How does Drexel rank?What are its strengths?
Drexel
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Drexel is undeniably low-prestige, which explains why it is the "Rodney Dangerfield" of medical schools on this ranking-obsessed website. As a second year student there, let me provide you with the real deal:
Weaknesses: Underservedly poor rep, admistrative instability,
small endowment, undersized facilitites for oversized student body, little research activity
Strengths: Strong focus on teaching as opposed to research, diverse student body, both ethnically and otherwise, low-key academic atmosphere that discourages unnecessary competition
Weaknesses: Underservedly poor rep, admistrative instability,
small endowment, undersized facilitites for oversized student body, little research activity
Strengths: Strong focus on teaching as opposed to research, diverse student body, both ethnically and otherwise, low-key academic atmosphere that discourages unnecessary competition
F
ForensicPath
Who cares where it ranks. Its strengths are that they accepted me.
I don't know why drexel gets the bad rap that it does on these boards, but I liked it when I visited. I currently attend undergrad school that is on the mainline just outside of philadelphia and about 7 miles (10 minute drive if no traffic) from drexel med. The area where I am in right now is suburban and actually kind of upper class. However, apartments are definitely affordable (I pay share a 3 bedroom with 2 other people and we only pay $500 a month each, which includes all bills). So if you are worried about Drexel being in philly, don't. The area immediately around drexel is nice as well.
I also liked Drexel's large class size. I went to a large high school and my college is fairly large, so it would be an adjustment for me to attend a school that only has 90 or so students per class. Plus I think its easier to make friends in a large class.
Drexel also seems to be keeping up with the times in terms of technology. The campus is wireless and all lectures are videotaped and put on the web for later use. You are required to have a laptop and a PDA (I think).
The the other thing I liked about Drexel was the fact that it is in a city. Cities seem like they would be great places to get your clinical experience because of the diverse and large population. And while philadelphia is no new york, it still has plenty to do.
Now I could be completely speaking out of turn since I have only visited it once, but I did get a good impression from it when I did.
Hmm . . . true about the adjustment, but I would disagree about the making friends part. From your post, I wonder if you have ever been in a small class to compare/contrast with a large class. From my experience, in a small class, there is more of a family-like environment. This may be good (more support) or bad (everyone's all up in your business). But overall, small classes force you to get along.
Large class = more variety, more anonymity.
Small class = less variety, less anonymity.
F
ForensicPath
Actually I have been in a small class. My public school, which I attended until 8th grade had maybe 100 students in my class. My high school, which was private, had 600. My university has about 1500 per class (I think). So, I definitely prefer the larger class. I'm not the type who feels a burning desire to know everyone I attend school with. I prefer having a small group of close-knit friends. And you did mention that a large class has more variety, which is something I like a lot. But in the end, there is no correct response to this question, it depends on the person.
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I don't even know why I applied. But i'm glad I did. I went to the interview with a closed mind, I had never heard of the school. Even though my grades preclude me from making a judgement on any school I thought it would be hard to like any school after interviewing at Tulane. I really enjoyed Drexel and would be happy to be accepted especially since I was placed in the acceptable range category at Tulane whatever the **** that means. The only thing i didn't like but i forgot to ask about was that in the brochure they sent with the secondary it says that the lecture halls hold 180 students when the IFM curriculum has around 200 students enrolled.
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Though I've gotten 5 other interviews (from 9 responses total so far)... Drexel decided by 33 MCAT and 3.6 GPA wasn't good enough for an interview even 
Oh well
They can't be that bad of a school if they cut off that high.
Oh wellThey can't be that bad of a school if they cut off that high.
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I thought I'd do this just for all the premeds interested in what goes on at Drexel from a second year IFM perspective. I made this post last year and now I?ll update it since I have more insight now as a second year.
Pros:
1. we have awesome module guides and all our lectures are recorded and can be accessed online. we also have a student-run transcription service which types up lectures (word for word) which is available for purchase. What does this mean for you??? Class is an OPTION so you can use your time as you choose.
2. wireless internet access throughout the school is awesome.
3. the professors are fantastic and most of them are strictly there to teach and not affiliated w/ research (which means they're accessible and you can talk to them at any time. For example, our physio prof routinely stays at school and answers questions until midnight the night before exams).
4. the area is very good relative to other med schools in the area (Not to name any names...).
5. the professors are totally responsive to our input... for example, after a weeklong exam fest, we were scheduled for a cumulative biochem final the following monday... we voiced our concerns and got the final pushed back to tuesday.
6. the class totally pulls together. everyone helps each other out and teaches each other.. for our last gross practical, the top students got together w/ the profs and put together a review for the rest of the class.. for microanatomy, the class compiled a huge list of concepts/definitions that were going to be on the final, and distributed them to the entire class... we have a class website where students always post their notes/study guides for all to use... for our pharm class, we all contribute to make pharm charts for all to use? these are just a FEW of the examples of how our class always pulls together to help each other out.
7. totally noncompetitive environment. classes are graded honors, high pass, pass, marginally unsatisfactory. The professors set out guidelines at the beginning of the class so you know what you have to do to earn a given grade. For example, many of the professors set honors at 90-92%, high pass 88-91% and pass is anything above 70%. So you're competing against YOURSELF and not anyone else.
8. we have a great ceac facility which we use for standardized patient interviews.
9. class size is large (~250 people) which means you?ll have TONS of opportunities to make friends. This is NOT some impersonal school where people don?t like each other cuz they?re competing against each other. Rather we all pull together, help each other out, and it?s totally easy to make friends and meet people.
10. campus is in a safe, quiet, residential area so there?s a strong sense of community on the campus since all of the students at med students along w/ some grad students as well.
11. many people within walking distance or simply across the street.
12. excellent clinical training with 2 major university hospitals (MCP, Hahnemann hospitals) and many other affiliated hospitals in jersey, Pittsburgh, and other parts of PA.
Cons:
1. gross anatomy lasts way too long (mid september-mid may)... but there are other med schools around the country with this same deal?
2. att wireless sucks at the school... If you have it, you're assed out. I would suggest dropping them (and forking over the $175 early-termination fee) and getting verizon (which is best) or sprint (which runs a close second).
3. research opportunities, while available, aren?t as readily accessible/available as they are at other schools.
4. last but NOT least, it's expensive like ALL other private schools. I think for 2003-2004, it's about 33K for tuition. However, on the bright side (if there is any), philly is a relatively cheap place to live (you can get your OWN apartment close to school for ~450-700 dollars depending on how nice/large of a place you want).
Other considerations:
1. Our incoming class (2002) had the following stats: 3.45, 30 mcat.
2. the school accepts TONS of out of staters (particularly california students).
3. Our interviews are very kickback and friendly.
4. graduating seniors for 2003 had a fantastic match, with quite a few ending up in very competitive specialities at great locations(derm, ent, ortho, and one plastics).
5. we also have the pil program which is for small-group, self-directed learning (which i don't know much about since i'm an ifm student so i won't say anything else).
Pros:
1. we have awesome module guides and all our lectures are recorded and can be accessed online. we also have a student-run transcription service which types up lectures (word for word) which is available for purchase. What does this mean for you??? Class is an OPTION so you can use your time as you choose.
2. wireless internet access throughout the school is awesome.
3. the professors are fantastic and most of them are strictly there to teach and not affiliated w/ research (which means they're accessible and you can talk to them at any time. For example, our physio prof routinely stays at school and answers questions until midnight the night before exams).
4. the area is very good relative to other med schools in the area (Not to name any names...).
5. the professors are totally responsive to our input... for example, after a weeklong exam fest, we were scheduled for a cumulative biochem final the following monday... we voiced our concerns and got the final pushed back to tuesday.
6. the class totally pulls together. everyone helps each other out and teaches each other.. for our last gross practical, the top students got together w/ the profs and put together a review for the rest of the class.. for microanatomy, the class compiled a huge list of concepts/definitions that were going to be on the final, and distributed them to the entire class... we have a class website where students always post their notes/study guides for all to use... for our pharm class, we all contribute to make pharm charts for all to use? these are just a FEW of the examples of how our class always pulls together to help each other out.
7. totally noncompetitive environment. classes are graded honors, high pass, pass, marginally unsatisfactory. The professors set out guidelines at the beginning of the class so you know what you have to do to earn a given grade. For example, many of the professors set honors at 90-92%, high pass 88-91% and pass is anything above 70%. So you're competing against YOURSELF and not anyone else.
8. we have a great ceac facility which we use for standardized patient interviews.
9. class size is large (~250 people) which means you?ll have TONS of opportunities to make friends. This is NOT some impersonal school where people don?t like each other cuz they?re competing against each other. Rather we all pull together, help each other out, and it?s totally easy to make friends and meet people.
10. campus is in a safe, quiet, residential area so there?s a strong sense of community on the campus since all of the students at med students along w/ some grad students as well.
11. many people within walking distance or simply across the street.
12. excellent clinical training with 2 major university hospitals (MCP, Hahnemann hospitals) and many other affiliated hospitals in jersey, Pittsburgh, and other parts of PA.
Cons:
1. gross anatomy lasts way too long (mid september-mid may)... but there are other med schools around the country with this same deal?
2. att wireless sucks at the school... If you have it, you're assed out. I would suggest dropping them (and forking over the $175 early-termination fee) and getting verizon (which is best) or sprint (which runs a close second).
3. research opportunities, while available, aren?t as readily accessible/available as they are at other schools.
4. last but NOT least, it's expensive like ALL other private schools. I think for 2003-2004, it's about 33K for tuition. However, on the bright side (if there is any), philly is a relatively cheap place to live (you can get your OWN apartment close to school for ~450-700 dollars depending on how nice/large of a place you want).
Other considerations:
1. Our incoming class (2002) had the following stats: 3.45, 30 mcat.
2. the school accepts TONS of out of staters (particularly california students).
3. Our interviews are very kickback and friendly.
4. graduating seniors for 2003 had a fantastic match, with quite a few ending up in very competitive specialities at great locations(derm, ent, ortho, and one plastics).
5. we also have the pil program which is for small-group, self-directed learning (which i don't know much about since i'm an ifm student so i won't say anything else).
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Originally posted by Nor2themax
Though I've gotten 5 other interviews (from 9 responses total so far)... Drexel decided by 33 MCAT and 3.6 GPA wasn't good enough for an interview even
They can't be that bad of a school if they cut off that high.
No. they probably decided that your stats were too high for them... and that you wouldn't seriously consider going to drexel if accepted.
3.6/33 can get you in other schools....
M
moops
actually, i wouldn't be suprrised- i as well as many others i knew had 33+ and higher gpa's- it's just that so many other applicants do as well, so it does become a crapshoot.
then again, there is prob. some truth to the fact that they assumed you would go to your state school, which is prob. better, with your stats- over drexel
good luck
then again, there is prob. some truth to the fact that they assumed you would go to your state school, which is prob. better, with your stats- over drexel
good luck
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Drexel interviews tons of people with higher than 30 MCATs and awesome GPAs (as well as other mixes of scores). They accept and reject them. There is a ton more than just numbers that they look at when screening for interviews and acceptances. It's not just about numbers.
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I agree. Residents that I work with have suggested that schools in cities offer greater variety of cases and have better managed and more interesting ERs. I don't know if that's the case with Drexel, but that's what I heard. I currently work at UM, which has a poorly managed ER, doesn't have radiologists on call 24/7, and the residents don't get enough trauma experience. Plus, as med students, being somewhere with more cases means more interesting work for them and experiencing a wider variety of cases.
