Entrance Requirements
Admission requirements for the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine include the successful completion of specified coursework at a prescribed academic standard. Students who complete all required courses prior to application receive priority consideration. Additional courses in the basic sciences are strongly recommended. These include, but are not limited to, biochemistry, pharmacology, immunology, histology, anatomy, and physiology.
In addition to scholarship, applications for admission are also evaluated on the student’s motivation for osteopathic medicine, letters of recommendation, and dedication to the humane delivery of quality medical care. A state-assisted program, OU-HCOM accepts non-residents, but gives preference to Ohio residents. Detailed residency requirements are available by visiting www.oucom.ohiou.edu/Aid/fin_aid_ohio_residency.htm. The annual entering class size is approximately 190 new students.
Health and Technical Standards for Admission and Graduation can be reviewed at http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/Admissions/HealthTechStandards.htm.
The following list describes the minimum qualifications required to be considered for admission. It should be noted that meeting these requirements does not ensure admission. Admission decisions are made on a competitive basis, relative to other applicants.
- A four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university is strongly preferred. However, applicants with exceptional scholarly records may be considered after completion of 90 semester hours, or three full years of work, at a regionally accredited institution.
- Applicants must have U.S. citizenship or a permanent resident visa. International students who do not have a permanent resident visa at the time of application will not be considered for admission. Transfer applicants will be evaluated only if they are osteopathic medical students in good academic standing.
- A full academic year—two semesters or three quarters—with no grade lower than a C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) is required in each of the following:
English—usually 6 semester or 9 quarter hours,
Biology—usually 8 semester or 12 quarter hours,
General chemistry—usually 8 semester or 12 quarter hours,
Physics—usually 8 semester or 12 quarter hours,
Organic chemistry—usually 8 semester or 12 quarter hours
Behavioral sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, or anthropology)—usually 6 semester or 9 quarter hours.
Additional coursework in biochemistry, anatomy and histology is recommended but not required.
Academic standards of the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Professional Education will, in every case, be the minimum requirements for applicant consideration. The application process is highly competitive.
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) must be taken within the three years preceding matriculation. Applicants are must report their MCAT scores to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service, utilizing the MCAT THx reporting system to ensure that OU-HCOM receives the offical scores.
The Ohio General Assembly mandates that the college emphasize the training of family physicians for underserved areas. Opportunities do exist, though, for students who wish to practice in a different specialty or subspecialty area.
Non-resident applicants are required to sign a service contract. This contract requires students to practice for five years in Ohio upon the completion of their medical training. Credit will be awarded for postgraduate medical education completed in an AOA-approved residency program in an Ohio CORE hospital. Visit http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/Admissions/oosapplicants.htm for an overview of the out-of-state contract and a link to detailed guidelines for receiving this credit toward the five-year practice obligation.
Laptop computers are required for all entering students.
Prospective students who are eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Admission Process
Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, along with a number of other osteopathic colleges, participates in a centralized application service called the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Services (AACOMAS). The service will collate materials, compute grades and transmit standardized information to the applicant and to colleges the applicant has designated. AACOMAS takes no part in the evaluation, selection or rejection of applicants.
All application materials, including detailed instructions, can be accessed through the AACOM Web site, www.aacom.org, for future entering classes. AACOMAS will continue to provide paper applications through an “on-request” delivery system. If you wish to complete a paper application, you can download the necessary documents from the AACOM Web site or request a paper application from AACOMAS by calling 301.968.4190.
SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS. After review of the AACOMAS application, the college will request supplemental information from those individuals who are chosen for further consideration. A non-refundable application fee of $60 is required at the time the supplemental application is submitted.
DEADLINES. The primary AACOMAS application must be submitted no later than February 1 of the academic year prior to that for which admission is sought. Admission to the class is determined from interviews held between September and April. As candidates are interviewed, seats are filled and candidates are notified. Interviews are granted only upon invitation and only after receipt of all requested materials. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to receive full consideration.
DEPOSITS. Once an applicant is accepted for admission, he or she must pay a $100 deposit to reserve a seat in the next fall’s entering class. An additional $500 deposit is required by May 15. Both deposits are non-refundable but will be credited toward the first semester’s tuition when the student matriculates. OU-HCOM adbides by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Traffic Rules found at http://www.aacom.org/Documents/AACOMASInstructions.pdf under the AACOM Admissions Guidelines heading.
Prior to matriculation, students admitted to the Athens campus are invited to apply for acceptance into the patient-centered continuum curriculum track which enrolls 20-24 students from each class. The majority of the class will participate in the clinical presentation continuum curriculum track. These curricular tracks are more thoroughly described in the Academic Organization section of this catalog.
Information requests or specific correspondence should be addressed to: Office of Admissions, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, 102 Grosvenor Hall, 1 Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701-2979. Phone calls to the Office of Admissions can be made by dialing 740.593.4313 or 800.345.1560.
Transfer Students
The Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine will only consider transfer applications from students at other colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States and if positions in our clinical clerskship training hospitals (CORE) are available. Prospective transfer students can only be considered for transfer into the beginning of the third year of the program and must complete two years of study to be considered a graduate of the Heritage College. Candidates transferring into the third year of the program will receive their clinical rotation site after all other slots have been selected by current Heritage College students which may or may not be in close proximity to the student’s desired clinical training site.
Due to the integrated nature of the Heritage College curricula, advanced standing is not awarded to any transfer candidate.
A student seeking transfer, who is not eligible to begin their clinical rotations, may apply as a first-year student and be eligible to indicate a preference for the Heritage College Athens or Dublin campus locations.
Transfer applicants must provide the following information in time to allow appropriate committee review preceding the Heritage College term of intended enrollment:
- A completed secondary application with the respective application fee.
- Official copies of all post-secondary school or college transcripts.
- Official copy of the current osteopathic school transcript.
- A letter from the Dean of the current COM verifying good academic standing.
- An essay regarding the candidate rationale for a transfer.
- A copy of the course catalog from their initial osteopathic medical school.
- Two letters of recommendation from current osteopathic medical school faculty.
- All MCAT scores.
In an effort to assess the candidate’s clinical acumen, a prospective transfer student must also participate in a clinical skills examination prior to any final admission decision.
The Student Selection Advisory Committee will make a recommendation on the admissibility of the prospective transfer student. If admissible, all items from the list above will be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to determine if the student’s previous curriculum is comparable enough to our curriculum to accept the student into our program as calculated using the formula found in the credit hour documentation document. If the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs determines that the student is to be accepted he/she will forward the transcript to student affairs for the transfer credits to be applied to the student’s Ohio University transcript.
Potential transfer applicants from other accredited domestic or foreign medical schools must apply through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) procedures for admission as Year 1 student. If accepted, they will be required to complete four years of medical study at this institution.
The applicant must then submit, in writing, his/her acceptance of admission and all conditions stipulated by the college, together with appropriate fees and/or advance deposits, before the admission can be considered final.
Tuition and Living Expenses
Attending the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, although much less costly than a private medical school education, represents a major financial commitment. Ohio University endeavors to keep the cost of a medical education as low as possible, but changing economic factors affect both living expenses and tuition fees. Therefore, tuition is subject to change by action of the Board of Trustees prior to any academic term.
For the most up-to-date information on tuition and living expenses, visit the college’s Web site at http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/Aid/fin_aid_edu_budget.htm.
There is no difference in tuition or fees between students attending the Athens or Dublin campus, however, living expenses will vary based on location.
Financial Aid
One of the primary purposes of OU-HCOM’s Office of Student Affairs is to provide supplemental financial aid assistance to admitted students demonstrating need. The primary responsibility for meeting educational costs rests with the student and his or her family. The Office of Student Affairs will make every attempt to assist each student financially, but because funding levels are limited, every need cannot be met. Most students will have to secure student loans to finance their medical education.
Information regarding available financial aid eligibility and the application process is detailed at the college’s Web site at www.oucom.ohiou.edu/Aid/.
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