Joint B.A./M.D. Program (Rutgers University-Drexel University College of Medicine-Saint Peter's Healthcare System)

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 are available in the Health Professions Office starting April 1. Applications will not be accepted after May 15. There is no rolling admissions policy. Decisions are expected to be made in July. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 60 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). 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 toward the Rutgers B.A. degree.