Early Acceptance Programs

Pacific University Doctor of Optometry (OD) Early Acceptance Program

Pacific University and the University of Hawaii at Mānoa (UHM) have developed a special Early Acceptance Program (EAP) that grants two qualified students a provisional early acceptance to Pacific University's Doctor of Optometry (OD) program.

Application Requirements

To be admitted to candidacy, EAP applicants must meet the following conditions: 

• Requirements
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2
  • Completion of all pre-requisite coursework with at least a "C"
  • Be in good disciplinary standing as certified by the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Dean of Students.
• Application timeline
  • Completed applications for the Pathways program should be submitted no later than December 1 of the year before intended entry into Pacific University's OD program.

Progress at UHM as an EAP applicant

To continue as candidates in good standing, EAP applicants must meet the following conditions: 

• Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 
• Maintain status as a full-time student
• Participate in co-curricular activities 
• Maintain good disciplinary standing 
• Receive at least one favorable recommendation from a faculty member 

Post Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the OD program, candidates must meet the following conditions: 

• Completion of an undergraduate degree at UHM
• Cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 
• Academic Average of 310 on the OAT or 153 Verbal Reasoning on the GRE 
• Completion of all prerequisite coursework 
• Completion and submission of the OptomCAS and PU Supplemental applications
  • Including personal statements and 2 letters of recommendation
• Minimum of 10 observation hours with a non-relative doctor of optometry is strongly recommended
• The formal interview is waived for EAP applicants meeting the above criteria 

Prerequisite Coursework 

*Students planning to take a chemistry course for the first time, please fulfill the placement exam requirement before registration.

***Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology or Marine Biology beginning in Fall 2021 and on must take BIOL 220 as a major requirement.

****Please note that the prerequisites for BIOL 402 are BIOL 275 (and lab) and CHEM 273. 

EAP applicants who have completed the above requirements are automatically admitted to the OD program and are entitled to matriculate the year following graduation from UHM. While such graduates may seek admission later, such admission is at the discretion of PU College of Optometry unless a delay of more than two years has been agreed to by PU's OD program. 

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Early Acceptance Program

Reserve your seat in the osteopathic medical school program at LECOM!

LECOM and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) have developed a Early Acceptance Program (EAP) that grants five qualified students a provisional early acceptance to LECOM’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree program each academic year using rolling admissions process. Students have the option of attending the main campus in Erie, Pennsylvania, which includes an additional location at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, or a branch campus in Bradenton, Florida.

Application to the EAP is separate from the application to the undergraduate school. A student may apply for EAP consideration as a high school senior or when they have at least two years left for their undergraduate degree.

Application

• Separate from the undergraduate application.
• Application timeline:
  • Opens July 15th of the year prior to college matriculation.
  • Closes April 1st of the year of college matriculation.
  • To be notified that they are qualified for provisional acceptance prior to May 1st of the year of college matriculation, applicants should complete the application by March 1st of that year.
  • UHM students applying for the EAP should complete the EAP application before starting their third year of study at UHM.
    • Applicants in their third year or higher and meet the requirements below can email Dr. Kiana Shiroma, the EAP director, at kianak@hawaii.edu for consideration of a guaranteed interview with LECOM.

LECOM will review the application. If the student meets the requirements, LECOM will offer a list of EAP interview dates to self-schedule the interview. Following a successful interview, LECOM will notify the student that they qualify for a provisional letter of acceptance from LECOM, and they will be enrolled for participation in the EAP upon approval by UHM and submission of their school email address to LECOM. The student and the Director of PAC will then be sent the provisional letter of acceptance. Additional requirements, including a final application to LECOM, must be met for final acceptance to LECOM, but another interview is not required.

The general requirements are listed below:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
• Must not hold a bachelor’s degree or higher;
• Must have at least two years remaining as a full-time student at the undergraduate institution;
• A high school GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or higher, or if applicants are already attending UHM, they must have at least a cumulative overall GPA of 3.4 and a science GPA of 3.3 or higher

*All information is subject to change in the LECOM EAP Student Handbook, which is updated yearly on the EAP Admissions website (Once accepted, students have access)

*EAP Students graduating one year early may enter LECOM's MMS program with a full tuition scholarship (not including living costs); students must maintain certain requirements to keep their Medical seat

Once accepted, students must fulfill the following requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident;
• Not be part of any other medical school’s accelerated program;
• Be enrolled in the Early Acceptance Program at UHM for at least two consecutive years prior to LECOM matriculation;
• Be enrolled at UHM as a full-time student and maintain that status throughout their participation;
• All required courses for LECOM must be taken at UH Manoa
• Maintain a cumulative overall GPA of 3.4 or higher and a cumulative science GPA of 3.3 or higher;
  • Science GPA does not include MATH credits;
• Grades must be inputted into the LECOM website every February 1st and July 1st;
• A form confirming students have or have not had any academic or student conduct violations will be due annually every July;
• Official transcripts are due annually on August 1st;
• Major in biological or physical science as a Bachelor of Science (B.S.);
  • Majors outside of this field must be approved by LECOM and the LECOM liaison at the Affiliated Institution.
• Failure in any class taken will result in immediate removal from EAP.
• Students enrolled in the EAP may be exempt from taking the MCAT if they have taken at least one biochemistry course and one genetics course and earned a grade of “C” or higher and provided LECOM official documentation of their SAT or ACT composite scores. A student not having an SAT/ACT score must take the MCAT and earn a composite score of 500 or higher by December 1st of the year before LECOM matriculation. Remember that September will be the last month the MCAT exam will be administered before the December 1st deadline for each application cycle. BIOL/MBBE/PEPS 402 or BIOC 441 is strongly recommended to prepare for the MCAT.
• Shadowing an osteopathic physician is highly recommended but not required;
• Attend mandatory Affiliate On-Campus Day Event the year before matriculation, which is usually held the second week of August;
• Earn their bachelor’s degree by the last day of June of the year of LECOM matriculation;
• Matriculate at LECOM within one year from the original year of matriculation, as shown on the LECOM Provisional Letter of Acceptance.
• Final LECOM Online Application opens on July 15th of the year before matriculation and is due before September 1st;
• Letters of recommendation are due by July 1st of the year before matriculation and have to be:
  • A detailed evaluation and recommendation from the LECOM Affiliate Institution Representative and one from the Affiliated Institution's physical science professor
  • or
  • Two Affiliated Institution physical science professors
  • (Letters from teaching or lab assistants are not permitted)
  • (Physical science professors include biology professors)
• An American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine application will not be required.

*May be dismissed for drug or alcohol-related activities; All institutional actions and probation or illegal activity must be reported to LECOM

Required Courses

• Courses must be taken at UHM (the affiliate university)
  • Required courses taken at any other regionally accredited college or university are discouraged.
• LECOM does not accept credits for LECOM-required science courses taken during the summer
• Must take 15% or more credits than the required amount of credits to be considered a full-time student (typically 15 credits or more);
  • Less than that amount of credits (15% or more) is a sign that the student has dropped a course.
• Dropping a course cannot result in becoming a part-time student (less than 12 credits);
• CLEP may not be used to satisfy any of the minimum requirements.
• No grade lower than “C” will be accepted.
• Credit for Pass/Fail courses will not be accepted.
  • LECOM will not accept Pass/Fail grades for courses unless the course is not offered for a numerical or letter grade (A to F)
• LECOM may accept AP credits if the student scores a four (4) or five (5) on the AP exam. When LECOM accepts AP credits, a replacement course applicable to the field of medicine or a course of similar academic rigor, if approved by the PAC Director, must be taken at UHM.
• LECOM does not accept IB credit for science courses, but will accept credit if the student scored a 5 or higher on the exam for non-science courses.

*Please note that the prerequisite for BIOL 375 is BIOL 275

**If you are planning on taking a chemistry course for the first time, please make sure to fulfill the placement exam requirement before registration. Information on the chemistry placement exam can be found here.

***Please note that the prerequisites for BIOL/MBBE/PEPS 402 and BIOC 441 are BIOL 275 and CHEM 273. BIOL 275L is also a prerequisite for BIOL/MBBE/PEPS 402.

Strongly Recommended Courses

Histology, Embryology, and Pathophysiology are also strongly recommended before matriculation but are not offered at UHM.

Medical Terminology is also strongly recommended before matriculation but is not offered at UHM. It is offered as HLTH 110 or 125 at KCC or LCC.

*Please note that the prerequisite for MICR/MCB 461 is MICR 351 or BIOL 172.

**Please note that the prerequisites for PHYL 301 are BIOL 171 and 172 and CHEM 161 or any BIOC course.

• High School Entry Four-Year Sample Plan
• Undergraduate Entry with the MCAT Four-Year Sample Plan
• Undergraduate Entry without the MCAT Four-Year Plan

Contact Us:

Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2505 Correa Road, Physical Science Building 214
Honolulu, HI 96822
uhpac@hawaii.edu
(808) 956-8646

Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP) Pre-Pharmacy Scholar Admissions Program

Reserve your seat in the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP)!

DKICP and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) have developed a special Pre-Pharmacy Scholar Admissions Program (PPSAP) that grants qualified UHM students to have preferred enrollment into the DKICP Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Program each academic year.

Eligibility

• Students must be able to participate in the preferred pathway for at least one and a half consecutive years
• Be enrolled full-time at UHM (or one of the UH institutions listed)
• Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident
• Must maintain GPA requirements

Students can apply to one of two tracks once they are accepted into UHM:

1) Prerequisite Coursework:

• Complete prerequisite coursework (baccalaureate degree not required)
• Must have at least 1.5 years of their undergraduate education remaining at the time of application 
• Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher
• If admitted to the DKICP PharmD program, all students who successfully complete this pathway and the first two years of PharmD curriculum are eligible to receive the Bachelor of Arts in Pharmacy Studies.

2) Baccalaureate Degree 

• Earn a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree with required prerequisite coursework prior to matriculating into DKICP
• Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

To Apply

• Submit completed PPSAP Application Form (Fillable)
  • Includes a personal statement and two letters of recommendation
  • Must send official transcripts to DKICP by June 1st for acceptance for the following fall semester

Once Accepted

• Complete the prerequisites below by the end of the summer term prior to matriculation at DKICP 
  • With a grade of “C” or better
  • Credit for Pass/Fail courses will not be accepted
  • AP test scores that appear as credit received on a regionally accredited college transcript will be accepted by DKICP
  • AP scores will be accepted for lecture-based courses only
    • AP credits cannot be used toward lab requirements.

Note: One course may be used toward only one requirement

COVID-19 Spring 2020 Grading Update

• PPSAP will accept the CR grading option for the prerequisites below ONLY if they were taken during the Spring 2020 semester
• Earning a CR for a course does NOT affect your GPA
  • Suggest that you review your current GPA and PPSAP’s GPA requirements to decide whether to switch to the CR option or keep the letter grade
  • If you are doing well in the course and the letter grade improves your GPA, you may choose to keep it
  • If the course in question is one that you are repeating, the repeat policies remain in effect.

*If you are planning on taking a chemistry or math course for the first time, please make sure to fulfill the placement exam requirement prior to registration.

• Chemistry Placement Exam Information

• Math Placement Exam Information

**Please note that the prerequisites for MICR 351/L are BIOL 171 and CHEM 272/L. BIOL 275/L is recommended for MICR 351.

Sample Plans

• Prerequisite Course Equivalencies for UH Mānoa
  
• Baccalaureate Degree Track Sample Plan

Contacts

If you would like to learn more about this program, please schedule an appointment with a pre-health peer advisor here, or contact Cara Ikeda.

Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2505 Correa Road, Physical Science Building 214
Honolulu, HI 96822
uhpac@hawaii.edu
(808) 956-8646

Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) Doctor of Physical Therapy Preferred Admissions Program

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) have developed a special Preferred Acceptance Program (PAP) that grants qualified students provisional preferred acceptance each academic year.

Application Requirements:

• Completed 7 of the 9 course prerequisites as listed below at the time of application
• Submitted 3 references (2 of the 3 must come from a physical therapist)
• Completed a minimum of 100 PT observation hours
• Submitted a verified PTCAS application by November 1st of the year prior to the desired year of matriculation into RMUoHP.

Final acceptance and admission to RMUoHP are subject to a review of degree completion prior to matriculation into the program.

Upon meeting the requirements listed above, preferred acceptance will be honored for up to 3 UHM students each year who have

• Earned a baccalaureate degree, or are in their final year of progress towards degree completion;
• Achieved a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA, and a 3.5 GPA in prerequisite courses
  • As listed in PTCAS 
  • Note: overall GPA used by RMUoHP is calculated by PTCAS
  •  RMUoHP uses only the highest grade earned for prerequisite GPA calculations, in the event a course may have been repeated
• Completed a successful admissions interview

In addition to preferred acceptance, any other UHM students will be guaranteed an interview for consideration of acceptance into the program who have:

• Earned a baccalaureate degree, or are in their final year of progress, at UHM;
• Achieved a minimum 3.4 cumulative GPA, and a 3.4 GPA in prerequisite courses
  • As listed in PTCAS
  • Note: overall GPA used by RMUoHP is calculated by PTCAS
  • RMUoHP uses only the highest grade earned for prerequisite GPA calculations, in the event a course may have been repeated

If more than 3 UHM students meet the application deadline and qualify for preferred acceptance status, the program will rank-order all priority applicants based on consideration of the full set of application materials and the evaluations from the admissions interview. The top three will move to the preferred acceptance status, and any students remaining will enter the guaranteed interview applicant pool.

Applicants who have previously graduated from UHM are welcome to apply for preferred acceptance. However, their prerequisite coursework must have been completed within the past 7 years. Applicants do not need to be a UHM student immediately prior to matriculation. 

The PTCAS application deadline for priority applicants is November 1st of the year prior to the desired year of matriculation into RMUoHP.

Undergraduate Coursework Admissions Requirements

*If you are planning on taking a chemistry or math course for the first time, please make sure to fulfill the placement exam requirement prior to registration.

• Chemistry Placement Exam Information

• Math Placement Exam Information

**The prerequisite course for PSY 225 and 240 is PSY 100. PSY 225 cannot be double-dipped for the Behavioral Sciences course requirement.

• The program uses only the highest grade earned in its prerequisite GPA calculations if a course was repeated
• The program does not recalculate the cumulative GPA provided by PTCAS.

COVID-19 Spring 2020 Grading Update

•  RMUoHP will accept the CR grading option for prerequisites that were taken ONLY for the Spring 2020 semester
• Please note that earning a CR for a course does NOT affect your GPA
  •  Suggest that you review your current GPA and RMUoHP’s GPA requirements to decide whether to switch to the CR option or keep the letter grade
    • If you are doing well in the course and the letter grade improves your GPA, you may choose to keep it. 

Note: Prerequisite coursework older than 10 years is not accepted.

For questions regarding acceptance of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits, please contact RMUoHP.

• Four-Year Sample Plan

Please Remember:

• Nothing in this agreement is intended to negate the usual process of student evaluation or supersede final decisions on admissions.
• All decisions for admission into the program are made by the Admissions Committee.
• Final decisions for all applicants are based on consideration of the full set of application materials and the evaluations from the admissions interview.
• As with all acceptances, students may be given provisional acceptance indicating that some of the admissions requirements need to be completed prior to matriculation into the program.
• Provisional acceptances are generally offered to those students completing final prerequisite courses prior to program entry.
• These students receive a letter from the Director of Admissions that describes which courses, materials, or other requirements that need to be completed.

The Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is a WICHE-designated program. Please check with the program to determine whether they are participating in WICHE for your intended year of entry.

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE): Hawaiʻi residents are eligible to participate in the Professional School Exchange Program (PSEP), a service of WICHE. PSEP enables qualified residents from WICHE participating states affordable access to enroll in selected out-of-state professional healthcare programs at participating WICHE institutions when such programs are unavailable at a public institution in their home state. Many Hawai‘i residents must attend professional schools out-of-state to obtain the necessary education and training needed for professional healthcare positions. Therefore, the State of Hawai‘i, through WICHE PSEP, helps subsidize the tuition costs for qualifying Hawai‘i residents to attend a participating WICHE PSEP program. In return, WICHE PSEP students are required to return to work in the State after completing their program of study.

PSEP-selected students pay reduced levels of tuition at the WICHE participating institution. The home state pays a negotiated “support fee” designed to cover a portion of the cost of the student’s education; this fee is paid directly to the enrolling program’s institution. No payments are made directly to students. Students enrolled at public institutions generally pay the resident tuition rate, however, students may be required to pay the unmet non-resident tuition differential if the WICHE PSEP support fee does not cover the entire non-resident tuition differential. Students enrolled at private institutions pay the balance of the full private tuition minus the WICHE PSEP support fee.

Support is available to a limited number of Hawai‘i residents studying physical therapy and enrolling at participating WICHE PSEP schools.

Note: To be considered for this scholarship, you must apply one full year in advance of matriculation, generally in the summer of your application year.

Contact

If you would like to learn more about this program, please schedule an appointment with a pre-health peer advisor here. 

Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2505 Correa Road, Physical Science Building 214
Honolulu, HI 96822
uhpac@hawaii.edu
(808) 956-8646