Drexel University College of Medicine sits in Philadelphia. It is one of the largest private medical schools in the United States, and one of the oldest institutions to have trained women physicians. Its lineage runs through Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, founded in 1850, and Hahnemann Medical College.
The college offers two curriculum tracks under its Foundations and Frontiers model: traditional, and problem-based learning. Students genuinely choose their learning format. Drexel graduates match broadly across specialties and across the country, with strong placement in the Philadelphia region.
What makes Drexel University College of Medicine (MD) different
Drexel University College of Medicine is consistently among the largest medical schools in the United States by total enrollment, accepting a class of approximately 300 students per year. The college traces its lineage through Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania (1850) — one of the first medical schools to graduate women in the US — and Hahnemann Medical College.
Drexel offers the Foundations and Frontiers curriculum pathway allowing students to choose between two distinct learning formats: a traditional lecture-based track and a problem-based learning small-group track. The school has strong graduate medical education partnerships across Philadelphia and a large combined-degree portfolio.
Drexel University College of Medicine (MD) course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Foundations and Frontiers curriculum offers two tracks: Tradition (lecture-based) and Fusion (problem-based, small-group learning). Years 1–2 at the Queen Lane campus. Years 3–4: core clerkships across the Tower Health system, Friends Hospital, Geisinger Lewistown, and Philadelphia teaching hospital affiliates. Dual-degree tracks include MD/PhD, MD/MPH, and MD/MBA.
Drexel University College of Medicine (MD) research strengths
Drexel University College of Medicine (MD) is strong in these research areas:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cancer biology
- Health equity in underserved Philadelphia communities
- Psychiatry and addiction medicine
- Infectious disease
How the Drexel University College of Medicine (MD) interview runs
Format: Traditional one-on-one or panel interviews with faculty and students
Drexel College of Medicine interview day is held on the Queen Lane campus in Philadelphia's East Falls neighborhood. Candidates typically participate in two one-on-one sessions of 30–40 minutes each with a faculty physician and a current medical student.
Interviewers have reviewed the full application beforehand and tend to focus on academic and clinical narrative, resilience (given the large class size and large applicant pool), and personal motivation. The day includes a tour of the Queen Lane campus, the basic science building, and Hahnemann University Hospital's former facilities, informal lunch with current students, and an admissions information session.
Drexel uses a structured holistic review rubric aligned with AAMC Core Competencies.
Drexel University College of Medicine (MD) intake
Approximately 305 students per year.
Drexel University College of Medicine (MD) at a glance
Founded in 1850. Based in Philadelphia, PA.
Programmes offered:
- Primary Care
- Internal Medicine
- Surgery
- Psychiatry
- Emergency Medicine