Philadelphia’s Drexel University is jumping into the trend of three-year medical school programs. This approach aims to make medical degrees more accessible and quickly address the growing shortages of primary care doctors and specialists. They will still offer their traditional four-year program but expect to welcome their first three-year cohort in the 2028-2029 academic year.
Dr. Leon McCrea, the vice dean of educational affairs at Drexel College of Medicine, emphasizes that this isn’t about rushing through medical education. “Slow and steady still wins the race,” he noted. The idea is to provide a more efficient path for motivated students ready for the challenge.
The U.S. faces an estimated shortage of up to 86,000 doctors over the next decade, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. This scarcity is particularly concerning in primary healthcare. Proponents of accelerated programs argue that these initiatives can help train skilled doctors faster. Institutions like Penn State and New York University have been leading the charge for years.
Typically, it takes doctors about 10 to 18 years after high school to complete their training. Medical students spend two years in classrooms studying subjects like anatomy and biochemistry, followed by hands-on rotations in hospitals. After graduation, they usually undergo three to seven years of residency.
However, for some students, the timeline can be shorter. Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania, believes that those who have already completed substantial science coursework can benefit from a condensed medical education. He highlights that many programs have reduced the pre-clinical training phase to around 12 to 15 months. This means a three-year program can still produce highly competent doctors.
Moreover, some students enter medical school with relevant experience from gap years, which may help them focus on their specialty right away. Dr. McCrea argues that students should be evaluated on their readiness and skills rather than sticking to a standard timeline. “If they’ve demonstrated they can handle the competencies required to be a physician, why not advance them?” he said.
With evolving education models in medicine, the hope is to fill gaps faster and produce quality doctors ready to meet the growing healthcare needs of the population. As healthcare demands change, so too must the paths to becoming a healthcare provider.
For more information on the future of medical education, you can check the Association of American Medical Colleges here.
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