Rutgers University/Drexel University
College of Medicine/Saint Peter's Healthcare System Joint Bachelor of
Arts/Medical Degree (B.A./M.D.) Program
The program is designed to attract
highly motivated students of superior ability and accomplishments. The program permits the early
identification of students wishing to make an early decision regarding admission
to Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM).This program is open to students
enrolled at Rutgers University who are United States citizens or permanent
residents of the United States. Currently, the program is only associated with the Rutgers
University–New Brunswick Campus.
Admission is a highly competitive
process. Undergraduate students
are admitted into the program by the executive committee consisting of Rutgers
University and Drexel University College of Medicine faculty. Eligible applicants are sophomores at
the Rutgers University–New Brunswick Campus. The executive committee reviews and
interviews applicants and makes recommendations for admission to the Drexel
University College of Medicine Admissions Committee. The Drexel University College of Medicine Admissions
Committee makes the final decision on the acceptance, rejection, or dismissal of
Rutgers students into the medical phase (matriculation at Drexel University
College of Medicine) of this program. The executive committee will notify the applicant of its final decision
in writing, once the medical school admissions committee makes its decision.
Applicants must be in their fourth
semester at Rutgers University. Applications will not be accepted until April 1 in order to allow time
for as much information as possible to be transmitted. Applications will not be accepted after
May 15. Decisions are expected to
be made in July. Applicants
must have completed a minimum of 40 credits of which 30 credits must be at
Rutgers and must have been in attendance at Rutgers a minimum of one year. Additionally, applicants must have a
minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 by the end of the third semester and
this grade-point average must be maintained throughout the remaining semesters. The applicant must have completed by
the end of the fourth semester, two semesters of biology with labs, two
semesters of general chemistry with lab, two semesters of organic chemistry,
one semester of college-level mathematics, and one semester of English. Applicants who have not taken General
Biology I and II at Rutgers University, either because they have been awarded
advanced placement biology credits or because they have transferred equivalent
courses from another institution, must have at least one year of upper-division
biology courses at Rutgers–New Brunswick (i.e., two courses of at least 3 or more credits
each at the 200 level or higher). An application form has been developed that allows the student to
provide the committee with information the committee deems useful for its
deliberations.
The program consists of four years
at Rutgers University–New Brunswick undergraduate school followed by
a four-year medical program at Drexel University College of Medicine
(DUCOM). Students in the program
are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and a minimum science
GPA of 3.5 in all BCPM courses (all biological sciences, chemistry, physics, and
mathematics courses) with no individual grade of less than a C in any
course. No repeated courses are
allowed. The MCAT must be taken no
later than April 30 of the third year and students must receive in a single
examination a minimum MCAT score of 9 or better in the verbal section and 10 or better in the physical and biological sciences section, or a total
minimum score of 31 (with no individual subsection score less than 8) and a
letter score of P or higher on the MCAT writing section. Students are not allowed to take the
MCAT more than three times to achieve the required scores. If the GPA or MCAT requirements are not
met, students will be dismissed from the program.
In New Jersey, DUCOM is affiliated
with Saint Peter's University Hospital, and accepted B.A./M.D. students have the
unique opportunity to conduct a required clinical and/or research project at
Saint Peter's University Hospital for which they will earn 2 credits each
for their last four semesters at Rutgers. Furthermore, students will complete a preceptorship with
staff physicians. The credits
awarded will fulfill elective credits towards the Rutgers B.A. degree.
For further information on this program, you
may contact the Division of Life Sciences, Health Professions Office, Nelson
Biology Laboratories, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8082, at 732-445-5667.