We require applicants to submit their MCAT scores in order to be considered for admission into the MD/PhD program. The GRE is not required.
When we receive your AMCAS application, you will be asked to fill out a medical school secondary application. The link to the secondary application will be emailed to you. Once we receive your medical school secondary application and your letters of recommendation, the MD/PhD Admissions Committee will conduct an in-depth review of your completed application. A decision will then be made to:
- grant you an interview;
- place your application on hold; or
- no longer consider your application.
You will be informed of the status of your application in a timely manner. Your application to the medical school is evaluated by a separate committee. The MD/PhD Admissions Committee's decision does not affect your application to medical school.
If your application is not considered for the MD/PhD program, than you will be automatically considered for the MD program at Drexel University College of Medicine, where your application will then be reviewed by their committee.
Once you submit your AMCAS secondary application, you will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application to our program. If you are missing additional materials, or if there is any change in the status of your application, we will send you an email update. You will receive these updates at the email address you provide on your application. If you have not received an update, please email MDPhD@drexelmed.edu and we will be happy to provide you with your application status.
Admission is based upon undergraduate grades, MCAT scores, letters of recommendation, laboratory and clinical experiences, and personal interviews. Lab experience is an essential component of a successful application.
For 2022-2023 admissions season, we received 274 applications and interviewed 59 applicants. An average of four students are accepted per year.
The MD/PhD program does not limit the number of letters reviewed. All letters will be reviewed, even though MSAR indicates Drexel accepts a maximum of four letters. Although, all letters are reviewed we recommend only sending strong letters of recommendation.
We do not accept transfers from the Drexel MD program to the MD/PhD program as of 2019.
You can view the Research and Concentration Areas and Training mentors page. Ideally, during the interview process you will be able to interview with the mentors you select. It is most helpful to select mentors in the field of study you are interested in.
On average, our MD/PhD students take seven–eight years to complete the program. Students must complete, submit and defend their PhD thesis before returning to their last two years of medical school. The MD and PhD degrees are awarded simultaneously upon completion of all the requirements.
Students in the MD/PhD program receive a full tuition waiver, a competitive stipend ($35,000 per year) and medical insurance allowance throughout the course of study.
Applicants meet with potential rotation mentors during their interview at Drexel University College of Medicine during the application process. Accepted students are encouraged to return for a second look weekend to meet with prospective mentors and further discuss rotations. MD/PhD students complete two to three six-week full-time rotations before they select their lab. Typically, the rotation is scheduled for the summer between the first and second year, or after the completion of the third year of medical school before the beginning of the PhD phase of the training.
Our program does not require the MD/PhD students to serve as teaching assistants, although there may be teaching opportunities.
Our students play a vital role in the recruitment and assessment of all MD/PhD applicants. The College of Medicine has a history of student involvement in all levels of our MD/PhD program. Our students meet routinely with the program director and Advisory Committee to help guide our program. Our MD/PhD students are a group of extremely talented, motivated and driven scholars. We expect our students to add value to our research enterprise by contributing to grants and papers, to increase interest and ability to do translational research among graduate students, medical students and basic faculty, and to encourage academic interaction with Drexel's engineering community. In addition, our MD/PhD students are a driving force behind events such as Medical Student Research Day.