Philadelphia’s Drexel University is joining a growing number of institutions across the country that offer accelerated three-year medical school programs. Cutting one year out of the traditional structure is aimed at making the degree more attainable and speeding up the physician pipeline to primary care and other specialties with workforce shortages.
Drexel will maintain its flagship four-year program and plans to launch the shorter version with its first students in the 2028-2029 academic year.
A three-year program can present a more efficient pathway to becoming a doctor for eligible students without sacrificing the rigors of study and training, said Dr. Leon McCrea, vice dean of educational affairs at Drexel College of Medicine.
