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Admissions Process and Interviews
Q: What GPA and MCAT scores will make me competitive enough to be accepted to an
osteopathic medical school?
A: True to the profession’s holistic philosophy, osteopathic colleges tend to
make admission decisions by looking at the whole applicant, rather than focusing
solely on GPA and MCAT scores. Some applicants
have a lower than average MCAT score, but will still be admitted because of a
well-demonstrated passion for helping patients through clinical service. Each
osteopathic medical school will evaluate your application based on
program-specific criteria.
AACOMAS is not involved in setting these criteria or in weighing your
credentials. Contact your designated osteopathic medical school(s) directly if
you have any questions.
Most candidates to an osteopathic medical school have a BS, with a health or
life science focus. Equivalent experiences will also be considered for
admission. While many applicants are attending medical school as recent college
graduates, about 25 percent of the student body is considered non-traditional.
These students include many people with previous careers, international health
care experience and other diverse backgrounds.
Q: When and how will I be notified about interviews?
A: AACOMAS does not notify applicants of interviews. If you are selected for an
interview by an osteopathic medical school, the school will contact you
directly. This contact will happen sometime after your application has been
submitted to schools. Please ensure that you can be reached using the
information you provided. (This includes making sure your e-mail system is not
blocking school responses.)
Q: Can I apply to both DO and MD schools?
A: Yes, you can apply to both osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) schools at
the same time. The application processes are similar, but independent. Don’t
forget to include the reasons that you want to study osteopathic medicine in
your personal statement, and during your interview.
Q: I am a health professional who is certified or educated in the United States
or abroad. How can I become a DO or certified to practice osteopathic medicine?
A: The American model of the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree differs
from the diplomate of osteopathy degree offered in other countries. American DOs
are trained as fully licensed physicians. Because of the rigor and uniqueness of
the American model of osteopathic medical education, anyone wishing to practice
medicine in the United States as a licensed osteopathic physician must graduate
from a U.S. osteopathic medical school that is accredited by the Commission on
Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).
Transcripts
Q: Where should I have transcripts sent and are there forms that must accompany
the transcripts?
A: A transcript request form is not required to be submitted with the
transcript. However, a form is available for you to download from your AACOMAS
application. Submit the form to the registrar and have them mail it along with
your transcripts. Transcripts must be sent directly from the registrar’s office.
Transcripts from any other source are not accepted.
Please have the registrar’s office mail an official transcript to:
AACOMAS
5550 Friendship Blvd., Suite 310
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Q: Are foreign transcripts required?
A: If you attended a study-abroad program sponsored by a U.S. institution, and
all courses, hours and grades appear on the U.S. transcript, list the
study-abroad courses in the same way as your other
courses from that U.S. institution—do not list them separately under “Foreign
College.” If all courses do not appear on your home institution transcript, are
listed as transfer credit, appear without assigned grades or if any other
irregularity exists, please contact AACOMAS.
Canadian Transcripts: If the transcript from the Canadian university you
attended shows grade conversion to a 4.0 grading scale and credit conversion to
the semester system, and is written in English, then the transcript is required.
If the transcript does not list grade and/or credit conversion and/or is not
written in English, please refer to the instructions for Other Foreign
Transcripts below. Grade 13 and Canadian
college-level coursework normally is not included in GPA calculations, but if
the transcript is provided it will be copied and forwarded to your designated
colleges. All institutions attended must be listed in the “Colleges and
Coursework” section.
Other Foreign Transcripts: Coursework taken at other foreign institutions must
be evaluated for U.S. equivalence by one of the following evaluation services
and an official copy must be sent from the service directly to AACOMAS. You
should also have a copy sent to you for completing the AACOMAS application.
Request a course-by-course evaluation and list the courses, subject codes,
semester hours, and grades on the AACOMAS Academic Record or Professional School
Academic Record as per the instructions. Your application will not be complete
without an official evaluation. Transfer credit appearing on U.S. institution
transcripts, student copies of an evaluation or other foreign evaluations will
not be accepted. You should contact one of the following:
World Education Services
P.O. Box 5087
New York, NY 10274-5087
(212) 966-6311
www.wes.org
Courier Address:
64 Beaver St, #146
New York, NY 10004
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
International Educational Consultants
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173
(305) 273-1616
www.jsilny.com
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470
(414) 289-3400
www.ece.org
Courier Address:
101 W. Pleasant St. Suite 200
Milwaukee WI 53212-3963
International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
Post Office Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
Phone: (310) 258-9451
www.ierf.org
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
Foreign Education Credential Services
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 520
Washington, DC 20036-1135
(202) 296-3359
www.aacrao.org/credential/individual.htm
All institutions attended (including foreign institutions) must be listed on the
application. If there are extenuating circumstances inhibiting this evaluation,
you may request a waiver of the requirement of this evaluation. The letter must
state the reason why you are requesting a waiver of the evaluation and must
include your signature and social security number.
Be sure the reason is extenuating. Also note that transfer credit awarded at
U.S. institutions for foreign courses will not be added to your applicant
profile Failure. to submit a foreign evaluation or letter requesting a waiver
(which is duplicated to your schools) will result in your file being incomplete.
Questions should be directed to AACOMAS.
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