Overview
Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM), a 21st Century Name for a College with 19th Century Roots
Established in 1848 and 1850, respectively, Hahnemann Medical College and Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania were among the first medical colleges in the United States. In fact, Woman's Medical College was the very first medical school for women in the entire world. These two proud institutions merged just a few years ago to form Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM), which today has over 1,000 medical students, the largest enrollment of any private medical school in the U.S. DUCOM has over 500 graduate students, and is also the academic partner in the training and education of 550 medical residents. DUCOM has over 700 clinical and basic science faculty members, and more than 1,700 affiliate and volunteer faculty members.
Queen Lane, in a suburban setting in the East Falls area of Philadelphia, is the location of the College of Medicine's main campus. The Center City campus is home to Hahnemann University Hospital, while the school's Pediatrics Department is located at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. The psychiatry program is based at Friends Hospital, and students can get a solid clinical education at any of twenty-five affiliated hospitals and ambulatory sites. Year after year, DUCOM produces a huge number of medical professionals through its M.D. program, biomedical graduate studies program, dual-degree programs, postdoctoral and professional studies programs, and continuing medical education offerings.
Medical Science and Professional Studies Programs Are Key Strengths in a Uniformly Strong List of Majors
DUCOM's medical science programs are post-baccalaureate, premedical programs that target three core candidate groups: professional career changers, those seeking career enhancement, and minorities under-represented in the health professions. For these individuals, DUCOM offers graduate-level Medical Science Preparatory (MSP), Drexel Pathway to Medical School (DPMS), and Interdepartmental Medical Science (IMS) Programs.
Through the challenging curricula, students upgrade their academic credentials to enhance their applications, particularly in medicine. There is an Evening Post-Baccalaureate Premedical (PMED) Program to help career changes, and students can choose a career while strengthening academic standing in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (IHS) Program. DUCOM also offers the Veterinary Medical Science (VMS) Program for students wishing to improve their academic records before applying to veterinary schools.
DUCOM's professional studies programs include the Master of Forensic Science (MFS) Program, the Master of Laboratory Animal Science (MLAS) Program, the Master of Criminalistic Science (MCS) Program, the ONLINE Master of Laboratory Science (Online MLAS) Program, the Master of Pathologists' Assistant (PathA) Program, the 36-credit eLearning Clinical Research Organization and Management (CROM) Program, the Master of Histotechnology (MHP) Program, and the Certificate Studies in Clinical Research (CSCR) programs for both college graduates and working professionals who desire a career in the healthcare field.
The Interdepartmental Medical Science (IMS) Program and Other Special Programs Give DUCOM a Leading-Edge Cachet
DUCOM is particularly proud of its Interdepartmental Medical Science (IMS) Program. Established in 1981, it has helped many students get into top American medical schools. With an interdisciplinary curriculum, IMS offers the basic science courses of a first-year medical school program, presented in clinical, system-based modules. The IMS program is particularly appropriate for students late in applying to medical school, those interested in upgrading their academic records before they apply (or re-apply) to schools, and/or those needing a year in a that environment to see if medicine is the right career choice. The IMS program was initially designed so college graduates could strengthen the academic credentials required to enter a U.S. medical school program, but it is also able to assist students looking to attend optometry, dental, chiropractic, podiatry, or other professional schools of healthcare.
DUCOM Makes the National Rankings Because of Top-Rated Faculty Members and First-Rate Scientists
At DUCOM, research, education, and patient care are the core of its unique heritage and the foundation for a dynamic future. The impressive roster of physicians and scientists that make up the faculty are making significant breakthroughs in research and providing quality care to patients. They are not only among the best and brightest, but the most committed and compassionate. The faculty received accolades from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), which recognized DUCOM for a "unique, vibrant culture of educational excellence," an "exceptional concentration of committed, student-centered educators," and a "most competitive and exciting culture of scholarship, innovation and opportunity."
The "U.S. News & World Report" 2007 "America's Best Graduate Schools" ranked DUCOM eighty-eighth in research, ninety-second in primary care, sixteenth in women's health, and at 125 for its biological sciences doctoral program. DUCOM is one of just twenty-one National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health designated by the Department of Health and Human Services, and its HIV/AIDS primary care practice is the largest on the East Coast and in the Top 5 nationwide. Other leading specialties include pain management, sports medicine, and toxicology.
DUCOM Thrives in the Eclectic, Culturally Diverse, Growing Neighborhood of East Falls
East Falls, a neighborhood at the northwest corner of Philadelphia, is adjacent to the Germantown and Fairmount Park neighborhoods and runs along the banks of the Schuylkill River for a few miles on Ridge Avenue. East Falls continues to grow, develop, and mature, with new retail establishments, recreation centers, and single-family homes being built all the time. East Falls has variety and charm, with various bars and restaurants, two train stations, ethnic grocery stores and beautiful mansions. Entrepreneurs continue to renovate classic houses and buildings that add value to the area. The culturally diverse East Falls neighborhood is a proud place, in a city that offers world-class dining, entertainment, cultural events, and the other delights of modern life. New York is close, of course, so DUCOM students want for naught in terms of city offerings and opportunities.
