is it restricted or is queens lane far from center city?
  • Is printing free at Drexel? If not, how much per page?
  • How did you study? Self, group, etc? Also did you ever study with IMS or medical students?
  • What courses do you take during the summer program? Where do you live for the free housing?
  • Do people still re-apply to medical school when doing DPMS? I figure since you have conditional acceptance, most would focus on completing the program and getting into Drexel.
  • What did you find was the best way to study for the exams? Did most study from ppt's? read the text? review books?
I want to thank you again for taking the time to answer questions. I hope everything works out for you.
 
So I was looking at the orientation website and saw that DPMS people have to be there on June 16. Looking at last years thread, you found out about your acceptance ~june 7, so I was wondering do they think its enough time to find housing and get settle? I am not from Philadelphia and a week or two doesnt seem like enough time to get housing. What did you do last year?
Click to expand...



http://webcampus.drexelmed.edu/MedicalScience/Orientation/default.htm

Yeah I was also worried about finding housing but they provide housing for you during the summer program. Also, dr. walker worked time into our schedule during our summer program to look for housing for the year. It is still pretty hurried since the fall semester starts in the beginning of august so definitely be on top of housing once the summer program starts.
 
  • Why can't the DPMS/IMS student attend the live lecture at the queens lane campus like the med students? Is it restricted or is queens lane far from center city?
    Click to expand...
Since there are so many medical students the med school asks that the dpms/ims students use the center city campus which really has everything you need. The lecture halls at the queen lane campus are only big enough to fit the med students so there's no room for the 150+ students from the two programs downtown. The live lectures are restricted for us and they make sure you know that right away. I never really had a need to go to queen lane for anything since I lived in center city. The only people who probably were inconvenienced by this were those who lived in the queen lane area cause they had to take the shuttle into center city to come and attend lecture.
No, printing isn't free..I wish it was. Printing is 10 cents/page and you use your id to print in the library.
  • How did you study? Self, group, etc? Also did you ever study with IMS or medical students?
    Click to expand...
I would probably say I studied differently for each course because all the courses have to be approached differently but in general I studied the material with a group of people in a study room in the library. We weren't studying together, like discussing the material, but were all studying on our own and if we had questions about something we could ask someone about it since we were all in the same room. Then after learning the material myself, I would meet with a study group to go over the material together every week. I found this so very helpful cause I learned so much from other people. This just worked really well for me cause they concepts I couldn't pick up on my own I could pick up in the study group.

I personally didn't study with any IMS students but I know other people did. And I dont think anyone studied with the med students since we have no interaction with them and their schedules are more hectic than ours.
  • What courses do you take during the summer program? Where do you live for the free housing?
    Click to expand...
In the summer we started the biochem and physio course, and a little bit of pharmacology. we also had sessions from the academic resource center that focused on study skills and time management. We lived on drexel's main campus in university city, I think it was myers hall. We took a shuttle from the main campus to center city every day, which wasn't bad at all. It was like 10 mins or so commute.
  • Do people still re-apply to medical school when doing DPMS? I figure since you have conditional acceptance, most would focus on completing the program and getting into Drexel.
    Click to expand...
No, DUCOM prevents you from applying from other schools cause it's a condition of the program that you won't apply to other schools during dpms.

  • What did you find was the best way to study for the exams? Did most study from ppt's? read the text? review books?
Click to expand...

Hmm, this is kind of a hard question to answer because it various from person to person. It's important to find which study techniques work best for you. I found it helpful to always use the materials they provided for me such as the lecture notes and study the material on my own. Then I would meet with study groups weekly to keep up with the material. I found this was a good way to stay on top of the material because I knew I had to cover the material up to a certain point before I met with my groups. A few days before the exam I would start with practice questions, all of the courses provide you with mock tests and practice questions. Then when I finished with those questions I would do practice questions from other review books and some usmle practice books. In general, I didnt really use the text book or other outside resources unless I really didn't understand a topic from the lecture notes. I thought the notes were pretty sufficient in providing the information you need to know but sometimes it was helpful to read things out of the recommended readings.
 
Hey, everyone - I just got an interview invite for friday! I have never been to Philadelphia, so I need your opinions. What hotel did you stay at? cost? how did you get from the airport to the hotel? taxi? from the hotel to queens lane? How long is the interview day?
 
Congrats Zippa!

How did you find out? Email? I'm still hoping for an interview, but am thinking that at this late date people who get invites today might be the last batch.

I would see if you could stay with a student host (maybe even someone in the DPMS program) and save some cash. Talk to Dr. Walker she is very nice and helpful.
 
Thanks Helicase! I received a phone call. She said there will be about 12 interviewees. The only thing that sucks is that ticket prices are now $400.
 
Zippa!

Well if you stay with a student for free that should save you at least $100, and if they live close to the interview site you'll save taxi fare...

I'd check into stand by tickets, credit cards that offer a free ticket and well off friends who might be able to donate some miles to get you a ticket.

If you do standby and could go a few days early (so you don't have to worry about missing the interview) that could give you time to scope out potential apartments.

Best of luck! I'm going to cross my fingers I get a call today too!
 
hey guys got an email this evening notifying me of an acceptance. good luck to those still waiting/interviewing and I'll see you in Philly if you come!
 
just got the email too....now i got to pray and decide what God wants me to do...
 
While preparing for the interview, I was wondering about something.

1. Can you live in Philly w/o a car? 1st and 2nd year? 3rd/4th?

2. The shuttle only runs M-F, what do you do Sat-Sun?

3. Which building has the lecture halls for the center city campus? http://www.drexel.edu/em/directions/map_cc.html What's the easiest way to get there from City Ave (taxi?)?

4. Anyone considering living in Stiles Alumni Hall for the DPMS year, and then moving to Manayunk/East Falls area for the years after?
 
I got in too. I guess I will see you all there. DPMS '08-'09!🙂
 
Hey everyone its official now, I am not attending it was a hard decision but in the end is the best for me. So good luck to all of you, wish you the best! Enjoy the program and Philadelphia, its a fun city!!🙂
 
Hey everyone...I was accepted Friday! yippeeeeeeee!
icon11.gif
I'm excited AND nervous. Does anyone live in Philly that's been accepted to the program?
 
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