UPenn vs Drexel 7-year med

Parents Forum
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<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I was just accepted into UPenn's class of 2017, and I have to pretty much decide between there and Drexel's 7 year BS/MD program. I know I want to become a doctor, and I'm not afraid to have to work a bit harder in college to get there. Also, the Drexel program will be saving me a year, but I'd still have to apply to the med school and take the MCATs (but only reach a minimum score). </p>

<p>They're both the same amount, basically, but Id be saving a year of tuition overall with Drexel's program. Also, my parents dont really mind "investing" in my education at a top tier school like Penn.</p>

<p>Does anyone know how strong the pre-med courses are at Penn to prepare you for the MCATs and med school? Anyone who had to decide in a similar situation? </p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

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<p>If you are not absolutely, 100% sure that you want to become a doctor – or if you think that you might want to become a medical researcher rather than a practicing physician – I would give serious consideration to UPenn.</p>

<p>If you change your mind about medical school, then what you would get is a bachelor’s degree, and a bachelor’s degree from UPenn opens a lot more doors than one from Drexel.</p>

<p>And if you think you might be interested in research, then the choice of medical school matters more than it does for those who plan to practice medicine. You might well find that you don’t want to be at Drexel for medical school. You might want an MD/PhD program, and you might want to be at a more prestigious school because that matters in the world of research in a way that it doesn’t in the world of practicing physicians.</p>

<p>And congratulations! You have two really excellent choices here, and you have obviously worked hard to earn them.</p>

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<p>Do the 7 year program, it’ll save a year of your life</p>

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<p>Is financial aid an issue? And congrats! You have two great choices. IMHO, neither one will be a mistake.</p>

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<p>I received my MD from what is now Drexel School of Medicine and I think they have a very good program there including an MP/PhD track. Also, Drexel has the best facilities of any medical school in Philadelphia and is also in a safer location than the other schools, though that is not saying much.</p>

<p>The one thing I would want to know is what is Drexel’s minimum score on the MCAT to continue on to the medical school? The MCAT is a very hard exam and achieving a good score on it takes a lot of effort. Currently the average Drexel matriculant had a score of 31. If their minimum is much over 30 be aware that that kind of score is not a sure thing for anybody.</p>

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<p>Wow, two really tough choices. Make sure to keep cost in mind.</p>

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<p>Note that Drexel’s accelerated medical school program does require you to maintain a 3.5 GPA and get at least a 31 on the MCAT with at least a P on the writing section.</p>

<p>[Accelerated</a> Degree Program Application Process | Undergraduate Admissions | Drexel University](<a href=“http://www.drexel.edu/undergrad/apply/freshmen-instructions/accelerated/]Accelerated”>BA/BS+MD Early Assurance Program)</p>

<p>You can compare Drexel’s medical school tuition here:</p>

<p><a href=“https://services.aamc.org/tsfreports/select.cfm?year_of_study=2013[/url]”>https://services.aamc.org/tsfreports/select.cfm?year_of_study=2013&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>When I walk into a doctor’s office, I’d be more impressed by a UPenn diploma than one from Drexel. Because most people are shallow and judge like that.</p>

<p>But that’s only if Upenn is affordable for you. That’s really important in deciding. I’m just giving you my gut reaction. There are so many other factors.</p>

<p>And congrats on your excellent choices.</p>

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<p>With a ug degree from Penn (and a solid GPA and MCAT) you might well be able to getting into a “higher” ranked med school than Drexel. Is that important to you? How high are you aiming in a medical career? Are you aiming for an academic career, where a tippy top med school/residency/fellowship is important? Or are you looking into family practice not in a big city?</p>

<p>I recommend you find out where Drexel MDs end up for residency. Match Day was just a couple of weeks ago (March 15), so the class of 2013 have their results now. </p>

<p>One good place to get info on Drexel med school are the forums of the Student Doctor Network. Some current Drexel students have posted in the premed allopathic forum, on the Drexel thread.</p>

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<p>They both will cost me about the same (although I would be saving a year’s tuition if I did the 7 year program). </p>

<p>I know of people who went to Penn and went off to amazing med schools, but I also know of people who ended up in the Caribbean for med school after not placing anywhere. </p>

<p>It’s definitely a tough decision because I absolutely love Penn but I see why choosing Drexel’s med program could be helpful and how I would probably have to work a lot harder at Penn for almost the same result.</p>

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<p>This is a good point.</p>

<p>I have a question myself. Does being from a certain medical school help you get into more selective specialties, such as dermatology or orthopedics. I know it won’t get you admitted in itself, but I was curious whether this was a tip factor.</p>

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<p>I don’t think it’s difficult to graduate in 3 years from UPenn if you come in with a decent amount of AP credit.</p>

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<p>drexel!!!</p>

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<p>I’m actually more concerned with my chances of getting into med school in four years if I go to Penn rather than saving just a year. The last thing I want to do is regret not just taking the “easy” way out now later on if I don’t even get into Drexel (which is a relatively good med school). </p>

<p>And if I say no to Drexel now will they not take me in later in case I dont end up somewhere more prestigious-- like Penn or even Georgetown (I was also accepted there… any thoughts regarding life as a premed Hoya)?</p>

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<p>End up somewhere more prestigious for med school, that is.</p>

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<p>It depends on how confident you are that you could be an academic star (get mostly A’s) at Penn. If you don’t know, then it could be a definite risk.</p>

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<p>I would choose Penn- it is a phenomenal school, and I would bet that their students do better with med school placements (just a hunch). I am a physician and know very well that there is a phenomenon of academic inbreeding- that is, the higher ranked medical schools tend to get their graduates into better ranked residency programs. Note: my son was rejected at Penn, and I did not attend either Penn or Drexel.</p>

<p>Collegecrazing- the two main factors for med school are GPA and MCAT scores. However, I am convinced that there is a “I scratch your back, you scratch mine” mentality in academic medicine. If you are looking to be an academic physician, then there is something to be said for going to a high powered med school or residency program. However, if you want to be a primary care physician, then it really doesn’t matter where you go- a Harvard trained MD will be no better than a state school MD in taking care of a cold.</p>

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<p>That is a tough choice. If you are absolutely, positively set to go to med school, I would say Drexel. But I want to warn you that I know a lovely young woman who turned down a number of ivy and highly selective choices for such a program, and changed her mind after a year. She hated the school with that dual program, it made her sick. She despised it and changed her mind about medicine too. Yep, a total turn around and with a doctor dad too. She did not get into schools as selective as her original choices were, but has since graduated from her state school, and now in her early 30s doing very well, but it was a turbulent time for her parents. </p>

<p>I personally know of two people with choices similar to yours and they each picked differently. One Harvard vs UMich w med, the other Harvard with some other school, can’t remember which one with auto med. One went with the UMich choice and the other chose Harvard. They are both MDs today, and neither regret their choices. </p>

<p>The other person I knew who went to John Carroll on an semi auto deal, did not get the med scores she needed to get into UCinnci medical school. In fact, I know two in that situation. Both turned down more selective colleges for the med school option. </p>

<p>So it’s all up to you. Can’t say which is better, really. UPenn is no slam dunk in terms of getting the grades to get into med school. It’s a gauntlet in itself for premeds. You can look at those who start out as aspiring premeds, and how many end up gettiing accepted by the UPenn med school committee to process those med school apps. Yeah, close to 100% so selected get an offer, but believe me, natural sciences at a school like UPenn are weed outs, especially O-Chem and lab. </p>

<p>So check out the numbers and make sure you are looking at relevant comparisons. What percent of those in thise Drexel program do not make it into med school each year? What percent of aspiring freshman prmeds drop out of the track, and believe me, most of do so because a grade quashes any chance of getting into med school.</p>

<p>Good luck. Both are great choices, so you are fortunate to have this problem, but, yes it is quite the dilemma.</p>

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<p>As of now, I know I want to practice medicine. If I do the Drexel program, my life would be a lot easier-- I wont really have to do any research, I wont have to compete, or lead the stressful life of a premed. If I go to Penn… well, I’ll have an ivy league diploma, but there isn’t anything saying I’ll even get into med school, no matter how hard I work. Penn is definitely not an easy school. A lot of kids at Penn end up doing really well (85% of their premeds who apply to med school get in, but I doubt that last 15% is happy with their situation).</p>

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<p>I’m not even looking at that 85% figure. Those are the ones who stuck it out as premeds and made it through the gauntlet. Look at who started out premed and dropped the program. I went to a premed factory type school, and less than half of brilliant high school graduates going there with premed aspirations even ended up applying to med school. Some, yes, lost interest or found something more interesting that they preferred or decided it just wasn’t worth the work–and those are all things that can happen with you too; you are only 18 and the odds are that you will change quite a bit in the next 4 years. But most had their minds changed when grades derailed their hopes.</p>