9 Best Medical Schools In Pennsylvania (Everything You Need To Know)

Philadelphia is home to prestigious institutions such as Perelman, Sidney Kimmel, and Lewis Katz medical schools, while Pittsburgh, Lake Erie, Geisinger, and Hershey’s Penn State provide other amazing medical school options in Pennsylvania.

Students enrolled in any of the nine allopathic and osteopathic medical schools located here can receive a top-tier education under the guidance of esteemed medical professionals.

Read on for the essential facts and get everything you need to know about applying for med school inside of Pennsylvania.

List of the 9 Best Medical Colleges in Pennsylvania

The following schools are ranked according to their position in the US News Top Medical Schools – Research list for 2022.

1. Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

File:Clinical Research Building of the Perelman School of Medicine.jpg
Clinical Research Building of the Perelman School of Medicine | image by Rehua via WikipediaCC BY-SA 3.0

The Perelman School of Medicine is the country’s oldest medical school (it’s in the no.1 spot on our list here: 10 Oldest Medical Schools In The US). It was founded in 1765 and is in the University City district of Philadelphia. Also called Penn Med, it’s one of the seven Ivy League medical schools. 

In 2021, US News ranks the University of Pennsylvania #9 in Research and #24 in Primary Care. The magazine also ranks Perelman in the top 5 nationally for the following specialties: Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Radiology.

Penn Med is a competitive school to get into, with an average GPA of 3.89, an average MCAT score of 520, and an acceptance rate of 4.4%. The school attracts students from across the nation, and 79% of the entering class is from out of state.

Check out the video below for an in-depth look at Perelman…

DETAILS:


2. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

File:Scaife Hall.JPG
Scaife Hall, University of Pittsburgh | image by Piotrus via Wikipedia| CC BY-SA 3.0

The University of Pittsburg School of Medicine is a national leader in biomedical research. US News ranks Pitt Med #13 in Research and #34 in Primary Care in 2021. The school’s Surgery specialty is also ranked #11 nationally.

The curriculum for the MD program offers early and in-depth clinical experiences and focuses on the patient from day one. In the first two years, students spend one-third of their time attending lectures, one-third learning in small groups, and one-third engaging in activities such as observation, community-site visits, and laboratory exercises.

The acceptance rate for Pitt Med is 6%, the average GPA is 3.86, and the average MCAT score is 517.

Take a look at the video below for a student-led tour of Pitt Med…

DETAILS:


3. Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University

Scott Memorial Library | image by Beyond My Ken via Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

The Sidney Kimmel Medical College can claim more living graduates than any other private medical school in the nation. It’s also in the top third nationally in 2021, according to US News, which ranks Jefferson University #55 for Research and #59 for Primary Care.

The JeffMD curriculum focuses on the patient and provides students with early clinical exposure. The curriculum is divided into three phases to prepare future doctors to learn actively and think critically. The first phase focuses on the foundations of medicine and is taught in eight organ system blocks. The second phase focuses on the application of knowledge when students begin their clinical rotations. The third phase prepares students for their residency applications with appropriate electives.

Related: Is Sidney Kimmel A Good Medical School? (Major Pros & Cons)

Kimmel Medical College has an acceptance rate of 4.6%, an average GPA of 3.74, and an average MCAT score of 514.

Take a Virtual Campus Tour at Sidney Kimmel below…

DETAILS:


4. Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Temple's Lewis Katz School of Medicine
LKSOM at Temple | image by Betsy Manning | Source: temple.edu

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM) is part of Temple University in Philadelphia and is reputed for training humanistic and dedicated clinicians. 

The school is ranked #61 in Research by US News in 2021.

The first two years of the curriculum are divided into blocks teaching basic and clinical science fundamentals in an integrated approach. The clinical years feature hands-on experience in caring for patients. Third-year students rotate through core clerkships, and fourth-year students focus on areas of interest through a large variety of electives.

Related: Is Temple A Good Medical School? (Major Pros & Cons)

LKSOM has an acceptance rate of 4%, an average GPA of 3.75, and an average MCAT score of 512.

Check out the video below for a closer look at what LKSOM offers…

DETAILS:


5. Drexel University College of Medicine

Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine | Source: drexel.edu

Drexel University College of Medicine has one of the largest enrollments for a private medical school and is the second most applied-to in the United States.

Medical students at Drexel learn to practice medicine with cutting-edge technology combined with the highest level of compassion. The “Foundations and Frontiers” curriculum introduced in 2017 is designed to train physicians for the healthcare system of tomorrow. This new curriculum covers all the enduring qualities essential to clinical excellence. Also, it includes essential emerging competencies such as an understanding of population health, health informatics, and health care systems and financing.

Related: Is Drexel University College Of Medicine Good? (Major Pros & Cons)

Drexel University College of Medicine has an average GPA of 3.76, an average MCAT score of 511, and an acceptance rate of 5.1%.

See the video below for more on what it’s like being a med student at Drexel…

DETAILS:


6. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

LECOM Homepage
LECOM | Source: lecom.edu

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) was founded in 1992 to meet the growing need for physicians in the local area. It’s now the largest medical school in the United States, with over 2,200 enrolled students.

The school offers three primary learning paths. Through small group interaction, student-centered and self-directed learning is at the core of the Problem-Based Learning Pathway (PBL). In comparison, the Lecture-Discussion Pathway (LDP) follows a more traditional curriculum where subjects are taught in a lecture format. And the Directed Study Pathway (DSP) is a unique program providing significant flexibility for students during the first two years of medical school.

LECOM has an acceptance rate of 7.6%, an average GPA of 3.56, and an average MCAT score of 502.

Sydney Shearer (previously featured with LECOM here; Fun Medical Schools In America) has a great archive of med student life videos at LECOM. We definitely suggest you check out her channel if you want to learn more about life at the school…

DETAILS:

  • Location: 1858 W Grandview Blvd, Erie, PA 16509
  • Contact: 814-866-6641
  • Admissions Info: lecom.edu/admissions

7. Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

About Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
GCSOM | Source: geisinger.edu

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) follows a community-based model of medical education with four regional campuses in northeastern and north-central Pennsylvania.

The school adopts the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) model as the standard clinical experience during the third year. Students live in the community and follow a panel of patients for a year, training with clinical preceptors in different disciplines. 

Geisinger has an average GPA of 3.66 and an average MCAT score of 511.

Take a Virtual Tour of GCSOM in the video below…

DETAILS:


8. Penn State University College of Medicine

Medical and Graduate Education - Penn State College of Medicine
Penn State | Source: med.psu.edu

Penn State College of Medicine is located in Hershey, PA. The school’s goal is to train humanistic, adaptive, and collaborative physicians.

The curriculum is organized around the four pillars of biomedical sciences, health humanities, clinical sciences, and health systems sciences. Students from the College of Medicine operate the LionCare free clinic for the underserved in midtown Harrisburg, PA.

Penn State has an average GPA of 3.82 and an average MCAT score of 510.

Get a closer look at Penn State University College of Medicine in the video below…

DETAILS:


9. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Pcom2.jpg
Scaife Hall, University of Pittsburgh | image by Donaldal via Wikipedia| CC BY-SA 3.0

The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine was the third osteopathic medical school to open in the United States. Since 1899, the school has trained over 13,000 physicians, health practitioners, and behavioral scientists.

Students at PCOM learn to treat patients with a holistic approach to health care, considering factors such as nutrition, environment, and psychology. The first two years introduce both basic and clinical sciences. Then during the third and fourth years, students are exposed to a broad scope of medical problems in some of the finest teaching hospitals in the greater Philadelphia area.

Check out the video below for more on PCOM…

DETAILS:

  • Location: 4170 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131
  • Contact: 215-871-6100
  • Admissions Info: pcom.edu/admissions

If you enjoyed this article, you might find the following useful: