* As of 2025, you can apply to LECOM's D.O program with at least one year of college left.
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM): Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Early Acceptance Program
Gain guaranteed admissions* into medical school at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)!
*If meeting the specified minimum requirements
LECOM and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) 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.
Eligible accepted students are not required to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) in order to matriculate into the osteopathic medical program
Student Campus Options Include:
- Main campus in Erie, PA
- Branch campus at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA
- Branch Campus in Bradenton, Fl
- Branch Campus in Elmira, NY
Eligibility
- Current High School Seniors or;
- College Freshman, Sophomores, or Juniors: Applicants must have at least one year left of their undergraduate degree program to apply
- High School Seniors: Minimum GPA: 3.5
- College Students: Minimum Cumulative GPA: 3.4, Minimum Science GPA: 3.3
- To Be Exempt from Taking the MCAT: Minimum Composite Score of 1240 SAT (from a single exam) or 26 ACT (from a single exam)
- SAT/ACT cannot be retaken once students are in college
- Completion of BIOL 375: Genetics w/ a C or higher (Not C-)
- Students with scores below 1240 SAT or 26 ACT may still be a part of the program, but they are required to take the MCAT and obtain a minimum score of 500
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Must not hold a bachelor’s degree or higher
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Early Acceptance Program Application
- The Early Acceptance Program application is separate from the application for the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Mānoa)
Application Timeline:
- Opens July 15th of the year prior to college matriculation.
- Closes April 1st of the year of college matriculation.
- Priority Deadline: March 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.
- For example, if college matriculation is Fall 2025, the application opens July 15th, 2024, priority deadline is March 1st, 2025, and final deadline is May 1st, 2025.
- UH Mānoa students applying for the EAP should complete the EAP application before starting their fourth year of study at UH Mānoa.
- Applicants in their third/fourth year or higher and meet the requirements below can email Dr. Kiana Shiroma, the PAC director, at kianak@hawaii.edu for consideration of a guaranteed interview with LECOM.
- This application is separate from the undergraduate application.
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.
*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
Post-Acceptance 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 one year prior to LECOM matriculation;
- 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.
- 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.
- Must take 15% or more credits than the required amount of credits to be considered a full-time student (typically 15 credits or more) and maintain that status throughout their participation;
- Failure in any class taken will result in immediate removal from EAP.
- Grades must be inputted into the LECOM website every February 1st and July 1st.
- 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, earned a grade of “C” or higher, and provided LECOM with 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 the 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
- Once enrolled at the affiliate school, all remaining required LECOM classes must be taken at that affiliate school. Classes taken at non-affiliate schools after enrolling at an affiliate school will not count towards the required classes. LECOM reserves the right to accept transfer credits from non-affiliated schools to fulfill LECOM requirements on a case-by-case basis.
- LECOM does not accept credits for LECOM-required science courses taken during the summer.
- 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, only for English and Behavioral Science. 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 UH Mānoa.
- AP credits will NOT be accepted for any required science course.
- 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.
| BIOL 171/171L and 172/172L | Introduction to Biology I and II | 8 cr. |
| BIOL 375* | Genetics | 3 cr. |
| CHEM 161/161L and 162/162L | General Chemistry I and II** | 8 cr. |
| CHEM 272/272L and 273/273L | Organic Chemistry I and II | 10 cr. |
| BIOC 241 or higher (BIOL/MBBE/PEPS 402 or BIOC441 strongly recommended to prepare for the MCAT.***) | Biochemistry | 3 or 4 cr. |
| PHYS 151/151L or 170/170L | College Physics I | 4-5 cr. |
| ENG 100 and higher | Composition I and higher (2 courses) | 6 cr. |
| ANTH, PHIL, PSY, and/or SOC | Behavioral Science (2 courses) | 6 cr. |
*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
| BIOL 275 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 3 cr. |
| Microbiology (e.g., MICR 130/140L or 351/351L) | Microbiology | 4-5 cr. |
| MICR/MCB 461* | Immunology | 3 cr. |
| PHYL 141/141L and 142/142L (or PHYL 301/301L and 302/302L**) | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II | 8-10 cr. |
Histology, Embryology, and Pathophysiology are also strongly recommended before matriculation, but are not offered at UH Mānoa.
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
Prospective Student Contact
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Dustin Cassell
dcassell@lecom.edu
A.T. Still University's Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) Still Scholars Early Acceptance Program
A.T. Still University's Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) Still Scholars Early Acceptance Program
ATSU-KCOM's Still Scholars Early Acceptance Program rewards highly capable students who are dedicated to the osteopathic philosophy with early admittance into our institution's founding osteopathic medical school. The program offers students admissions support and KCOM student mentorship while they continue developing clinical, leadership, and service experiences. Students from any four-year regionally accredited undergraduate institution in the United States may apply for this program, provided they meet the application requirements. See the provided website for more information.
If you have any questions, please contact admissions at admissions@atsu.edu.
