Drexel Medical School

[Highschoolkid]

Great news for me. I was just accepted to Drexel Medical Colleges BA/MD program, and would like some opinions about it. Now that I'm in, I just want to know what you think about it. Please respond and thanks for your help.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[crazy250]

i think it sucks. why didn't you get into a better BA/MD program?

 

[ForensicPath]

Originally posted by Highschoolkid
Great news for me. I was just accepted to Drexel Medical Colleges BA/MD program, and would like some opinions about it. Now that I'm in, I just want to know what you think about it. Please respond and thanks for your help.

Does that mean you are going to 'nova undergrad?

 

[Alexander99]

If you have the smarts to get into such a program, you're better off working hard in college and applying to much better med schools. Don't sell yourself short.

 

[BerkeleyPremed]

Dude...don't just settle for Drexel so you can spend the rest of your life dwindling in mediocrity. Go to college and work your butt off so you can get into a better medical school. Remember, you have to live with your degrees for the rest of your life...and you don't ever want to be ashamed when someone asks you, "Where did you go to medical school?" Just remember about the gravity of the decision you're making here. If you're smart enough to get into a BS/MD program...you should be smart enough to get into a good college. Just work hard in college and apply to solid, top tier med schools. Best of luck to you kid.

P.S.: I'm not shamelessly bashing Drexel here...one can get an AMA-accredited education there...however, better medical schools do exist.

 

[Paws]

Well, just to support the other side, I say congratulations for your acceptance. Drexel is a great school and you should do well there! It's a great honeor to be accepted to a linkage program and I wish you the best!

 

[Alexander99]

Originally posted by Paws
Well, just to support the other side, I say congratulations for your acceptance. Drexel is a great school and you should do well there! It's a great honeor to be accepted to a linkage program and I wish you the best!

I've gotta lay it down here. Saying Drexel is a "great" school is misleading. Let's be honest. Drexel is pretty much a backup for everyone that applies there. No one applies to Drexel hoping they end up going there.

I'm sure it's a decent school but it doesn't have a very good reputation.

 

[jedirampage]

Originally posted by Alexander99
I've gotta lay it down here. Saying Drexel is a "great" school is misleading. Let's be honest. Drexel is pretty much a backup for everyone that applies there. No one applies to Drexel hoping they end up going there.

I'm sure it's a decent school but it doesn't have a very good reputation.

Where does this misconception come from? I suppose it is because they have switched hands some many times, but MCP/Hahnemann actually was quite reputable before all of the exchanges in the late 90s. They'll be there again soon I would imagine. Still, you've got to love the good old SDN elitism. To the original poster, if you like Drexel (both undergrad and MD) then go. It's all about where you fit the best and what type of environment you learn best in. Despite what many people on SDN will tell you, your education anywhere is what YOU make of it, not what name is on the piece of paper you get when you finish.

 

[Pixye1]

hey,
i'd think about what type of doctor you wanna be. if you wanna be an academic physician then drexel really isn't the way to go. but if you want to focus more on the clinical side, I would totally go....you won't have to take the mcat!

 

[Clemson Doc]

From my experience, Drexel is a good school. It's not Hopkins or Yale, but I don't see why it's any more "inferior" than a state medical school. They seem to really support their students, and have very good rotations in Philadelphia. There is probably not a better city for medical education. Just don't take a wrong turn in Philly late at night.

I can't fathom being convinced that one wants to be a doctor at the age of 17, but if you know that's what you want, go for it. You're guaranteed acceptance to medical school (many people would kill for that) and you don't have to take the MCAT. You also save a couple of years of your life, and you can do a lot with that time.

You will meet some great people along the way and I don't see why you would ever be ashamed of a medical degree from Drexel.

 

[AntGod22]

I say go there, since I am a first year there already I know what the school is like and I think anyone would be happy with being affiliated there. I admit for some reason we dont have the greatest reputation, but our reputation isnt bad , meaning we dont put out bad doctors, or doctors who cant pass the boards. Last years sceond year class one of the students recieved the highest score on the USLME Step 1 out of all the students in the country who took it. I say that tells you something about how well we are prepared to become great clinical doctors. By the way academic medicine is not the way to go, even though people on this board might make it sound that it is.
My suggestion is take the program, it will save you heartache and headaches in the long run, and money. You will not have to work as hard to get into medical school, be it grades and mcats scrores, That will keep you fresh for the beating you will recieve when you get to medical school. Also no one but future medical school students ask there doctors What medical school they went to ? , and no one ever asks them What residency did u get accepted to ?
I promise you drexel will make you a great doctor. I know it is making me for sure . Good luck with it all
Anthony

 

[nibrocli]

originally posted by Pixye1
you won't have to take the mcat!

originally posted by Clemson Doc
you don't have to take the MCAT

well, you actually do have to take the mcat and get a minimum score (i think it's 30, but i know you can't get <9 on any individual section). there's also a minimum college gpa requirement of 3.45 with no grade less than a C. if you don't meet any one of these requirements you are not admitted to their med school under their linkage program, and they don't allow any appeals.

the only way these rules don't apply is if you are accepted under their linkage program for african-american or latino students.

 

[Hallm_7]

Can't you accept the position in this program, go through college and after a couple years see what your grades are like? If they're high enough apply elsewhere. If there mediocre simply keep your acceptance at Drexel.

I don't know why everyone is bashing Drexel. I've never been there and know nothing about it, but I did find a match list and it's pretty impressive. Last year they matched 12 anesthesiology and 4 derms, 7 orthopedics, and 10 radiology. There were several that went to pretty prestigious places too. If they have a bad reputation, then it isn't affecting them at all because they've matched well into all the hard stuff.

Take it, be happy with it, and relax knowing you're going to be a doctor.

 

[Hallm_7]

Here's the link for Drexel's Match List

 

[Dr. Chiquita]

TO THE OP: I PMed you!

 

[PianoGirl04]

I don't know much about BA/MD programs, but I tend not to recommend them because they really close your options off. Not too many high school seniors know (a) that they definitely want to go to medical school, and (b) where they want to go. If it isn't binding, though, go for it! You'll have a near-guaranteed acceptance plus the freedom to apply elsewhere or change career plans.

Like some people have already said, I definitely disagree with the Drexel-bashing. I really liked their curriculum and the flexibility to choose between traditional and problem-based approaches. Sure, their rankings and average scores aren't stellar...but that doesn't mean you'll get a bad education. It just means that Drexel tends to accept students from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds, which is a good thing! Also, MCP and Hahnemann were quite reputable in their day, and their clinical education in particular is great. The only thing that worries me about Drexel is its financial situation and stability in the future.

 

[MErc44]

where did you find the board scores

 

[Paws]

Well, derm at Mayo, psychiatry at Harvard and anesthisiology at Johns Hopkins - I'd say that's definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel for residency matches.




I think these statistics speak for themselves. Any school is what you make it. People go to all kinds of places and come out according to the effort they put into it. I think Drexel is a great school and the students that come out of there do very well.

 

[CalBeE]

One thing that BA or BS/MD program that doesn't appeal to me is you'll spent 7 years or more around the same area (Except for the one at Northwestern, where students move from Evanston to Chicago Downtown). It's always good to explore a different place every 4 years or so.

Also, even if you like the undergrad program at Drexel, you may not end up liking the med school curriculum there. Keep your options open.

 

[Brickhouse]

I say "Congratulations" to the OP, that is really an outstanding accomplishment.

To you Drexel haters, you need to get over yourselves. I mean LISTEN TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING - you sound so stuck up - getting into Med school is very difficult, and getting in to any American school is something of which one can be very proud.

Maybe I'm just sensitive, but you are making me feel like **** - I got waitlisted at Drexel - I must be such sub-human scum if the "worst med school in the country" didn't even want my sorry ass. Thanks for the vote of confidence, fellow supportive med school applicants and students-to-be.

 

[prg6315]

Despite what you might hear about Drexel Med on these forums, the opinions that really matter are those of residency program directors and current MDs. Drexel has dropped in the 'all powerful' US News rankings recently because of the affiliation changes and lack of funds spent on research, but if you ask any MD out there about the clinical reputation of Drexel (or MCP as many of them know it) you will be pleased with their responses. A Drexel education is not viewed as sub-par by any residency directors provided that the student in question has worked hard and taken full advantage of the opportunities available to them at this specific institution. Whether or not I will be attending Drexel in the fall will depend on the financial aid packages I am waiting to receive, but I certainly would not be ashamed to matriculate there. I think that those of you that are constantly bashing this school seriously need to gain some perspective on just what it means to be a great physician.

 

[nibrocli]

Originally posted by CalBeE
One thing that BA or BS/MD program that doesn't appeal to me is you'll spent 7 years or more around the same area .... It's always good to explore a different place every 4 years or so.

drexel has linkages with other schools, where you can do your undergrad at lehigh, villanova, and possibly others (i think muhlenberg?). and even if you do go to drexel undergrad, the med school campus is in a different part of philly (more residential). drexel undergrad is in a more urban area.

 

[AntGod22]

I have to say all the muhlenberg kids who are first years with me at drexel are really well prepared for med school. They blow most of the other students out of the water.

 

[nibrocli]

Originally posted by AntGod22
I have to say all the muhlenberg kids who are first years with me at drexel are really well prepared for med school. They blow most of the other students out of the water.

yes, in pennsylvania, muhlenberg is known as a school that successfully feeds people into med school. they have a great physical & bio sciences reputation.

 

[MErc44]

Originally posted by Brickhouse
I say "Congratulations" to the OP, that is really an outstanding accomplishment.

To you Drexel haters, you need to get over yourselves. I mean LISTEN TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING - you sound so stuck up - getting into Med school is very difficult, and getting in to any American school is something of which one can be very proud.

Maybe I'm just sensitive, but you are making me feel like **** - I got waitlisted at Drexel - I must be such sub-human scum if the "worst med school in the country" didn't even want my sorry ass. Thanks for the vote of confidence, fellow supportive med school applicants and students-to-be.

Don't worry about it, i know people with better grades than me who didn't even get an interview. You probably have a great chance at getting off the waitlist

 

[drdoctor]

To the posters who bashed Drexel Med.:


ALL US MEDICAL SCHOOLS GIVE YOU A M.D. DEGREE AND NO ONE WILL GIVE A FLYING **** WHERE YOU DID YOU UNDERGRAD, YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL, EVEN YOUR RESIDENCY YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.

Get that into your stupid ass brains. If you are awesome at Drexel, no **** will stop you from going to the very top. You can do research, clinical, whatever the hell you want if you do well wherever you go. If you do ****ty at Drexel, you still get your M.D. and you still have the opportunity to do research, clinical, or whatever the hell you want. People who do academic medicine can come from all the medical school. Going to one med. school over another does not kill you chances of doing research at medical schools and being a professor. When you work in a hospital, a HMS M.D. will not earn more than a Drexel Med. M.D. EVERY MEDICAL SCHOOL IN THE US IS THE BEST. Go to any one of them and you can succeed. So, to the bashers, get your head out of your ass and start thinking more professionally. These medical schools train their students extremely well. You get amazing education at all these places and I guarantee that in the future, you will be working side-by-side doctors from all kinds of medical schools. If your head is in your ass, then you will have no friends and you will suck nuts. You will help people going to any medical school. You are not better than anyone else if you graduate from X medical school rather than Y medical school.

 

[drdoctor]

Anyway, take the program. BS/MD programs get rid of a lot of stress. You are in no way selling yourself short in the long run. Through the program, you don't have to go through the pre-med hassle and skipping the MCATs are a real blessing. If you ask people applying to med. school now, some will be like "oh, it wasn't that bad." That's bull****, people go through a lot to get into medical school. You can just walk right in. Take that opportunity and do well in medical school. You don't know how many pre-meds at undergrads stop doing pre-med cause they can't handle it. And, people who say you don't get that "undergraduate experience" if you go through a program are stupid. You will be doing undergrad and you will have alot less stress and you don't need to compete with anyone. Thats the best undergraduate experience. BTW, graduates of the many BS/MD programs do amazing. They all do well in medical school and get good residencies. You are very lucky to get medical school acceptance. Take what you get and run with it without looking back.

 

[ForensicPath]

About a week ago I was talking with a neurologist whom I would consider a mentor. I have interned with her since high school as well has been co-author on a few publications. She is world-renowned in her area of research (she is invited to talk at conferences all over the world). She has even been on the Today Show. Anyway, to make a long story short, when I was updating her about my application process, she basically said that Drexel is a great school and that the US News rankings were silly. The fact that the school has had financial problems has nothing to do with the education they provide.

All in all, Drexel bashing is done by elitist snobs who will face a rough dose of reality when the real-world introduces itself.

 

[Alexander99]

Originally posted by prg6315
Whether or not I will be attending Drexel in the fall will depend on the financial aid packages I am waiting to receive, but I certainly would not be ashamed to matriculate there. I think that those of you that are constantly bashing this school seriously need to gain some perspective on just what it means to be a great physician.

No one's suggesting that you should be ashamed to attend Drexel. My point was that it's an exaggeration to say that Drexel is a "great" school. Again, can you or anyone else honestly say that Drexel was their first choice and that regardless of where else they got in (U Penn, Pitt, etc), they'd attend there? I don't think so. If it's no one's first choice (or very few people's), I think the best you can say for it is that it's a decent school. If it really is a great school, why isn't it anyones #1 choice?

I agree with what people say on here though. Med school is what you make of it. At the same time, I think it'd be naive to say that it completely doesn't matter what med school you go to for your residencies.

And for match lists, people always post a match list for X school and say, "See! This is a great school. Look at all the people that matched for ortho, derm, etc." You guys should read this statement from Cornell's website:

"Please remember that individual student choices play a huge (if not the greatest) role in the composition of a school's match list. Thus, if radiology is popular one year, you can expect to see a prevalence of radiology residencies in the match list. In addition, if students try to match at only the most competitive hospitals, then it will be more difficult to get their top 3 choices. Thus, probably a better indicator of a school's match list is where the students are going for any particular field."

I agree with them. I read through the match lists for some top 10 schools and it looks like they got into the top notch residencies at the best locations. With other schools, yes, you'll see people matching for competitive residencies but they often match at random places.

 

[snapdad]

Originally posted by Alexander99
I agree with them. I read through the match lists for some top 10 schools and it looks like they got into the top notch residencies at the best locations. With other schools, yes, you'll see people matching for competitive residencies but they often match at random places.

True, I see what you're saying, but I think part of the point that Hallm_7 was trying to make was that there are some matches to some "top notch residencies at the best locations" in the most competitive specialties from Drexel, not just that people are merely matching into those specialties at "random places." For example, the 2003 match list had three matches into Hopkins for anesthesiology, a Mayo match for derm, and a Harvard match for radiology. Those aren't normally classified as "random" places. I think the thing to take away from this is that they can obviously teach people to be doctors well at Drexel, the students are apparently doing well on the boards (which are the SAME boards people at Harvard, etc. are taking), and it's a fully-accredited U.S. medical school that offers the same degree as the "name" institutions you mentioned. Although you only said that it's not a "great" school and isn't people's top choice, this kind of thing has been repeated so many times on SDN that it's discouraging to people who got in at Drexel and worked damn hard to do it. The fact of the matter is, those people should take pride that they got accepted to medical school and not feel like they have to defend themselves for attending an institution that, at the end of the day, will give them great tools to be excellent doctors.

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by snapdad
True, I see what you're saying, but I think part of the point that Hallm_7 was trying to make was that there are some matches to some "top notch residencies at the best locations" in the most competitive specialties from Drexel, not just that people are merely matching into those specialties at "random places." For example, the 2003 match list had three matches into Hopkins for anesthesiology, a Mayo match for derm, and a Harvard match for radiology. Those aren't normally classified as "random" places. I think the thing to take away from this is that they can obviously teach people to be doctors well at Drexel, the students are apparently doing well on the boards (which are the SAME boards people at Harvard, etc. are taking), and it's a fully-accredited U.S. medical school that offers the same degree as the "name" institutions you mentioned. Although you only said that it's not a "great" school and isn't people's top choice, this kind of thing has been repeated so many times on SDN that it's discouraging to people who got in at Drexel and worked damn hard to do it. The fact of the matter is, those people should take pride that they got accepted to medical school and not feel like they have to defend themselves for attending an institution that, at the end of the day, will give them great tools to be excellent doctors.

 

[CalBeE]

This really sorta reminds of people choosing colleges. It's great to attend a well-known college, but a relatively less-known one won't prevent you from getting into med school, law school, grad school, etc.

It's true that Drexel is not as sought-after as some other schools, but it's still a much safer choice than going to the Carribeans.

 

[MErc44]

Originally posted by Alexander99
No one's suggesting that you should be ashamed to attend Drexel. My point was that it's an exaggeration to say that Drexel is a "great" school. Again, can you or anyone else honestly say that Drexel was their first choice and that regardless of where else they got in (U Penn, Pitt, etc), they'd attend there? I don't think so. If it's no one's first choice (or very few people's), I think the best you can say for it is that it's a decent school. If it really is a great school, why isn't it anyones #1 choice?

This is faulty logic. I got accepted to Berkeley and it wasn't my top choice so i didn't go there. I know lots of people feel the same but it doesn't make Berkeley worse of a school because it wasn't my top choice. When Drexel gets their new research complex and starts receiving more grants for research it will become more well known and then people may want to go there more than they do now. I have talked to several physicians and so has my dad that when MCP or Hahnemann is mentioned they recognized or remembered it as being a good school. The fact that it had a name change doesn't mean sh%t.

 

[KarateGirl]

Originally posted by MErc44
This is faulty logic. I got accepted to Berkeley and it wasn't my top choice so i didn't go there. I know lots of people feel the same but it doesn't make Berkeley worse of a school because it wasn't my top choice. When Drexel gets their new research complex and starts receiving more grants for research it will become more well known and then people may want to go there more than they do now. I have talked to several physicians and so has my dad that when MCP or Hahnemann is mentioned they recognized or remembered it as being a good school. The fact that it had a name change doesn't mean sh%t.

I agree. My father is a physician, and when I mentioned the name Hahnemann to him, he remembered it as being a well-respected school. I've already been accepted to a "better" school, but I'm still going to my Drexel interview, and if I like what I see and feel good there, I will seriously consider going there.

What I'd like to know is, what makes it a not-great school, aside from not being in the USNews ranking? There are a ton of schools that don't rank there that are still considered good. So what makes Drexel "worse" than those schools?

 

[CalBeE]

Originally posted by KarateGirl
What I'd like to know is, what makes it a not-great school, aside from not being in the USNews ranking? There are a ton of schools that don't rank there that are still considered good. So what makes Drexel "worse" than those schools?

Actually SUNY Upstate will fall into that category. I applied there b/c I heard from my advisor that they don't give preference to New Yorkers anymore. The school itself is nice, and one of my friend's going there next year, but the surrounding area was just not as vibrant as I wanted it to be, so I didn't pick it.

 

[Alexander99]

Originally posted by MErc44
This is faulty logic. I got accepted to Berkeley and it wasn't my top choice so i didn't go there. I know lots of people feel the same but it doesn't make Berkeley worse of a school because it wasn't my top choice. When Drexel gets their new research complex and starts receiving more grants for research it will become more well known and then people may want to go there more than they do now. I have talked to several physicians and so has my dad that when MCP or Hahnemann is mentioned they recognized or remembered it as being a good school. The fact that it had a name change doesn't mean sh%t.

Actually, your argument is the one that's faulty. I'm sure there are quite a few CA high school students that have Berkeley as their top choice whereas there are very few if any PA premeds that list Drexel as their top choice.

Again, to simplify the argument: how many high school students would list Berkeley as their top choice? Now how many premeds list Drexel as their top choice? Can you honestly say you've met anyone who said Drexel was their top choice?

Coincidentally, do you go to Drexel or plan to? You sound like you have a lot at stake in defending Drexel's reputation. If so, how can your opinion of the school be unbiased?

I think this is what happens with a lot of people that can't accept that rankings do make a difference:

1. Before applying, they bust out the US News rankings and apply to a bunch of schools, many of which are in the top 30 and a few "backup" schools.

2. They get accepted only in their backup school(s).

3. They talk about how awesome the schools they originally considered to be their backups are and rant about how pointless the rankings are.

The question becomes, if the rankings/reputation were never important, why'd they apply to the schools they did in the first place and why'd they consider schools like Drexel to be a "backup?" Let's be honest here. 95% of premeds apply to their "dream" schools, schools at which they think they have a decent shot, and "backup" schools where they think their chances of getting in are high.

 

[ForensicPath]

Originally posted by Alexander99

Coincidentally, do you go to Drexel or plan to? You sound like you have a lot at stake in defending Drexel's reputation. If so, how can your opinion of the school be unbiased?

That logic is faulty as well. By that logic, there is no such thing as an unbiased opinion. Someone who attends Drexel will defend it whereas someone who does not attend would be more willing to attack it.

Personally for me, I never even knew about the US News rankings until after I submitted my AMCAS. I applied based on location and I like philly, so drexel was high on my list. I did not have a top choice before applying. Out of the eight schools I interviewed at, Drexel was in the top three for me.

 

[MErc44]

Originally posted by Alexander99
Actually, your argument is the one that's faulty. I'm sure there are quite a few CA high school students that have Berkeley as their top choice whereas there are very few if any PA premeds that list Drexel as their top choice.

Again, to simplify the argument: how many high school students would list Berkeley as their top choice? Now how many premeds list Drexel as their top choice? Can you honestly say you've met anyone who said Drexel was their top choice?

Coincidentally, do you go to Drexel or plan to? You sound like you have a lot at stake in defending Drexel's reputation. If so, how can your opinion of the school be unbiased?

I think this is what happens with a lot of people that can't accept that rankings do make a difference:

1. Before applying, they bust out the US News rankings and apply to a bunch of schools, many of which are in the top 30 and a few "backup" schools.

2. They get accepted only in their backup school(s).

3. They talk about how awesome the schools they originally considered to be their backups are and rant about how pointless the rankings are.

The question becomes, if the rankings/reputation were never important, why'd they apply to the schools they did in the first place and why'd they consider schools like Drexel to be a "backup?" Let's be honest here. 95% of premeds apply to their "dream" schools, schools at which they think they have a decent shot, and "backup" schools where they think their chances of getting in are high.

I don't think you totally understand what I am saying. I was accepted at Drexel and will go there if I don't get accepted off the waiting list at my so called top choice. I will be honest when I got invited to an interview at Drexel I wasnt thrilled, I was happy to get an interview but was indifferent that it was at Drexel. After going there I really enjoyed it. I liked it better than EVMS which I'm sure most people on this websited would say is a better school. The point I'm tring to make is, if I had the opportunity to visit every school I applied to my opinions would be a lot different. Have you visited Drexel? If not then you really can't say anything about it. Alot of CA high school students may want to go to Berkeley but when they get there may have different opinion.

 

[Highschoolkid]

I got accepted into the Drexel BA/MD program for Villanova University. Its not my top choice, but now I have to consider it at least. I'd really like to go to Pitts program regardless of the ridiculous requirements (3.7 GPA, 32 MCAT).`

 

[Hallm_7]

Originally posted by Highschoolkid
I got accepted into the Drexel BA/MD program for Villanova University. Its not my top choice, but now I have to consider it at least. I'd really like to go to Pitts program regardless of the ridiculous requirements (3.7 GPA, 32 MCAT).`

Those do seem pretty high, especially the 32 MCAT......but check out Washington University's Scholars Program. It's got a required 3.8 GPA and 36 MCAT!! To me that's not really early acceptance at all. On the off chance that you will achieve these scores, you could get in a number of places throughout the country. Someone with a 3.8 and 36 MCAT from Wash U undergrad is going to get in multiple places with great financial aid packages.

Here's the website for the Washington University Scholars Program.

 

[ForensicPath]

Originally posted by Highschoolkid
I got accepted into the Drexel BA/MD program for Villanova University. Its not my top choice, but now I have to consider it at least. I'd really like to go to Pitts program regardless of the ridiculous requirements (3.7 GPA, 32 MCAT).`

Good undergrad choice

 

[celticmists18]

To the original poster:
As you can probably tell from all the posts everyone has a bias . . .people are bitter 'cause they didn't get in, or they go there, or they just have something against the school, or they are into the whole ranking/match list thing, or their sister's boyfriend's cousin's aunt went there. The best advice I can give you is to not base your decision on what you have read here. I would however caution you to heed the warnings about locking yourself into a career at such an early age. I knew I wanted to be a doctor when I started college, so did a lot of my classmates. By the end of college some of the most avid premeds had switched career paths . . . Good Luck!

 

[KarateGirl]

I'd still like to know exactly what makes Drexel a bad medical school.

 

[lowbudget]

Y'all people are stupid. Congrats on getting into Drexel! I'm sorry you have to put up with the East Coast snobbery, but lots of people would kill to be in your position. You'll get a great education and will have the chance to do whatever the heck you want so long as you work for it and not lose your cool trying to get there.

People know of Drexel only because of the Allegheny bankruptcy thing, which was a hospital financial thing that took the medical school's name down with it. But every hospital in Philadelphia has financial problems. I went to Penn undergrad and if you read the Daily Pennsylvanian over the last couple of years, you'll see how much financial doodoo they were/are in and how they too have to reorganize to manage their debt and all the practices/hospitals that they bought out. What about Mount Sinai? They're in financial crapper too and this is post-merger with NYU! Some people even questioned whether the UCSF-Stanford merger made sense. Whatever. Drexel's doing well now, that's all that matters. Tenet's taking care of the hospital and the med school belongs to Drexel. There's a crapload of med schools that have this arrangement. Every academic medical center has financial problems. But Drexel is a good school. The med school simply had a bad history.

 

[Alexander99]

Originally posted by KarateGirl
I'd still like to know exactly what makes Drexel a bad medical school.

Personally, I think the fact that lots of students who attend there used the school as a backup and probably aren't too enthusiastic about being there automatically makes me not want to go there (I didn't apply there.)

I remember one guy was interviewing at Drexel and he asked the student interviewer why he chose to go there and his response was a simple, "It's the only place where I got in."

 

[rebeclette]

Congrats on getting in! I thought Drexel had an interesting curriculum, and they really seem to be heading in the right direction now. Just try and evaluate it for yourself! And remember that a lot of people who bash drexel on these forums don't go there, so they don't really know what its like. I think its important to keep things in perspective and remember that in any year only about half the people to apply to med school get in! Just try and look at where you want to live, and what kind of medicine you want to go into. A linkage program saves a lot of time, and money spent on applying elsewhere.

 

[Shakenotstirred]

I think you all (meaning the Drexel critics) have too much time on your hands. I got into Drexel and I'm damn proud. And, I didn't apply to Harvard or Cornell just so I wouldn't have to be surrounded by you competitive freaks. AND, yes, my stats are higher than both their average matriculant's.

So, get off that pedestal, and realize that one day, we will all be working our asses off night after night after night after night, and then you tell me if the Cornell grad can stay up later than me.

Go be a lawyer.

Thanks and goodnight.

 

[Zweihander]

Originally posted by Alexander99
Personally, I think the fact that lots of students who attend there used the school as a backup and probably aren't too enthusiastic about being there automatically makes me not want to go there (I didn't apply there.)

I find that people who make these sorts of claims don't really know what they're talking about and have no concrete evidence to back up their opinions. "Probably aren't too enthusiastic," eh? How do you know? How many students have you asked? I don't suppose there are any numbers or statistics you can offer regarding the general happiness of students at Drexel versus at other schools to substantiate your statements, are there?

Further, the fact that a school is a "backup" is a nonsensical reason to disparage it. Schools tend to be backups not because of their quality but because of the asinine snobbery that is academia -- of course most students are going to want to attend better name schools, because that's where everyone says they should go!

In my opinion, there is no better reason to go to a medical school than the fact that you want to be a doctor and you like it there. To the OP, there are certainly valid reasons why you would not want to take this acceptance, but the uninformed opinions of students who think they are "too good" for Drexel should by no means be one of those reasons.

peace

 

[mangotango]

I just interviewedat Drexel and I really like the school (probably cause I partied at Ped. Aids benefit concert on my interview day )
The students are cool and the factuly is ultra-nice/supportive.
I though Drexel was so-so before my interview, but visiting the school really raised my impression of it.
I'd be lucky to be accepted into Drexel (if only I hadn't botched my interview)
Congrats to people who got in!!

 

[drdoctor]

First off, Alexander99, you are a stupid piece of ****. Shakenotstirred, you are completely correct. Why is it so hard for people to accept that for a M.D., prestige doesn't matter. Just being a M.D. is prestige enough. No one cares where you went to medical school because they're ALL good. Drexel is a great school, match list is awesome, and graduates do well. Who cares if it's back up, whatever, I don't even know if it's a back-up for people. It's a medical school, if you're a PA resident, it makes the school even better if you want to stay close to home. I think alot of people are prestige freaks and will learn some day after suffering that good doctors coming from all schools. It's a simple reality, but it's so hard for people to fathom. Prestige does not play a role in this field. Just work hard and ignore people who waste their time looking at arbitrary rankings and think that going to "top 10" or "top 33" will open all their doors. Go f*ck yourself!