The Intensive Medical Sciences (IMS) program has been helping students matriculate and succeed in medical school since 1981. The oldest post-bac program of its kind, IMS is a ‘Special Master’s’ program, where students take medical school equivalent coursework to demonstrate their readiness for the rigor of a medical school program. The IMS program has helped hundreds of students matriculate and succeed in medical schools across the country.

Located in the new, state-of-the-art Health Science Building on Drexel’s main campus in the heart of University City, this accelerated master’s program begins in August and ends in late May. This allows students who are ready to apply to medical schools while in the program to matriculate into medical school following its completion. Some students apply after graduation. Once onboarded into the program, our advisors work with each student to put together their strongest application.

Applicants to the Intensive Medical Sciences program include students who are:

• Interested in improving their academic record before applying or reapplying to medical school
• Interested in applying to dental, or other health professional schools
• Interested in immersing themselves in rigorous coursework during their growth year

Focus on Academics

Students take courses equivalent to the first year of medical school, including: Medical Biochemistry, Physiology, Microanatomy, Immunology, Neuroanatomy and Nutrition. Medical school lectures are digitally recorded and accessible online via streaming video.

Additionally, students engage in course conferences and laboratory components conducted at the Center City Campus by the medical school faculty. Historically, the IMS program has proven successful in helping students gain entry into highly selective medical schools throughout the United States, including Drexel University College of Medicine.

Learn more about the curriculum

Focus on Success

We have established affiliation agreements with several medical schools that offer our Intensive Medical Sciences students interviews upon successful completion of the IMS program provided that students meet specific GPA and MCAT benchmarks. For the MD program at Drexel University College of Medicine, a student must be currently enrolled in the IMS program to be eligible for the guaranteed interview.

Our advisors support student throughout the entire program, including the application process.

Focus on Options

Intensive Medical Sciences students are well prepared and supported while applying to either medical school, dental or other health professional schools.

Some students require two consecutive years of strong academic performance in a rigorous graduate post-bac program before applying to medical schools. IMS students may opt to spend a second year doing research through the Master of Science in Medical Sciences program or choose to pursue alternative pathways within the Biomedical Science program, offered through Drexel’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems.

Meet An Alumnus – Franklin Burg

"Going through the [Intensive Medical Sciences] program and getting above the threshold that they require for the guaranteed interview proved to myself and proved to other medical schools that I do have the academic strengths needed to be successful. Another nice thing about the program is getting to see what medical school is like before getting in. Drexel's master's program is different from other master's programs because here you are actually taking real medical school classes." Read Franklin's story.

Dedicated Faculty Letter Writers

Students in the Intensive Medical Sciences program receive additional support by an assigned faculty letter writer who will provide a letter of evaluation for application to health professional schools. See a list of faculty letter writers to the Intensive Medical Sciences program.