How to Get Into Drexel Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
/Learn the Drexel medical school requirements, admissions strategies, and read sample responses to secondary essays
Drexel medical school is ranked #85 in us news & world report’s best medical schools (research) list
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Drexel Medical School MD programs
Part 3: How hard is it to get into Drexel Medical School?
Part 4: Drexel Medical School personal statement (example included)
Part 5: Drexel Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
Part 6: Drexel Medical School interview
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Part 1: Introduction
If you’re looking to attend a large medical school with resources for every type of student, then Drexel University College of Medicine, commonly referred to as Drexel Med School, may be on your radar.
One of nine medical schools in Pennsylvania, the school boasts some of the highest application numbers nationwide without sacrificing its mission to train a dedicated student body. If you’re eager to join their ranks, it’s important to think critically about how the MD program’s curriculum is aligned with your academic goals and vice versa.
Drexel Med School is aware of its rich history and traces its roots back to the merger of two former medical institutions: Hahnemann Medical College, founded in 1848, and the Women’s Medical College, founded in 1850, as the world’s first medical college for women. The school continues to champion diversity and inclusion, with a significant number of nontraditional students.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss Drexel’s admissions requirements as well as strategies to strengthen your application, keeping in mind the school’s identity and innovative spirit.
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Part 2: Drexel Medical School MD programs
To pursue an MD, Drexel offers several pathways:
The traditional, four-year MD Program
The MD/PhD Program, administered by the College of Medicine and its Biomedical Graduate Studies Program
The MD/MPH Program, administered by the College of Medicine and Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health
The MD/MBA Program, administered by the College of Medicine and Drexel’s Lebow College of Business
The MD/MS Program, administered within the College of Medicine
In this guide, we’ll focus on how to get into the traditional MD program.
Drexel College of Medicine tuition
For the 2023–2024 academic year, tuition for full-time MD students is $32,846 per semester. Drexel encourages students to factor in program fees, miscellaneous university fees, housing, food, and personal expenses into their total cost of attendance.
Additionally, for MD students who pursue alternative timelines to the typical four-year program, Drexel lists tuition rates for part-time enrollment. A detailed breakdown of tuition figures appears on Drexel’s tuition and financial aid webpage.
Drexel College of Medicine student demographics
Drexel Med School’s most recently publicized demographics relate to its class of 2026:
Female: 59%
Male: 41%
Black, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander: 17%
Nontraditional students: 24%
Pennsylvania residents: 29%
Out-of-state residents: 71%
Number of students who are science majors: 87%
Number of students with other degrees: 13%
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Part 3: How hard is it to get into Drexel Medical School?
Drexel Medical School admissions statistics
For their class of 2027, Drexel received 15,847 applications 93% of which came from out of state. By the end of the process, 304 eventually became first-year students.
Drexel’s acceptance rate is 6.1 percent, so if you decide to pursue Drexel Medical School, chances are you’ll be competing with many talented applicants.
The College of Medicine’s most recently reported academic statistics are for the class of 2026:
Average GPA: 3.66
Average MCAT score: 511
Drexel Medical School admissions requirements
Drexel requires that applicants have taken the MCAT within three years of submitting their materials. For applicants hoping to enroll in 2024, this means a test score generated no earlier than 2021. If you’ve taken the MCAT multiple times, or plan to do so, it’s important to know that Drexel reviews all your scores and not only your best score.
In recent years, Drexel has moved away from requiring specific premed coursework in favor of reviewing applicants by analyzing key academic and professional “coursework and experience competencies,” listed on their admissions website. Drexel encourages applicants to demonstrate proficiency in select areas. We’ve summarized their list below:
Biology: One year of college coursework is suggested
Chemistry: Two years of college coursework, including biochemistry, is suggested
Physics: One course is suggested
Laboratory experience: One year of experience in biology, chemistry or physics is suggested
Statistics and probability: One course, such as biostatistics, is suggested
English literature/communication/intensive writing experience
Behavioral and social sciences
Service orientation/community service
Meaningful clinical experience
If possible, Drexel encourages applicants to submit a pre-medical advisory committee letter, or “composite letter.” Absent that preferred option, they’ll accept up to four letters from college-level instructors—two science, one non-science—or professional letters.
In addition to the MCAT, applicants are also required to complete the Casper test.
Drexel does not accept international applicants for its MD program; only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are considered for admission.
(Suggested reading: Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide)
Beyond the requirements: How to demonstrate your fit through experiences
In their mission statement and guiding principles, Drexel emphasizes qualities such as community involvement, a passion for service, and a commitment to improving the lives of others. Demonstrating your commitment to these ideas while you’re a premed or even a post-bacc student, can help bolster your application with the admissions committee.
Here are some experiences to consider gaining before you apply:
Clinical Experience: Gaining exposure to the medical field is vital. Seek opportunities to shadow doctors, volunteer in hospitals or clinics, or even work as an EMT. This provides valuable insights into the realities of a medical career and will signal to adcoms your commitment to improving the lives of others.
Service-Oriented Activities: Volunteer in roles directly connected to health and wellness—homeless shelters, food banks, crisis hotlines, or community clinics. This demonstrates your empathy, understanding of health disparities, and commitment to giving back.
Leadership Roles: Take initiative within any extracurricular activity. Step into leadership positions within clubs, service organizations, or teams. This showcases responsibility and collaborative skills important for physicians.
Drexel Medical School application timeline
Drexel uses AMCAS to process MD program applications. Once your application has been submitted, the admissions office will send you the MD program’s supplementary application via email. Here are the important dates and deadlines to be aware of as you apply to Drexel:
May 1, 2024: AMCAS application opens
May 28, 2024: AMCAS application can be submitted
August 1, 2024: AMCAS application deadline for Early Decision
August 30, 2024: Supporting materials deadline for Early Decision
September 2024–April 2025: Interviews conducted
October 1, 2024: Early Decision decisions released
October 15, 2024: Regular Decision notification process begins (rolling admissions)
January 1, 2024: AMCAS application deadline
January 1, 2024: Secondary application deadline
(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)
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Part 4: Drexel Medical School personal statement (example included)
When you're drafting your AMCAS personal statement for Drexel, it's important to keep two things in mind:
The MD program receives a lot of applications.
The MD program’s supplementary application gives little direction for how an applicant can enhance their application in the form of secondary essays (we’ll discuss this below).
Let’s analyze this sample personal statement for Drexel:
Some people get off to a late start in life. This wasn’t the case for me when soccer was concerned. As a teenager, I opened my eyes every morning to the sight of athletic trophies and recruiting letters from Division I colleges on my bedroom desk. I knew I’d never play in the World Cup, so getting an athletic scholarship to an ACC university was my goal—who wouldn’t want to be eighteen on a campus that had spring break weather all year long? Unfortunately, this childhood dream changed on October 17th, 2016, when I jumped up for a header against an opponent and knocked my forehead into his left ear. I knew about concussions, but I never imagined my own would change me. Suffice to say, it did. Following my recovery, I stopped being aggressive on the field. I still played soccer in college, but I kept wondering: What happened to my body that day? Could my injury have been worse?
I came to college unsure of how I’d balance soccer with my premed course requirements. I stumbled out of the gate at first. I was competing not only with myself to get good grades, but also with upperclassmen on the team, to whom I was the “freshman too cocky for his own good.” This all came to a head when I suddenly found my backpack missing from my hotel room following an away game—a joke meant to chastise me for putting my attention into academics. I managed to explain to the team how much medicine meant to me, and to promise them that I would respect practice times as well, and we were able to move on together.
I really want to know how bodies worked. This led me to my summer internship at a sports medical research institute at a neighborhood university following my sophomore year. For three months, I trained in the weight room in the morning and in the orthopaedic laboratory during the day, where my team was completing stem cell research to reassess and innovate procedures. This experience—in addition to studying for the MCAT in the evenings—taught me self-discipline. Plus, my interests in sports and medicine were no longer in two separate silos.
Sports has a way of bringing people together and so does medicine. During my junior year, I was responsible for my team’s fundraising for a local Boys and Girls Club chapter, and I made sure our programming provided the kids with tutorials about fitness and nutrition. I’m excited to do similar work in med school. In the spring of my junior year, I shadowed a sports physician who specializes in preventative care. He was the favorite “doc” of some local professional athletes. This experience taught me that even privileged people also benefit from a doctor who’s a good listener. I also learned that doctors sometimes need to be “patient” with some patients, and practice humility all the time.
I always think about how my concussion could’ve been worse, or about what would have happened if I hadn’t gone straight to the emergency room. Where would I be now? In addition to saving lives and improving the wellbeing of their patients, doctors can double as life coaches, therapists, and friends when people need them most. I want my World Cup experience to be a life-long career practicing medicine.
What's successful about this personal statement?
In addition to discussing his passion for soccer, this applicant uses his personal statement to describe the genesis of his work ethic. He mentions how he balanced college athletics with his studies, which is impressive, considering the fact that college sports are a big commitment and can affect a student’s academic performance. In this way, the applicant positions himself as a self-motivator, which would be attractive to any admissions committee.
The applicant also mentions his experiences shadowing a physician and working in a research lab. For an admissions committee member, reading several student applications back-to-back, the applicant implies that he’s fulfilled the “coursework and competencies” recommended by Drexel.
Overall, the applicant asks questions at the beginning and end of the personal statement. An admissions committee member can infer that he’s a thoughtful student, who’ll remain curious and engaged at Drexel and be proactive when seeking out opportunities at its affiliated healthcare centers.
Also, here, the personal statement doubles as an adversity essay; it shows he overcame a personal injury in his life. In lieu of Drexel’s admissions committee asking applicants to answer questions about adversity, this applicant uses his personal statement to display his grit and determination to succeed, similar to many non-traditional students who attend Drexel Med School.
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Part 5: Drexel Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
In addition to the AMCAS application, Drexel’s admissions committee requests that applicants submit a secondary application, which includes written responses to two essay questions. Below are tips on how to respond.
Question 1: If you are a recent graduate, please tell us what you have been doing since graduation. If you have not yet graduated, please discuss your current activities and engagements. We understand that it may have been difficult to obtain clinical or volunteer service experiences during the pandemic; therefore, be sure to discuss any traditional and /or nontraditional clinical exposures and volunteering experiences that you have done during this time. (No word limit)
Whether you are still in school, taking a gap year, or have been in the workforce for a significant amount of time, you can treat this space as you’d treat the AMCAS Work and Activities section by describing the non-academic experiences that have kept you busy. Just make sure you change up your language so you don’t plagiarize your own AMCAS application.
Include any jobs, internships, research, volunteer work, clinical experience, or other extracurricular activities you believe to be relevant. Applicants with considerable life experiences away from medicine may also want to use this space to discuss why they’ve switched career tracks.
In addition, Drexel explicitly states that this essay can be used to explain circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted your clinical and volunteering experiences. We encourage you to review our guidance on how to write about the pandemic.
Because there is no character limit, it’s up to you to decide the length and format of your response. For applicants with several experiences after graduation, we recommend that you include information in chronological order. Let’s read a sample response below of an applicant who’s had two substantive experiences after graduation:
After graduation, I spent fourteen months as a digital marketing associate at an advertising agency based in New York City. The job allowed me to work in a creative office and improve my interpersonal skills. My key responsibilities included supporting my supervisors with their clerical needs, pitching creative concepts to clients, and researching consumer data for our internal databases. Although I was removed from the world of medicine, I honed my ability to multitask, organize data, and manage projects with sizable budgets. The job required that I worked upwards of fifty hours a week. I believe these aspects of the experience have prepared me for the long hours and sometimes grueling nature of med school.
For the past six months, I’ve been an administrative assistant at a dermatologist's office. In this role, I assist head administrators in managing the day-to-day operations of the office and interface with patients to schedule appointments and answer questions about their visits and prescriptions. This experience has enhanced my familiarity with the healthcare industry, and my understanding of private-practice healthcare providers and the insurance industry. I’m excited to bring this knowledge base to med school.
Why is this a successful response?
Although this information may also appear in the applicant’s Work and Activities section, she makes sure to include it here, perhaps with a slightly less formal approach.
Still, she makes sure that both experiences are proof of her preparedness for med school. She alludes to the fact that she’s worked in collaborative environments and highlights her knowledge of the healthcare industry.
Question 2: What else do you feel is important for us to know about you? You can use this space to highlight something not addressed in your application, including new experiences not in your AMCAS application. You can also talk about how COVID -19 impacted you. For example, it may have caused disruptions or changes in your plans. If there is something you would like to share regarding how this event impacted you, share that information here. (1000 words)
Gain instant access to med school secondary essay examples for every single prompt required by every medical school in the United States and Canada. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.
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Part 6: Drexel Medical School interview
In recent admissions cycles, Drexel has invited 1,500–1,800 applicants to interview for admission into their MD program. Statistically speaking, this means that approximately 11–15 percent of applicants were given the chance to make their case for why Drexel was right for them.
Drexel’s interview process consists of two interviews: a traditional, open-file, one-on-one interview with a faculty member and a closed-file, group interview with a current student. If you are invited to interview, prepare just as you would for any medical school interview, keeping in mind Drexel’s culture, curriculum, research opportunities, etc. Keep in mind that in the 2024-2025 application cycle, all interviews will be held virtually.
In addition to relying on standard med school interview strategies, applicants should be aware of Drexel’s unique history and affiliated healthcare centers. Admissions officers want to make sure you’re a suitable candidate to represent the school off-campus in the regional healthcare community.
To this end, the admissions committee at Drexel will likely ask you questions to get to the heart of why you wish to attend their school and what you will add to their campus community. From our time assisting students with their journey through the Drexel admissions process, we’ve noted a few common questions applicants encounter.
What do you see as a challenge for your career in medicine?
Why did you choose to apply to Drexel?
Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want to be a doctor?
What is one topic or issue currently facing our modern healthcare system?
Tell me about a stressful time in your life. What did you learn from it?
What is one challenge you think you will face in medical school?
Tell me about your interest in medicine and how your experiences have shaped it.
What does your support system look like?
Most candidates know they should prepare for a “Why us?” or “Why medicine?” question, but have you thoroughly considered how you would respond to “Tell me about your interest in medicine and how your experiences have shaped it?” or “What is one topic or issue currently facing our modern healthcare system?”
Even within questions such as these, there’s an opportunity for you to craft an answer that includes why Drexel is your top choice. Perhaps you can speak to an experience in a research setting working on a topic that Drexel is currently investigating or how an issue you’ve identified in healthcare can be improved locally through your efforts. Adequate preparation for your interview day is key to overcoming the final hurdle on your journey to a white coat.
(Suggested reading: How to Ace Your Medical School Interviews)
Final thoughts
Drexel Medical School wants its matriculants to represent different corners of the nation. As an applicant, make sure the admissions committee knows how you stand out from the pack, and good luck!
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE MED SCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.