Drexel IMS/MMS from a Student's View

[sendwich]

thanks phil and merov!!! both your posts have been, by FAR, the most helpful on this forum.

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[dkimtonf]

I'm a former IMS/MMS grad, and it saddens me to see all these people's replies that they won't definitely be applying to drexel, based on one person's post.......what has been posted is accurate about the program...but the viewpoints are entirely negative, and biased that way........sure the program has negatives, but i didn't think they detracted from the quality..... ..but like someone else said, why should the administration matter, when you really should be studying........I'll try and be as objective about drexel as I can....but do keep in mind that I recommend the program to most people having problems applying.....specifically this program is for people with substandard gpa, and below 30 on the mcat.......if you have a high undergrad gpa but below a 30, just take a prep class, and don't take the real thing unless you're score 30 or above......now if your gpa is low, I would do some post-bac program......i thought IMS was excellent prep......the lighting wasn't a big deal to me.....seemed dim, but was acceptable.......the medicine and society class was bull****, but i guess they put it in there to give the program a more well rounded appeal for the med schools......the rates of admission to allopathic schools?.......seemed like most of the people who graduated with me from MMS got into allo schools....and this was like 5 years ago......and if they didn't get that, they got into DO.....the people who didn't get in to either, and had to go to the carribean/dental school were ****ups who didn't study, or were unfocused......if you go to drexel, you're given every chance to succeed, don't waste this.....just go there for the year or two and study to get your ass in med school......if you go there to slack off, or not study constantly, you're a fool/are wasting your money/and deserve to not get into an american allo school......this program got me into an american allo school......and i find it to be similiar in nature to my school.......the admin at my school is much worse than drexel's, but i deal......and basically if you study and perform on the tests you go places.......

 

[ColdBlu]

I could care less whether you plan on applying and attending the Drexel IMS/MMS program... not here to convince you either way....

One thing I did want to clear up is all these people bashing on the program definitely have one thing in common.... a false dependancy of a program to "get you into medical school". You definitely have to know what you are getting yourself into. You cannot expect it to be handed to you. You are still expected to do well. For starters this is NOT undergrad... you have to STUDY and not just cram information a couple nights before the exam. And yes, a lot of the complaints about the facilities and being treated like "second rate students" are somewhat true but hey... YOU ARE NOT A MED STUDENT... YOU DID NOT GET IN... yet you are allowed the opportunity to take actual medical school classes and prove to them that you can handle it.
About this Medicine and Society class "bringing down your GPA".... this not going to make or break your chances of getting into medical school. It is also VERY hard NOT to get at least a "B" in the class. I got a "B" in this class and did not have a 4.0 in the other classes nor a super high MCAT but this program still got me two interviews and acceptances into both. I didn't even get the "guarantee interview" but ended up getting an interview at Drexel Med anyways and got in (not waitlisted either). I also know plenty of people from my year, year before and year after who got tons of interviews and acceptances at various MD schools. Of course this program is not for everyone and you have to work hard if you want to see the benefits. Another thing is that doing just well in the program is not going to help you STAND out. There are probably at least 10-20 other people in your post-bacc class with the same "scores" from the program. You have to do community service/leadership roles during the program too especially if you're not top 10% of your post bacc class. Pick one organization and do something significant within it. The second year/MMS portion is NOT worth your money however. I would save your money for applying. If you do stay for the second year I highly recommend being a TA. It'll help you stand out even more amongst your fellow MMS'ers. If you don't stay, you should be doing something "meaningful" during this year because they will ask what you are doing at your interviews. If at all possible I would try to get into the MSP program instead but if your undergrad gpa and MCAT scores are "too high" for the program they won't let you in and make you apply for IMS instead... which is a catch 22 in itself.

 

[HydroxylGroupOH]

I've gotten into medical school. This program did not make that task easier. If anything, this program just gives you more obstacles to overcome.

Then why did you come to the program? Seriously, if all you do is complain and say how bad it was and how much it didn't help then why did you stay for the second year!!

With these constant frustrations, morale within the program is pretty low and that can have a definite impact on performance.

Morale is low? Where does this come from? I did great in the program and I always got the sense that everyone was there to help me get into med school. As I said before, the administrators put up with about 4 drafts of my personal statement.

Come test day, however, having to use your lap as a desk (no exaggeration) isn't something you should have to do when paying $20K/year.

Here's a perfect example of how you distort the facts. MMS tuition is just over $14,000/year and that's what you're referring to with the lack of desk space. We never had a problem with desks in IMS, and it was just for the last path test that they scheduled a room that was too small.


NOW-
Someone talked about hearing the positives of the program and what it offers over other post baccs-

We are not medical students. We are in a different builiding on a different campus. We get challenged in many ways, but this only makes you want it more. Every morning I came to class and sat next to people who were in the exact same situation as I was, talked about reapplying to med school, talked about our volunteer experiences, interviews, waitlists, etc. I wasn't sitting next to med students...I was sitting with post bacc students and it really helped me see other peoples perspective on the application process. I think that's a powerful part of the program.

The professors are really great about taking special consideration with our questions, small group sessions, and emails. They know the unimaginable stress that we're under and some even stayed until 11pm on test nights to answer our questions. 11 PM!!! THey really care about us doing well in the program and I feel that they are another stregnth.

Every medical school that I applied to knew about the Drexel Program. I made it a point to call every admissions office and inform them of the program I was in. They all knew about it! The fact that this was the second master's program designed specifically for admission to medical school in the country (georgetown was first in 1979, drexel was second in 1981) means that you're joining a long tradition of students. This is another reason why I chose to come to drexel over the other programs I was accepted to.

I feel like the administration really cared about helping me get into medical school. I think that from my experiences with other post bacc programs, the administrators at drexel are much more approchable, are usually available, and are VERY helpful! Sure there were times when a class was changed or I arrived to find out a room assignment had been moved. It didn't really bother me that much as it just gave me more time to study!

So for anyone reading this who is thinking about applying- DO it! It's not as bad as the few students who have posted on the forum are making it out to be. I went from having 0 interviews to having 5 (so far) and have already been accepted! I made a ton of friends, go into medical school, and got to spend two years in philadelphia (a great city). Hang in there and good luck!

 

[HydroxylGroupOH]

thanks dad

ha! I said that earlier comment because he pretty negative things to say about everyone in the office. I'm not trying to get fatherly.

 

[CaptainZero]

ha! I said that earlier comment because he pretty negative things to say about everyone in the office. I'm not trying to get fatherly.

i know...it was just kiddin'

Seriously though...I want to know who everyone is...i feel like we all probably know each other...

 

[WISC-ite]

Well... I didn't know this whole thread was going on... sorry, too busy studying.

I am a former MSP/IMS grad and I am very happy about my experience (see my previous posts). It was VERY hard... but so is medical school. Is it the best school in the world... probably not. However, I really learned a lot and I would do the whole thing over again.

The first time I applied to schools I got 1 interview and it was from my state school (guess where?) which gives interview to everyone with a pulse. After my MSP year I got 16 interview invites. Did the program help me... I would say so.

I haven't read any of the posts above... just skimmed them, but some seem very negative. Take everything with a grain of salt. I am proud of my Drexel diploma on the wall and I am even more proud that it took me a little longer to get into medical school. The life experiences I have gained have given me better clarity on my role as a future physician. I also have about 10 close friends who are all at different medical schools and who all know that they would not be there if they hadn't stumbled into our post-Bacc.

Best luck to all. If you have MSP questions... please read my old posts and PM me. I will answer any question you have.

-WISC-ite

 

[dykhuis26]

I am proud of my Drexel diploma on the wall and I am even more proud that it took me a little longer to get into medical school.
-WISC-ite

Wait a second... we get a diploma??? Then it's definitely all worth it
But in all seriousness... I'm in IMS now and having been out of school for almost 5 years, it was nice to get used to the course load or else I would have been crushed in my first year of med school.

For those of you thinking about coming here, I think this is an excellent program to get you into med school. 70% of our class qualified for the automatic interview, which will happen next week. Granted, we won't all get accepted, there are no guarantees. If you want something close to a sure thing, go to Rosalind Franklin, where a 3.0 gives you an automatic seat and then you can use the classes taken towards your MS1. But then again, it's mainly a feeder program, whereas Drexel has been around for so long that most if not all med schools are aware of the curriculum.

 

[Sargetalon]

I would just like to take a second and thank everyone who has posted to this thread and to encourage people to continue this discussion. Whether you loved the program or hated it, the discussion here will help to better inform those looking to get into this and many other post-bacc programs which was the intent of this post in the first place. Good luck to everyone in whatever it is your are doing.

 

[merovingian]

Sarge, why did you enter the program in the first place? Im guessing that you needed a little help to get in, and figured this post-bacc program of Drexel's has worked for other people, and so maybe it will work for you. If that was not the case, then maybe you just wanted to get a taste of what a medical student's workload was, but I dont think many people spend $20k or whatever the tuition was just because they are not sure. Most people who want to do a post-bacc are pretty sure they want to go to med school.

Second, you say morale was low in the program. I totally disagree. Yeah people were bummed and pissed about being in the situation, but overall I dont think the morale of the program as a whole was low. There were schedule changes and hard studying to do, but for the most part the admin always emailed to let you know of schedule changes. So they make a mistake a few times. My friend is an MS2 at Drexel right now and even he says their schedule changes from time to time, so even med schools arent perfect with their scheduling. I dont think the schedule changes and admin conflicts affected the way people studied, at least not the people I knew. A lot of how a person views the program is your own attitude and motivation, and if that lacks or is very negative, then I think its more likely a person will complain about little things in the program that ultimately will not affect the grade you get on your Biochem exams. About the small desks we used to take our test, I dont think it really affected people's grades on their tests. I have friends that are MS1's at Temple, and they said their lecture hall is pretty much the same as Lecture Hall A or B. It might be a nuisance but will small/ample desks really deter you from reaching your goal? If anything, someone could use that as motivation. You can have a big desk and all the leg room you want if you work hard enough for it. Lastly, its real easy to make some really great friends within this program b/c everyone is in the same boat, and you go through everything together. You put up with all the little imperfections of the program. It only bonds you to these people. Its all worth it when you all get into school.

There were a lot of people with negative attitudes towards the program who still studied hard, did well, and got into school. They hated the admin and were disrespectful to them, and in return the admin wasn't very nice to them back. Totally justified. Despite all this, Im sure being in the program helped them get in. Why would these people put down the program? Doesn't make much sense. Sure they can hate the program all they want, but a lot of them are med students because of it, so for them to tell other people not to apply is weird to me. Sarge, if you didnt need the program to get in, then that is awesome, but it makes me wonder why you even applied in the first place, let alone stayed for the second year.

 

[Sargetalon]

When I began this thread, I was having a very difficult Christmas season personally, had not heard from any medical schools, and had just gotten Drexel’s rejection letter. Some of my comments were more of an emotional outburst than a qualitative assessment and I would like to set the record straight now that I have had time to reflect and re-think my behavior.

Medical school is the only thing I’ve wanted to do for so long now and I had been so focused on getting in for the last 3 years that I forgot a major part of medical school is professionalism. Some of the comments that I originally posted were unprofessional and were driven more by emotion than reason. As an aspiring physician, I realize that this was unacceptable behavior.

First and foremost, my treatment of the administration was inexcusable. I impugned their character, their integrity, and their dedication. The head of the program has an open door policy and is readily available to listen to students. He is a busy man, however, and his secretary will try to ease his burden by directing you to the other administrators. She’s not a ‘pitbull,’ she’s just doing her job. Perhaps most lampooned in my previous post were the administrators that I characterized as secretaries. These two people are very dedicated and recognized for their efforts on the students’ behalf. Sure an e-mail or a phone call might get misplaced but that is because they are exceptionally busy, often pulling late hours. I sincerely apologize for my depiction of the administration because without them, there wouldn’t be a program to give students like myself a second chance.

I was in a negative mood at the time of the original post. The list of Pros is much greater than what I had previously alluded. I neglected to mention one of the most important aspects of the program. The teaching staff of Drexel Med is, for the most part, top notch. Many of the professors will go out of their way to help you with whatever you need. This program can’t make you learn but the education you have access to is definitely worthwhile so long as you put the time and effort into it.

There are still many negatives but many of these are beyond the administration’s control. The facilities at Drexel are old and do need some upkeep. Room scheduling is tough because so many programs use the building. The incident with there being no desk space and people were practically on top of each other did occur. Rereading my post makes it seem that this is the status quo but in actuality, it is the exception. This was a one time deal. Most test were taken in a large lecture hall.

This program is decent and perhaps I lost sight of the fact that you get out only what you put forth. All programs have their strengths and shortcoming and Drexel’s are by no mean insurmountable. When all is said and done, I will proudly hang my MMS degree next to my bachelors.

 

[Airzonk]

Wow all these posts started by Sargetalon and full circle we have come. Man you had me even doubting my existence. This process in its entirety (sp?) is very stressful to say the least. I don't know if this thread was helpful or just plain ludicrous but it was interesting. Study hard suckas because you don't want to be in our situation.

When I began this thread, I was having a very difficult Christmas season personally, had not heard from any medical schools, and had just gotten Drexel’s rejection letter. Some of my comments were more of an emotional outburst than a qualitative assessment and I would like to set the record straight now that I have had time to reflect and re-think my behavior.

Medical school is the only thing I’ve wanted to do for so long now and I had been so focused on getting in for the last 3 years that I forgot a major part of medical school is professionalism. Some of the comments that I originally posted were unprofessional and were driven more by emotion than reason. As an aspiring physician, I realize that this was unacceptable behavior.

First and foremost, my treatment of the administration was inexcusable. I impugned their character, their integrity, and their dedication. The head of the program has an open door policy and is readily available to listen to students. He is a busy man, however, and his secretary will try to ease his burden by directing you to the other administrators. She’s not a ‘pitbull,’ she’s just doing her job. Perhaps most lampooned in my previous post were the administrators that I characterized as secretaries. These two people are very dedicated and recognized for their efforts on the students’ behalf. Sure an e-mail or a phone call might get misplaced but that is because they are exceptionally busy, often pulling late hours. I sincerely apologize for my depiction of the administration because without them, there wouldn’t be a program to give students like myself a second chance.

I was in a negative mood at the time of the original post. The list of Pros is much greater than what I had previously alluded. I neglected to mention one of the most important aspects of the program. The teaching staff of Drexel Med is, for the most part, top notch. Many of the professors will go out of their way to help you with whatever you need. This program can’t make you learn but the education you have access to is definitely worthwhile so long as you put the time and effort into it.

There are still many negatives but many of these are beyond the administration’s control. The facilities at Drexel are old and do need some upkeep. Room scheduling is tough because so many programs use the building. The incident with there being no desk space and people were practically on top of each other did occur. Rereading my post makes it seem that this is the status quo but in actuality, it is the exception. This was a one time deal. Most test were taken in a large lecture hall.

This program is decent and perhaps I lost sight of the fact that you get out only what you put forth. All programs have their strengths and shortcoming and Drexel’s are by no mean insurmountable. When all is said and done, I will proudly hang my MMS degree next to my bachelors.

 

[panda81]

First of all, I'd like to give a shout out to my homies CaptainZero and Hyman with a little YOU KNOW IT comin straight out of the Kansasss!!

I went through the first year of IMS last year, was NOT offered an interview at Drexel (which is fine by me) and was accepted to my state school. I'd have to agree with anyone on this long-ass thread who has mentioned that the folks running the show in the IMS office are complete dolts. From the first week I was in Philly I made multiple visits to the office in order to try and get a letter explaining the program that I could submit to the school I was applying to early decision. Not only was I turned away on three separate occasions, but a phone call and 2 emails yielded nothing except "you can't talk to laura right now, she's busy eating jelly donuts and spilling a thing of yogurt all over the front of her sweater in Medicine and Society class". But I digress....In late NOVEMBER Laura managed to make it to my email and respond. Wow, only took her 3 and a half months...good work!

As far as the projector in lieu of an actual professor for classes, it gets to be a little bit of a pain, and the microphone is just too tempting for some certain people who like to question how a brit says the word capillary.

Often times classes are cancelled on little or no notice, not a big deal unless you had to ride your bike from 24th street in the rain to get there that day. Alas, I have no reason to complain. I did mediocre in the program, got pissed at the administration, and still managed to come out alive...anyone in the program has the opportunity to do the same as long as they PUT IN THE WORK. And if you're lucky, maybe you'll attend a party with bag-pipers and visits from the police (inside joke).

F#@! the people in charge, but the program still works.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Having just defended Drexel, I would caution potential applicants. Drexel Med has had recent problems and these prolems have had an impact on the acceptance of IMS/MMS students.

What are these problems and what impact are you talking about?

 

[CaptainZero]

First of all, I'd like to give a shout out to my homies CaptainZero and Hyman with a little YOU KNOW IT comin straight out of the Kansasss!!

I went through the first year of IMS last year, was NOT offered an interview at Drexel (which is fine by me) and was accepted to my state school. I'd have to agree with anyone on this long-ass thread who has mentioned that the folks running the show in the IMS office are complete dolts. From the first week I was in Philly I made multiple visits to the office in order to try and get a letter explaining the program that I could submit to the school I was applying to early decision. Not only was I turned away on three separate occasions, but a phone call and 2 emails yielded nothing except "you can't talk to laura right now, she's busy eating jelly donuts and spilling a thing of yogurt all over the front of her sweater in Medicine and Society class". But I digress....In late NOVEMBER Laura managed to make it to my email and respond. Wow, only took her 3 and a half months...good work!

As far as the projector in lieu of an actual professor for classes, it gets to be a little bit of a pain, and the microphone is just too tempting for some certain people who like to question how a brit says the word capillary.

Often times classes are cancelled on little or no notice, not a big deal unless you had to ride your bike from 24th street in the rain to get there that day. Alas, I have no reason to complain. I did mediocre in the program, got pissed at the administration, and still managed to come out alive...anyone in the program has the opportunity to do the same as long as they PUT IN THE WORK. And if you're lucky, maybe you'll attend a party with bag-pipers and visits from the police (inside joke).

F#@! the people in charge, but the program still works.

YOU KNOW IT....I miss you dude...hope Kansas is goin good

okay...for the rest of you with access to the drexel IMS website, check out the old videos from last year. go to the chest pain theme...microcirculation lecture...18 minutes and 50 seconds- listen for thirty seconds or so and you will see how fun the microphone can be...

 

[CaptainZero]

YOU KNOW IT....I miss you dude...hope Kansas is goin good

okay...for the rest of you with access to the drexel IMS website, check out the old videos from last year. go to the chest pain theme...microcirculation lecture...18 minutes and 50 seconds- listen for thirty seconds or so and you will see how fun the microphone can be...

http://webcampus.med.drexel.edu/IFM/IFM2004/sessions.asp
Nov 13th was the date of the lecture...

 

[MasterShakeDO]

Has anyone used the microphone this year? I don't recall... Someone tried the first day but was told it wasn't on. So it's mainly been used for karaoke by jokesters...I hope it hasn't been on this whole time!

 

[merovingian]

just a little thing I remembered when I was in the program last year....i was told by some med students that they think its cool when IMSers use the mic because they'll just be sitting in their super nice lecture hall taking notes or sleeping, and all of a sudden, this voice from up above in the heavens comes out of nowhere, and says something like, "Dr. so and so, Center City has a question. Does the ascending Loop of Henle reabsorb or take in water?" They all look towards the ceiling and are just in awe because the sound system in the lecture hall makes the voice sound so divine and commanding...

 

[Blue Scrub]

hahah thats funny merov

 

[PAPPAPPAP]

Thank you to everyone who has posted...I read every post and I now have a great picture of what the IMS program is about..anyway, I am thinking of applying to IMS and I have some questions if you dont mind.

1) How do they work the process if you are now on a waitlist? Do you have to let them know by a certain date?

2) I was wondering if the IMS program would be good for me, if it is standard for the IMS students or if I should maybe find something else. I like the program, its the 20,000 im not too excited about. Here is my situation, I have a 3.3 science and 3.3 overall from a very competitive school with a 31P mcat (11V9B11P).

3) Did I read correctly..do students apply to medical schools for immediately after they complete the IMS program..say, IMS for fall 2005 and med school for fall 2006? If so, how does that work..do you get interviews late in the process, after the first semester?

4) Is drexel med having problems like mouseman said?

5) Do people get accepted to places other than drexel?

Thanks everyone for your time. Best of luck.

 

[BabyHuey]

Hey man....you have a pretty competitive package. I did the MSP program and now I'm in it's second year....the MBS program. You take all the same IMS courses....they just call it the MBS since I'll be getting a Masters. Anyway, I think IMS would be good for you. IMS classes are really good and I think they would prep you very well. I'm sure you're more than capable of doing well in the program. Ok, the building where you take classes is pretty old but hey, I never go to classes anyway. I just watch all the lectures on my computer at home. It's pretty sweet actually. I just go take tests and I go to the occasional Med. and Society class which actually isn't too bad. As long as you know how to write and speak up now and again, you'll get at least an A-. I personally would apply to med schools with your stats, while at the same time apply to IMS just in case. Oh, and med. schools actually love the program. It's pretty well known. I've already been accepted to 2 allopathic schools, and I feel really stongly prepared for what awaits me. Good luck dude.....Oh, and try not to put too much credence on all the disgruntled comments that are posted. The program is straight up what YOU make of it.

 

[Mouseman]

When I said that Drexel was having problems I was talking about there loss of MCP hospital and the decreased class size. I dont think that will have a big impact on you getting a spot at Drexel if you do well. However, just because you do well in the program this dosnt mean that they'll have a spot set aside for you. Drexel gets a ton of applications and it is very competitive to get a spot no matter what.

 

[Mouseman]

When I said that Drexel was having problems I was talking about there loss of MCP hospital and the decreased class size. I dont think that will have a big impact on you getting a spot at Drexel if you do well. However, just because you do well in the program this dosnt mean that they'll have a spot set aside for you. Drexel gets a ton of applications and it is very competitive to get a spot no matter what.

Their not there. Sorry its late.