Apply to Osteopathic Medical School

There are three general steps in applying to medical schools: the primary application, the secondary application, and the interview. 

• Sample Application Timeline
• Applying to Health Professional Schools Webinar
  

1. Primary applications

• American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)
• Opens early May
• Includes the personal statement (5300 characters) and requires letters of recommendation.
  • Personal Statement Advice
  • "Why Medicine?": what admissions faculty think about common answers
  • Prompt: "Why do you want to be an osteopathic doctor"
• Application fees: $196 for 1st school, $46 for each additional school.
  • Application Cost Estimator
• For schools with rolling admission, submit your primary application as early as possible.

Osteopathic medical schools in Texas use the Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service.

• Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant: Only ask for references who can write you strong letters of recommendation and can speak in-depth about the competencies medical schools are looking
  

Apply for LOR from Pre-Health Academic Advisor: If you are applying to a school that requires a letter of recommendation from a pre-health academic advisor AND you are a student or graduate of UHM, then you can apply for a letter from the pre-health academic advisor 

Additional COVID-19 Questions (optional):

1. Did your school move to offering only online curriculum during the COVID-19 crisis?
2. Did you have an opportunity to receive a letter grade for any of your courses taken during the COVID-19 crisis?
3. Please describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to medical school (2500 characters). Items to consider incorporating in your response may include, but are not limited to:
   • Academic: Were you able to interact with your professors? Did you have to leave an academic program stateside or abroad? Did your school require you to move to pass/fail grading systems? Did your MCAT exam get canceled/delayed? Other academic barriers?
   • Professional: Did you hold a job? Did you have to go out and seek new job opportunities? Did you lose a job? Other financial or professional barriers that you faced?
   • Personal: Did you have to move out of a house or dorm? Did you have to cancel your travel plans? Did you modify your planned experiences related to health care or volunteer opportunities? Did you seek out volunteer opportunities that arose from the crisis? Did you assist any family or community members that were affected?

2. Secondary applications or supplementary forms are specific to individual schools; medical schools send these to applicants only after they have received the AACOMAS application. Both frequently request additional information, essays, letters of recommendation, and/or fees. Some schools screen applicants before the applications or forms are sent out. The cost for secondary applications can range from $0 to $150. 

• Unofficial Review for Past Secondary Application Information
• Secondary Application Library
• List of Schools/Programs that use CASPer

CASPer (Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) is an online situational judgment test that assesses collaboration, communication, empathy, equity, ethics, motivation, problem-solving, and professionalism. 

• CASPer Information

Test Breakdown:

• 90 minutes long, including an optional 15-minute break halfway through
• 12 scenarios: 8 video-based and 4 text-based, each followed by 3 open-ended questions

Scoring: Each scenario will be scored by a unique scorer. Schools will receive a cumulative z-score based on the scores of the 12 unique scorers. Applicants will not see their scores.

Cost: CASPer costs $10 as a base fee and an additional $10 per school.

3. Interviews: After reviewing the primary and secondary applications (or supplementary forms), medical schools invite promising applicants for an interview. Applicants are responsible for all costs incurred while interviewing, including airfare, lodging, ground transportation, professional attire, and meals. 

• Interview Information
• Sample Interview Questions
  • A common question asked: "Tell Me About Yourself." There are many different ways to approach this, but it is highly recommended to consider the outline below to construct your response: 
    • Present: What is your current role? What does your scope of practice include? Share any recent big accomplishments. 
    • Past: Brief summary of how you become interested in the career field. Any previous experiences relevant to applied jobs or companies?
    • Future: Transition into your future plans, why you're interested in this career field, and how you are a suitable candidate. 
  • Another common question asked: "Why Medicine"
    • Read what admissions faculty from America's top medical schools think about common answers
• Random Interview Question Generator
• Health Professional School Interview Room Reservation Request: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many health professional schools are conducting their interviews online. Applicants can submit a reservation request for a private space with wifi access on campus.

Traffic Rules: Although the application process varies from school to school, AACOMAS has established “traffic rules” to ensure fairness for all concerned. These guidelines are available online and in AACOM’s Information Book and stipulate both schools’ and applicants’ rights and responsibilities during the admissions process. All applicants should be familiar with these rules before applying.

Background Check: Prior to official acceptance, medical schools usually conduct a background check on accepted students. Thus, please ensure that you conduct yourself professionally at all times. A record of misconduct may result in the rescission of acceptance by schools. 

Re-applicants: Many applicants may not be admitted to the professional school that they desire on their first try; however, if and when you choose to re-apply, there are many things to consider before re-submitting another application the following cycle. For more information on how to improve your application, click here.

• Non-traditional applicant information

Tips:

• The more you know about the school, the better your chances of acceptance.
• Most application questions can be answered by reading the  Osteopathic Medical College Information Book (available in PAC or online).
• Review individual schools’ websites to find out how they handle:
  • Advanced Placement (AP) credits
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) credits
  • College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits
  • Military credits
  • Courses taken at a community college
  • Non-US coursework
  • Courses taken for credit/no credit instead of a grade
  • Residency issues
  • Time limits on prerequisite science courses

Please note that if you are retaking courses because medical schools may not accept Advanced Placement (AP), online, or community college credit, your financial aid and/or scholarship status may be affected.