Pre-Medical Preparation at UHMānoa: Osteopathic Medicine

(Text compiled from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine website www.aacom.org, AACOM's Osteopathic Medical College Information Book 2007, NAAHP's Medical Professions Admission Guide, and the UHM 2005-2006 Catalog.)

Osteopathic D.O. Programs
Prerequisites for Admission
What makes a strong candidate?
The MCAT
The Application Process
Additional Information
Downloadable Brochure

Medical doctors, or physicians, are highly trained healthcare professionals who perform medical examinations, diagnose illnesses, prescribe drugs, and treat patients suffering from injury or disease using a variety of techniques.

Physicians serve in all types of communities, from rural to inner city, and in a wide variety of settings, from private practice to clinics and hospitals. They also work in specialized settings, such as homeless shelters, schools, sports programs, prisons, nursing homes, third-world countries, and the armed forces. About one-third of the nation's physicians are generalists, or "primary care" doctors, although that percentage is declining as more physicians choose to become specialists. Generalists include fields such as internists, family physicians, and pediatricians. Specialists focus on a particular system or part of the body; examples include neurologists, hematologists, cardiologists, and podiatrists, to name only a few.

Physicians also serve in research, studying and developing new treatments for disease, in academia, sharing their skills by educating medical students, in health organizations, pharmaceutical companies, medical technology manufacturing, health insurance companies, and in corporations with health and safety programs.

There are four main degrees in medicine: allopathic, chiropractic, naturopathic, and osteopathic. Allopathic physicians (M.D.s, Medical Doctors, or Doctors of Medicine) practice the most widespread type medicine, founded in Western scientific traditions and focused on diagnosing and treating injury and disease. Chiropractic physicians (D.C.s, Doctors of Chiropractic, or Doctors of Chiropractic Medicine) focus on the nervous system and the relationship between health and the alignment of the musculoskeletal structure. Naturopathic physicians (D.N.s, or Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine) emphasize maintaining health through physical and spiritual wellness and may incorporate nontraditional or non-Western methods, such as acupuncture, reflexology, and homeopathic remedies. Osteopathic physicians (D.O.s, or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine) take a comprehensive, holistic approach, focusing on the total well being of each individual. The main difference between an M.D. and a D.O. today is that the D.O. receives training in manipulating the musculoskeletal system in addition to the core medical training.

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Osteopathic D.O. Programs

Becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) requires 9 to 16 years of education:

  • Bachelors Degree (ca. 4 years);
  • Medical School (4 years);
  • Internship (1 year);
  • Residency (2-7 years, depending on specialty).

Years one and two of medical school focus on basic sciences; years three and four consist of clinical clerkships.

Before continuing on to the third year, students must pass the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination, or COMLEX Level 1, which is administered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME). Students must pass COMLEX Level 2 before graduation and COMLEX Level 3 before the end of the internship year.

Osteopathic medical students are also eligible to take the licensing exam given to allopathic medical students, the United States Medical Licensure Examination, or USMLE.

Following residency training, D.O.s take certification examinations for the residency’s specialty. Board certification is required by many hospitals and insurance companies.

To maintain Board certification, D.O.s must complete Continuing Medical Education, or CME, credit hours. The American Osteopathic Association, or AOA, sets the basic requriement that its members must complete CME, but the minimum number of credit hours required is set by individual state licensing boards.

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Prerequisites for Admission

Most importantly, remember that requirements vary from school to school! You must research to create a list of all the prerequisite courses you will need to apply to the medical schools you are interested in attending, and then figure out how those courses will fit into your undergraduate degree, whether as general education core, as major, or as electives.

A complete list of prerequisite required by osteopathic medical schools can be found in AACOM's Osteopathic Medical College Information Book. The following UHM courses are commonly required:

Biol 171/171Lab and 172/172Lab
Introductory Biology I and II
Chem 161/161Lab and 162/162Lab
General Chemistry I and II
Chem 272/272Lab and 273/273Lab
Organic Chemistry I and II
Phys 151/151L and 152/152Lab
College Physics I and II
English (2 courses)

Additional requirements may include math and courses in the behavioral sciences. Recommended courses include anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, and physiology.

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What makes a strong candidate?

Medical school tuition, as high as it is, covers only a fraction of the cost of educating a physician, which means that each new student represents a huge investment by the school. Schools need to be certain that the students they accept will be capable of completing the medical curriculum and are likely to become good physicians.

Are you capable of completing the medical curriculum?

Medical school admissions committees are looking for students who have:

  • completed the prerequisites
  • a high overall GPA
  • a high science/math GPA
  • performed well on the MCAT
  • balanced their course load so it is challenging yet realistic

Are you likely to become a good physician?

According to the AACOM, admissions committees look for students who:

  • are well-rounded
  • have good communication and interpersonal skills
  • have a record of community service
  • have a record of leadership
  • have some clinical experience
  • have participated in a variety of extracurricular activities
  • come from diverse backgrounds
  • are motivated to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine
  • have knowledge of osteopathic medicine
  • have shadowed an osteopathic physician

Approximately 25% of the applicants accepted into osteopathic schools are non-traditional students who are pursuing a medical career later in life.

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The MCAT

All osteopathic schools require applicants to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The MCAT is offered only in computer-based format several times each year. The MCAT takes approximately 5 hours and tests your knowledge and skills in Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, and Writing. Scores for the biological, physical, and verbal sections range from 1 to 15, with 8 being average. Scores for the writing section range from 'J' (lowest) to 'T' (highest), with 'O' being average. Both individual and composite scores are reported; a composite score of 25 'O' and higher is considered competitive.

When registering for the MCAT, remember to request that your scores be reported to AACOMAS because they will be forwarded automatically.

Your most important preparations for the MCAT are your undergraduate courses, not only the prerequisites for medical school, but all of your courses. Many courses sharpen your writing and verbal reasoning skills. Your Verbal Reasoning score is the most difficult score to improve and is often considered the most accurate predictor of how well you will do in medical school.

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The Application Process

There are currently twenty accredited osteopathic medical schools; prospective applicants should become familiar with their websites and differences. AACOM's Osteopathic Medical College Information Book provides summaries about each school, making it easy for students to compare and choose.

Each year, the application cycle begins on June 1st. Apply early! Application deadlines range from October 15th to April 15th, but because the schools use rolling admissions, classes may be filled before the posted deadline.

There are three general steps in applying to osteopathic medical schools: the initial, or primary application through the AACOM Application Service, or AACOMAS; the secondary, or supplemental application for individual schools; and the interview.

Primary applications must be submitted to AACOMAS at https://aacomas.aacom.org. Paper applications are available upon request, but electronic submissions are recommended. Once the application is complete, AACOMAS will forward it to whichever schools you specify. It is your responsibility to verify that your application is complete!

After reviewing the AACOMAS applications they have received, osteopathic schools send their own applications (the secondary or supplemental application) directly to students who meet their basic criteria. Secondary applications frequently request additional information, essays, and letters of recommendation.

After reviewing the secondary applications, osteopathic schools invite promising applicants to come for an interview. Applicants are responsible for all costs incurred while interviewing, including airfare, lodging, and meals.

Although the application process varies from school to school, AACOMAS has established protocol to ensure fairness for all. The guidelines, available online and in AACOM's Information Book, stipulate both schools' and applicants' rights and responsibilities during the admissions process. All applicants should be familiar with these rules before applying.

  • The more you know about the school, the better your chances of being accepted.
  • Most application questions can be answered by reading the Information Book
  • Contact individual schools' Admissions Offices to find out how they handle:
    • advanced placement (AP) credits
    • College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits
    • courses taken at a community college
    • courses taken for credit/no credit instead of a grade
    • residency issues
    • time limits on acceptable science courses
    • coursework taken outside the U.S.

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Additional Information

UHMānoa's Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center (PAC) has reference books, lists of volunteer opportunities, academic planning worksheets, and one-on-one advising by peers who can help you prepare for and apply to osteopathic medical schools.

UHM's Pre-Medical Association (PMA) www.hawaii.edu/premed
premed@hawaii.edu
UHM's Biology Club www2.hawaii.edu/~bioclub
bioclub@hawaii.edu
Osteopathic Medical College Information Book by AACOM available in PAC
American Osteopathic Association www.osteopathic.org
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine www.aacom.org
AACOM Application Service https://aacomas.aacom.org/
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) www.aamc.org/students/mcat
Medical Professions Admission Guide: Strategy for Success by NAAHP available in PAC

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