Admission to PCOM's Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program is comprehensive as well as competitive. We seek well-rounded, achievement-oriented persons whose character, maturity and sense of dedication point to a successful and productive life as an osteopathic physician.

We are an institution that has historically sought diversity in our student population. We actively recruit under-represented minority students and non-traditional students who often offer exceptional potential for becoming outstanding physicians. Grades and MCAT scores are important to us as they are some of the best predictors of success in medical school; however, we also carefully review a candidate's research experience, clinical exposure, demonstrated leadership skills, extracurricular activities, community involvement, motivation to study medicine and letters of recommendation among other factors.

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) - All Campuses

Admission to PCOM is comprehensive as well as competitive. Acceptance by the Faculty Committee on Admissions is based on the applicant’s fulfillment of undergraduate course requirements, grade point averages (GPA), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, letters of recommendation, essay, resume and a personal interview with the committee.

PCOM seeks well-rounded, achievement-oriented persons whose character, maturity and sense of dedication point to a successful and productive life as an osteopathic physician. PCOM is an institution that has historically sought diversity in its student population and actively recruits under-represented minority students and non-traditional students, including veterans, who often offer exceptional potential for becoming outstanding osteopathic physicians.

Requirements for Admission

Prior to matriculation at any campus site, each applicant must meet the following PCOM admission requirements and prerequisites:

• U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status (green card)
• Satisfactory completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Applications from students with three years of exceptional undergraduate work completed may be considered. 
• If an applicant has completed a degree(s) from institutions outside of the United States, he/she must request an official course-by-course evaluation from World Education Services (www.wes.org) that validates equivalency to a U.S. degree.
• All prerequisite coursework must be completed at a U.S. regionally accredited college or university. International coursework will not count towards meeting any prerequisite coursework.
• We do not accept CLEP coursework.
• The satisfactory completion of the following undergraduate courses must be demonstrated by the applicant:
  • Eight semester hours of biology, including two semester hours of lab
  • Eight semester hours of physics, including two semester hours of lab
  • Sixteen semester hours of chemistry, including four semester hours of lab; at least four of the sixteen required semester hours must be organic chemistry (with lab) and at least three semester hours must be biochemistry
  • Six semester hours of English composition and literature

• Official MCAT exam scores from an exam taken within three years of the desired date of matriculation. For fall 2024 entry, only MCAT tests taken in 2021, 2022 and 2023 will be considered valid. PCOM does not have minimum MCAT requirements for the DO program. Generally, a competitive MCAT is at or above 500 with 125 for each subsection. The average MCAT for entering DO students is typically a 505.

• Submit 3 letters of recommendation either directly to AACOMAS or recommend@pcom.edu. Please note that letters of recommendation will be reviewed and copied to your PCOM application(s) only upon payment of the PCOM institutional fee.

​PCOM Admissions Committees review applications holistically, taking several factors into account when assessing applications for interview and acceptance to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program. Interviews and admissions decisions for the DO program are granted not solely on GPAs or MCAT scores, but after consideration of all aspects of an application including but not limited to: letters of recommendation, autobiographical statements, clinical experience and research experience.

Application Steps and Schedule

We participate in AACOMAS, the centralized application service for the colleges of osteopathic medicine and adhere to the Applicant Protocol and Admissions Guidelines as adopted by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and published in the ChooseDO Explorer. For AACOMAS application questions or assistance, please visit the AACOMAS Applicant Help Center web site which includes contact information, instructions, and other important details.

Beginning in May, prospective osteopathic medical students may submit their application through a secure Web server, AACOMAS. Be advised that a full AACOMAS application must be e-submitted, completed and verified by February 1, 2024 to be considered for admissions to PCOM/PCOM South Georgia and/or PCOM Georgia.

There are no supplemental application requirements for 2024 admission. Rather, in the AACOMAS application, visit the Program Materials section of your PCOM application and respond to the questions posed on the Questions tab.

When each processed application is received by the PCOM Office of Admissions from AACOMAS, applicants will receive an email notification with further instruction and a link to PCOM's application portal. 

All DO program candidates must:

• Submit a separate AACOMAS application for PCOM/PCOM South Georgia and/or PCOM Georgia. In AACOMAS, access to the PCOM South Georgia application can be found through the PCOM application. On the Questions tab, candidates are asked to select the PCOM location(s) for which they wish to be considered: PCOM, PCOM South Georgia or both PCOM and PCOM South Georgia. Candidates wishing to apply to PCOM Georgia will need to complete a separate application in AACOMAS.
• Pay the corresponding AACOMAS fee(s).
• Submit an institutional application fee to PCOM for each location required:
  • $75 for PCOM and/or PCOM South Georgia
  • $75 for PCOM Georgia

This fee is required in order for the Office of Admissions to process each application and the corresponding application materials. 

The Letter of Recommendation requirement for DO admission is as follows:

A minimum of 3 letters of recommendation are required from individuals who know the applicant in a professional capacity and can comment on one's character, work ethic, academic history, scientific acumen, empathy, compassion, resilience, emotional intelligence, commitment and knowledge of the healthcare environment.  The DO Faculty Committee of Admissions strongly prefers that the letters be from the following sources:

• A pre-health or academic advisor/committee (undergraduate, post-baccalaureate or graduate programs). A pre-health advisor letter will meet the requirement for one of the three required letters of recommendation. A pre-health packet of letters from an institution containing three or more letters of recommendation will meet the requirement.
• Undergraduate, Graduate or Post-Baccalaureate faculty (preferably those who delivered a candidate’s completed science coursework), who can attest to academic performance and aptitude.  We highly recommend AT LEAST ONE letter from an academic source.
• Physicians, preferably DOs, and/or other health care providers with whom a candidate has had a professional relationship, who can attest to the applicant's clinical experiences and overall fit for the profession. 

Candidates who may not have the ability to submit letters from any/all of the above sources should select letter writers who know them in a professional capacity and can comment on the applicant's character, work ethic, academic history, scientific acumen, empathy, compassion, resilience, emotional intelligence, commitment and/or knowledge of the healthcare environment.

A pre-health advisor letter will meet the requirement for one of the three required letters of recommendation. We would prefer each letter to be submitted separately, however, a packet of letters from an institution containing three or more letters of recommendation will meet the requirement.

A letter of recommendation from an osteopathic physician is strongly recommended but not required.

The application and all required materials (including the institutional application fee(s)) must be received by March 1, 2024. However, early submission is strongly recommended as interviewees are selected and decisions are rendered on a rolling basis.

Interviews

Each campus has a PCOM Faculty Committee on Admissions that will review all completed applications, select those applicants to be interviewed and inform them in writing, via e-mail, of the interview date, time and location. PCOM will offer a choice of either virtual or on-campus interviews. Although all applicants who are accepted must be interviewed, the granting of an interview should not be construed as evidence of final acceptance.

Qualified DO program applicants selected by the Faculty Committee on Admissions are invited for a personal interview on a rolling basis.

Interviews for the DO program generally begin in mid-September and will be conducted through March. If you are selected for an interview, you will be sent an email with required next steps. A candidate can be selected for an interview at any time throughout the review process at each location as deemed competitive by the Faculty Committee on Admissions. Interview sessions are on-campus or virtual events. PCOM conducts a panel interview that generally includes the applicant and at least two members of the Faculty Committee on Admissions, and lasts about 30 minutes.

Admissions Decisions

Interviewed candidates are usually notified within 4-6 weeks of their interview date. PCOM follows the AACOMAS Traffic Guidelines, therefore accepted DO program applicants are asked to send a $250 non-refundable tuition prepayment according to the posted schedule.

All accepted candidates are also required to remit a $500 non-refundable deposit by April 15, 2024. The candidate is also asked to review and acknowledge PCOM's Technical Standards for Admission and Matriculation (PDF).

PCOM does not routinely accept transfer students for the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program; however, a transfer application may be considered under extenuating circumstances and depending on seats available in the class. Consideration will be given only to a student who is in good standing at an AOA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine or who is eligible for re-admission to the previously attended college of osteopathic medicine. COMLEX I must have a passing grade prior to matriculation at PCOM if the student is accepted by the faculty committee on Admissions.

The initial request for transfer must originate from the dean of the college or university from which the student wishes to transfer and must be directed to the dean of the PCOM location to which they are applying. Application materials must be submitted before February 1, 2024 and a formal interview with the Faculty Committee on Admissions will be required.

If accepted, a transfer student will be given credit for courses successfully passed at the previous college that meet PCOM's curriculum requirements. A minimum of two years must be completed at PCOM for a student to be eligible to receive the DO degree. Accepted students must be prepared for summer enrollment.

Transfer requests from one PCOM location to another must be discussed with the Dean at the PCOM location of enrollment.

For all other students entering the DO program, PCOM does not grant advanced standing or credit for prior learning or for courses completed at other institutions.

Post-Doctoral Programs  

Graduate Medical Education - Philadelphia Campus

Graduate medical education is the crucial step of professional development between medical school and autonomous clinical practice. It is in this vital phase of the continuum of osteopathic medical education that residents learn to provide optimal patient care under the supervision of faculty members. PCOM offers residency and fellowship programs to further the osteopathic medical education of physicians.