Admissions

The Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine considers for admission those students who possess the academic, professional, and personal qualities necessary to become exemplary osteopathic physicians. To select these students, the College uses a rolling admissions process within a competitive admissions framework.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to AZCOM must submit the following documented evidence:

1. Completion of the admission course requirements.
   • Grades of C or better (grades of C- are not acceptable)
   • To be competitive, students should have minimum cumulative GPAs and science GPAs over 3.00 on a 4.00 scale
   • To receive a supplemental application, students must have minimum science and cumulative GPAs of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale
2. Completion of a bachelor's degree at a regionally accredited college or university prior to matriculation.
3. Competitive scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).
   • Only MCAT exam scores earned from tests taken no more than three (3) years prior to the matriculation date of the planned enrollment year are acceptable.
   • Register for MCAT exam through Association of American Medical Colleges website at https://students- residents.aamc.org/applying- medical-school/taking-mcat- exam/
4. Two letters of recommendation are required.
   • One letter from either a pre- medical advisory committee or science professor who has taught the applicant.
   • Second letter from either a D.O. or a M.D. Letters from osteopathic physicians are strongly recommended. Letters written by family members are not acceptable.

Students seeking admission to AZCOM must:

1. Demonstrate understanding of and interest in osteopathic medicine.
2. Demonstrate service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities.
3. Demonstrate motivation for and commitment to health care as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer work, or other life experiences.
4. Demonstrate verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues.
5. Pass the Midwestern University criminal background check and fingerprint clearance.
6. Commit to abide by Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy.
7. Meet the Technical Standards for the College.
8. Must not have previously been withdrawn or dismissed from a D.O. or M.D. program in the U.S. or Internationally. This does not apply to students applying for transfer as described elsewhere in the catalog.

Admission Course Requirements

Course	# of Semesters/Quarter Hours
Biology with Lab	8 Semester/12 Quarter hours
General Chemistry with Lab	8 Semester/12 Quarter hours
Organic Chemistry with Lab or other advanced Chemistry with Lab	8 Semester/12 Quarter hours
Physics	8 Semester/12 Quarter hours
English Composition	6 Semester/9 Quarter hours

Courses that may contribute to success in medical school include Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry

Competitive Admissions

Within its competitive admissions framework, the College uses multiple criteria to select the most qualified candidates from an applicant pool that exceeds the number of seats available. AZCOM typically receives over 5000 applications for its 250 seats.

Rolling Admissions

AZCOM uses a rolling admissions process in which applications are reviewed and interview decisions are made at each interval during the admissions cycle.

Interviews are conducted and selection decisions for the College are made until the class is filled. Applicants are notified of their selection status within four weeks after their interview date. To be competitive within this process, candidates should apply early in the admissions cycle.

Application Process and Deadlines

The official AACOMAS application deadline is January 1st; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early in the cycle. Due to the large number of applications and the limited number of seats available, applications will be considered on a first-come, first- served basis only until all seats are filled.

1. AACOMAS Application - January 1st Deadline To initiate the application process, all applicants must register and apply online via the centralized application service administered by AACOMAS at http://aacomas.aacom.org/. The AACOMAS application is typically available in May or June. As part of this process, students must submit official MCAT scores (for tests taken no more than three years prior to the matriculation date), and official transcripts directly to AACOMAS. The Office of Admissions will not accept MCAT scores or transcripts submitted directly to Midwestern University. The deadline for submission of the AACOMAS application is January 1st.
2. Letters of Recommendation - March 1st Deadline
   1. The applicant's full legal name and AACOMAS ID number must be on the front page of the recommendation. The applicant must provide this information to evaluator.
   2. Letters must be sent directly to Admissions from the evaluator and must be printed on letterhead stationery, which includes the complete contact information for evaluator.
   3. The evaluator's academic degrees must be listed (e.g. Ph.D., D.O., M.D.).
   4. Applicants who have previously applied to AZCOM must submit new letters of recommendation.
   5. Letters from family members will not be accepted.
3. Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. One letter must be written by a pre-health advisory committee or science professor who has taught the applicant. The second letter must be written by a physician, either a D.O. or M.D. Letters from osteopathic physicians are strongly recommended. The required letters of recommendation must be received in the Office of Admissions on or before the deadline of March 1st. Letters must adhere to the following guidelines:
4. Complete Application - March 1st Deadline All application materials, including the AACOMAS application, MCAT scores (as reported to AACOMAS), two required letters of recommendation, and all supplemental application materials with the application fee must be received in the Office of Admissions on or before March 1st. Only completed applications received by the Office of Admissions, on or before the deadline date, will be reviewed for potential fall enrollment.
5. Application Reviews and Interview Decisions AZCOM uses a rolling admissions process to review completed applications and make interview decisions. Applications will not be reviewed until all required application materials have been received by the Office of Admissions, including the AACOMAS application, official MCAT scores (as reported to AACOMAS), supplemental application materials, processing fee, and both required letters of recommendation. Applicants complete their files as soon as possible to remain competitive in this process and to ensure full consideration of their applications.

Please Note: Applicants are responsible for tracking the receipt of their application materials and verifying the status of their required application materials on the University website. Instructions for accessing application information on the University website will be sent to applicants by the Office of Admissions. Applicants are advised to keep the Office of Admissions informed of any changes to mailing address and e-mail address. All requests for application withdrawals must be made in writing. Applicants are expected to act professionally in their interactions with AACOMAS and with AZCOM, and should follow the AACOMAS applicant protocol at all times.

Interview and Selection Process

Applicants must meet all of the admissions requirements listed previously to be considered for an interview. After the Office of Admissions receives all of the required application materials, applicant files are reviewed to determine whether applicants merit interview invitations based on established criteria of the Admissions Committee. Applicants who are invited to interview will be contacted by the Office of Admissions and receive instructions for scheduling their interviews via the University's web-based scheduling system. Additional applicants may be placed on an interview "Wait List" pending possible interview openings toward the end of the interview cycle.

When applicants accept interview appointments, they join other interviewees to meet with members of an interview panel selected from a volunteer group of basic scientists, administrators, admissions staff, students, and clinicians. Panel members assess applicants for their academic and personal preparedness for medical school, and their understanding of the osteopathic physician's role in the healthcare team. They rate applicants on a standardized evaluation form relative to each variable. At the conclusion of the interviews, the panel members forward their applicant evaluations to the Admissions Committee. The committee may recommend to accept, to deny, or to place the applicant on either the hold or alternate list. This recommendation is then forwarded to the Dean of AZCOM for final approval. The Dean, via the Office of Admissions, notifies accepted applicants within four weeks of their interview.

Pre-Matriculation Commitments

Applicants who have made commitments prior to their matriculation at AZCOM must be aware there may be curricular priorities that are not compatible with their tentative schedules. Students who wish to fulfill prior commitments must request time off from each course director and department chair during the first week of the academic year. MWU does not guarantee that time off for prior commitments will be approved. Enrollment deferments are not offered for pre-matriculation commitments, nor for enrollment in other degree or certificate programs.

Articulation Agreements with Other Institutions

AZCOM has articulation agreements with the following institutions: Arizona Christian College, Arizona State University, Aurora University, Grand Canyon University, California Northstate University College of Health Sciences, and Midwestern University College of Graduate Studies, which includes AZCOM's Bridges Program with the Biomedical Sciences Masters program.

Reapplication Process

After receiving either denial or end-of-cycle letters, applicants may reapply for the next enrollment cycle. Before reapplying, however, applicants should seek the advice of an admissions counselor.

To initiate the reapplication process, applicants must submit their applications to AACOMAS. Applications are then processed according to standard application procedures.

Transfer Admission

AZCOM may elect to accept transfer students from other U.S. osteopathic medical schools as long as these students remain in good academic and professional standing, have no COMLEX-USA board failures, and provide acceptable reasons for seeking their transfers. The American Osteopathic Association (AOA)/Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) standards require that the last two years of instruction must be completed within the college of osteopathic medicine granting the D.O. degree.

Currently enrolled students are not granted advanced standing for individual courses completed at another institution. Full credit is granted for course work satisfactorily completed by students transferring from another institution for the purpose of completing their course of study at AZCOM.

Students requesting transfers must meet AZCOM's general requirements for admission and follow transfer procedures:

1. All inquiries for transfer to AZCOM must be submitted to the Office of Admissions.
2. The Office of Admissions will confirm the availability of rotation sites through the Office of the Dean of AZCOM.
3. If the Dean of AZCOM designates available transfer positions, applications will be sent.
4. Students must return their completed applications to the Office of Admissions and must include a statement of reason of transfer as well as the following from the COM:
   • Transcripts (must have no "F's" or repeated courses)
   • Class rank (must be in top 50%)
   • Dean's letter verifying "Good Academic Standing" and specifying that the student is eligible for readmission
   • Letter of reference from the Dean of Students indicating the student has no professional concerns
5. AZCOM requires passage of COMLEX- USA Level 1 prior to transfer.
6. Completed applications are forwarded to the Dean of AZCOM.
7. A group appointed by the Dean of AZCOM conducts interviews with applicants.
8. Recommendations are forwarded to the Dean of AZCOM for final approval.
9. Applicants are notified by the Dean of AZCOM through the Office of Admissions of the final transfer decision.