Admissions

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) considers those students for admission 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 CCOM must submit the following documented evidence: 

1. Completion of the admissions course requirements
   • Grades of C or better (grades of C- are not acceptable)
   • To be competitive, students should have minimum cumulative and science GPAs over 3.00 on a 4.00 scale
   • To receive a supplemental application, students must have minimum cumulative and science GPAs of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale
2. Completion of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university prior to matriculation
3. Competitive test scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
   • Average MCAT score for students entering CCOM in 2022 was 510
   • Only MCAT exam scores earned from tests taken no more than 3 years prior to the planned enrollment year are acceptable
   • Candidates can register for MCAT tests through the MCAT Program Office at 202/828-0600 or visit https://www.aamc.org/register-mcatexam for information
4. Two letters of recommendation
   • One letter from either a premedical advisory committee, prehealth advisor or basic science professor who taught the applicant
   • It is preferred the second letter be written by a U.S. licensed D.O. or M.D. Letters from osteopathic physicians are strongly recommended. Letters written by family members are not acceptable.

Students seeking admission to CCOM must: 

1. Demonstrate understanding of and interest in osteopathic medicine
2. Demonstrate service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities
3. Show motivation for, and commitment to, healthcare as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer work, or other life experiences
4. Possess verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues
5. Pass the Midwestern University fingerprint-based background check
6. Commit to abide by the Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy
7. Meet the Technical Standards of the College

Admissions Course Requirements 

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

Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry are recommended courses that may contribute to success in medical school. 

Competitive Admissions

Within its competitive admissions framework, CCOM uses multiple criteria to select the most qualified candidates from an applicant pool that exceeds the number of seats available. For the class matriculating in Fall 2022, CCOM received more than 8,000 applications for its 200 seats.

Rolling Admissions

CCOM uses a rolling admissions process in which applications are reviewed and interview decisions are made at regular intervals 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. Typically, 50% of all admissions offers are made by the end of December. 

1. AACOMAS Application - January 1st Deadline
   To initiate the application process, all applicants must apply online via the centralized application service administered by AACOM at https://aacomas.liaisoncas.com/. 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 3 years prior to the matriculation date) and official transcripts to AACOMAS only. 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. CCOM Supplemental Application - March 1st Deadline
   Upon receipt of the AACOMAS application from the application service, the Office of Admissions will e-mail supplemental applications to all applicants who have earned minimum cumulative and science GPAs of 2.75. Applicants must complete and submit their supplemental application forms with all required materials, including a nonrefundable/nonwaivable $50 processing fee, to the Office of Admissions. All supplemental application materials must be received in the Office of Admissions on or before the deadline of March 1st.
3. Letters of Recommendation - March 1st Deadline 
   Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. One letter must be written by a prehealth advisory committee, prehealth advisor or basic science professor who taught the applicant. The second letter must be written by a physician, either a U.S. licensed 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: 
   1. The Office of Admissions will accept letters of recommendation received from AACOMAS or submitted directly to the Office of Admissions via Interfolio, VirtualEvals or U.S. postal service;
   2. The full legal name and AACOMAS ID number of the applicant must be on the front page of the recommendation. The applicant provides this information to the evaluators;
   3. Letters must be prepared on letterhead stationery, which includes the complete contact information for evaluators;
   4. The academic degrees of evaluators must be listed (e.g., Ph.D., D.O., M.D.);
   5. Applicants who have previously applied to CCOM must submit new letters of recommendation;
   6. Letters from family members will NOT be accepted.
4. Completed Applications - 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 enrollment.
5. Application Reviews and Interview Decisions CCOM uses a rolling admissions process to review completed applications and to 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. Students must 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's website will be sent by the Office of Admissions. Applicants should keep the Office of Admissions informed of any changes to the mailing address and e-mail address. All requests for application withdrawals must be in writing. Applicants are expected to act professionally in their interactions with AACOMAS and with CCOM. Candidates are expected to follow AACOMAS applicant protocol at all times.

Interview and Selection Process

Applicants must meet all the admissions requirements listed previously to be considered for interviews. Once the Office of Admissions receives all 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 
"Waiting List" pending possible interview openings toward the end of the interview cycle. The on-campus interview process typically begins in September and ends in April.

On the interview day applicants join several other interviewees to meet with members of a two or three-person interview panel, which is selected from a volunteer group of basic scientists, current students, administrators, and clinicians. Panel members assess applicants for their academic and personal preparedness for medical school. 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 for final approval. The Office of Admissions, notifies students of their status within four weeks of the interview. 

Dual Admission Program and Articulation Agreements with other Institutions 

A dual admission program is currently in effect with the Illinois Institute of Technology. Details of this program are available through the Office of Admissions.

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.

CCOM 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 and provide acceptable reasons for seeking a transfer. The American Osteopathic Association/Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA/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 completed by students transferring from another institution for the purpose of completing their course of study at CCOM.

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

1. All inquiries for transfer to CCOM 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.
3. Applications will be provided if the Dean designates that there are available transfer positions.
4. Students must return their completed applications to the Office of Admissions and must include:
   1. Transcripts from the COM (must have no "F's" or repeated courses);
   2. Class rank (must be in top 50%);
   3. Dean's letter verifying "Good Academic Standing" and specifying that the student is eligible for readmission;
   4. A letter of reference from the Dean of Students indicating no professionalism concerns.
5. The CCOM Dean may require passage of COMLEX-USA Level 1 prior to transfer.
6. Completed applications are forwarded to the Office of the Dean.
7. The Dean reviews applications and the Dean or the Dean's designee conducts interviews with applicants.
8. Recommendations are forwarded to the Dean of CCOM for final approval.
9. The Dean notifies the applicants of the final transfer decision through the Office of Admissions.