Drexel University College of Medicine

Lectures are podcasted, typically about 50 minutes each with an accompanying set of notes, so Jonathan Acosta studies in campus study rooms on a self-set schedule and works through material with a small group of friends. The big adjustment from undergrad, Jonathan says, is sheer volume.

One thing Jonathan especially valued: coursework on the business of health care, covering legislation, insurance, and reimbursement, which demystified how the system is structured.

First- and second-year students study at Drexel's University City campus in Philadelphia, which opened its Health Sciences Building to MD students in 2023.

Drexel also runs a four-year campus in West Reading with Tower Health, where students train at Reading Hospital for all four years, and lists Allegheny Health Network among its regional medical campuses.

Clerkships spread across a wide network of academic affiliates, each with an on-site associate director who keeps the experience consistent with the Drexel clerkship: among them Lankenau Medical Center, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Jefferson Abington, and the Coatesville VA.

The network reaches from Philadelphia's suburbs to Pittsburgh, giving students exposure to community, children's, behavioral health, and veterans' care.

Drexel offers unusual routes in: the Drexel Pathway to Medical School, a one-year master's with conditional entry to the MD program, and a BA/BS+MD early assurance program for undergraduates.

Jonathan describes a non-competitive class with a large circle of friends, intramural sports, and plenty of student clubs to lead.