Drexel IMS 2010-2011
Note: I try hard to separate my feelings about doing a SMP vs. doing Drexel IMS.
Pros:
Amount of actual medical school courses you take - You take 70% of what DUCOM M1 takes. The big hard science courses we don't take are Genetics and Gross Anatomy (not enough cadavers for 500+ people between IMS, IFM, PIL). Since we are fake medical students, we also don't take things like Physician & Patient.
Lectures are all online with notes provided - All sorts of awesome.
Grading System is against the MS1
Location - Philadelphia is a great city with tons of opportunities to help the underserved. I really like that our classes are downtown in the hospital instead of at QL (the medical school). Some people complain that it's so terrible that we don't get to actually go to QL, but realize that we are a class of 150, and the medical school IFM class is 150 as well - it's impossible to fit everyone in their lecture hall.
Professors - I love the DUCOM teaching staff (most of them). To name a few, Dr. Ferrier (Biochem), Dr. Swaney (Biochem), & Dr. Harris (Physio) are great professors and really great to the IMSers and will come do their reviews to Center City. Dr. Ferrier is the co-author of an amazing Biochem review book too!
Classmates - Everyone is awesome.
Cons
Medical Ethics - Really not fond of this class, many consider it to be a waste of time. Having taken Medical Ethics before, I don't like how the course is presented, the book is old. On the bright side, it is nearly impossible to fail, and the professor is good at keeping things current.
Risk - There's always a risk in doing a SMP. The goal of a SMP is to show you are capable of handling the academic rigor of medical school. They have to pass (>70%), you have to do better than them (safely >85%). Sounds easy, but it's not.
The kinds of classes you've taken and a description.
Standard M1 classes. Interspersed here is Medicine & Society. This is how the flow of the courses are, because it is not standard fall/semester:
Aug - Biochemistry Microanatomy
Sep - Biochemistry Microanatomy Physiology
Oct - Biochemistry Microanatomy Physiology Nutrition
Nov - Biochemistry Microanatomy Physiology Nutrition Immunology
Dec - Biochemistry Microanatomy Physiology Immunology
Jan - Biochemistry Microanatomy Physiology Nutrition Immunology
Feb/Mar - Microanatomy Physiology Neuroscience
Mar-May - Neuroscience
Something they wished they knew coming into the program, & Tips for Applying
I wish I could have talked to people about the program - I should have done the MBS program (you prep for the MCAT for a year, then do IMS in your second year). Good for people like me who have a solid GPA but <30 MCAT. Yes, the MCAT is that important. I'm doing fine (>3.0 in the program with nothing below a B-, no dropped courses) but SMP's are seriously risky.
Need anything? Talk to Christy - Christy has great advice and gives great pep-talks. She can help academically advise you if you are planning on staying for a year, aren't sure if you are going to do well in a course, etc. Seriously. Stop by. She's great.
Something they would like to tell incoming students about your program
- Adjust really fast or you will fail because the work keeps piling up and up and does not stop and oh god why am I typing this post up when I still have 4 more exams to take
- If you don't go to lecture (I don't blame you), at least make sure you ALWAYS do the lecture assigned for that day. You will thank me later.
- Microanatomy might seem hard at first, but it really isn't. I never PHYSICALLY go to lab (still have to do it online) and I have an A.
- I am of the opinion that Immunology is the destroyer of worlds, hopes and dreams. If there is one course you need to try hard at, this is the one. The lectures are terrible and confusing, the test questions are ridiculous. Yes you have to memorize all the cytokines and cell surface markers. Yes, that one little detail you didn't study will be like 5 exam questions, yes, you could just google it in the real world, and no, interferon gamma is not the answer.
- Study for every quiz like it is the module test.
- Volunteering: you probably won't have time to do this, so as it was said in the other review of this program, "get your ducks in a row".
- If you are doing well and applied during your IMS year, forward your grades to the schools you applied to, chances are you will get an interview invite (I know lots that have, including myself)
Did it help you get into medical school/dental school/etc.?
I have been accepted to 2 DO schools (probably without the program) and received 1 MD interview (with the program).
This program showed me that I truly do not care about the degree behind my name. I want to be a doctor. I don't care about the path I have to take to get there.
Is the program linkage successful?
One common complaint I hear about Drexel on SDN is that it's so terrible and the linkage is awful compared to other SMP's.
Ballpark number here, but there's something like, 125-150 people in the program. Someone told me last year that 40 IMS kids made the guaranteed interview and 20 were eventually accepted. This year 25 made the guaranteed interview (they won't hear the results for another month or so). Those that stay for the MMS year - not a lot do - are very likely to get an interview with DUCOM even if they don't hold the guarantee. The caveat here is that to get the interview you have to make all B's, have a 27 (9/9/9) and take Immunology and Nutrition. Some people do not have the MCAT subscores required for the guarantee, withdraw from the program, or drop a class, disqualifying them.
Of the percentage of people left who are eligible, I think you have a good shot at the guaranteed interview. Bottom line is that for some people it works. It is dependent on you.
A rating from 1-5 (1 being the worst (no recommendation) to 5 (full recommendation)
5. I would still come to Drexel, I still think it's a good program and for some people it truly does work at getting them into medical school.
