Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale

Fast Facts

Degree

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)

General Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum total and science GPA of 2.75
• MCAT scores
• Two letters of recommendation

Length of Program

4 years, full-time

Class Size

250

2008 Class Profiles

• Female: 37%
• Male: 63%
• Average Age: 25
• Average Overall GPA: 3.4
• Class Size: 150
• Top Home States: Arizona (33%), California, Utah

Residency Placements

• Military — including Beaumont A.M.C., Pendleton N.M.C., and Lackland M.C.
• Top Arizona hospitals — including Phoenix Baptist, Phoenix Children's, Banner Good Samaritan, Maricopa County Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn, Kingman, St. Joseph's, John C. Lincoln, Sierra Vista
• Prominent osteopathic programs — including Henry Ford, St. James, Botsford, Genesys, Doctor's Hospitals
• Prestigious allopathic programs — including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Stanford

COMLEX Part I Board Scores (1998-2007)

98 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers, exceeding national average by 7+ percent; AZCOM scored 100% for five of these years

COMLEX Part II Board Scores (1998-2007)

99 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers, nearly 9 percent above national average; AZCOM scored 100% for seven of these years

US Employment Projections through 2012

113,000+ physicians and surgeons needed to serve a growing and aging population, especially in rural and low-income areas

2005 Median Salaries (varies by specialty)

• Family practice physicians, pediatricians, internists: $160,000
• General Surgeons: $300,000
• Anesthesiologists: $325,000

Admission Requirements

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

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

0. Completion of the above prerequisite coursework.
   • 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
0. Completion of a bachelor's degree at regionally accredited colleges or universities prior to matriculation.
   • Applicants participating in special affiliated programs with the College and other exceptions to this policy will be considered on an individual basis.
0. Competitive test scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).
   • Average MCAT score for students entering AZCOM in 2008 was 26.
   • Only MCAT exam scores earned from tests taken no more than 3 years prior to the planned enrollment year are acceptable.
   • Register for MCAT tests through the MCAT Program Office at 319/337-1357 or visit www.aamc.org/students/mcat for information.
   • MCAT exams are offered multiple times per year.
0. Two letters of recommendation are required. One letter must be from either a premedical advisory committee or science professor who has taught the applicant. The second letter must be from either a D.O. or an M.D. Letters from osteopathic physicians are strongly recommended, and letters written by immediate family members will not be accepted.
0. Demonstration of a sincere understanding of and interest in osteopathic medicine.
0. Demonstration of a people or service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities.
0. Motivation for and commitment to health care as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer work, or other life experiences.
0. Oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues.
0. Passing the Midwestern University criminal background check.
0. Commitment to abide by the Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy.
0. Meet the Technical Standards for the College.

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Program Description

The AZCOM course of study is typically 4 academic years. The first 2 years cover primarily didactic instruction, followed by 2 years of primarily clinical rotations, including applicable didactic material. Upon graduation with the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, AZCOM graduates are eligible for postdoctoral residency training in all fields of medicine.

As scientists and practitioners of the healing arts, osteopathic physicians subscribe to a philosophy that regards the body as an integrated whole with structures and functions working interdependently. Therefore, osteopathic physicians treat their patients as unique persons with biological, psychological, and sociological needs—an approach that underscores the osteopathic commitment to patient-oriented versus disease-oriented health care.

Using this philosophy, AZCOM's four-year curriculum educates students in the biopsychosocial approach to patient care, as well as the basic medical arts and sciences. AZCOM students spend their first two years completing a rigorous basic science curriculum and preparing for clinical studies, including early clinical contact experiences. During their third and fourth years, students rotate through a variety of clinical training sites, accruing an impressive 88 weeks of direct patient care experience. By stimulating intellectual curiosity and teaching problem solving skills, the AZCOM curriculum encourages students to regard learning as a lifelong process.

Program Expectations

To produce competent osteopathic physicians, AZCOM's program emphasizes primary care but includes traditional specialties and subspecialties. Because the D.O. degree signifies the holder is a physician prepared for entry into the practice of medicine within postgraduate training programs, AZCOM graduates must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care, including direct hands-on analysis and treatment.

Accordingly and with reasonable accommodation, all candidates for admission to the AZCOM program must have abilities and skills in five areas: 1) observation; 2) communication; 3) motor; 4) conceptual, integrative, and quantitative; and 5) behavioral and social. Technological compensation can be made for some limitation in certain of these areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner.

Mission

The mission of the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine–Midwestern University is to meet the contemporary societal need for physicians by emphasizing care and educational experiences needed to serve all communities. The curriculum provides an innovative academic foundation incorporating the philosophy of osteopathic principles and practices, striving to be fully integrated throughout the basic and clinical sciences, while promoting faculty development and research.

The Osteopathic Oath

I hereby affirm my loyalty to the profession I am about to enter. I will be mindful always of my great responsibility to preserve the health and the life of my patients, to retain their confidence and respect both as a physician and a friend who will guard their secrets with scrupulous honor and fidelity, to perform faithfully my professional duties, to employ only those recognized methods of treatment consistent with good judgment and with my skill and ability, keeping in mind always nature's laws and the body's inherent capacity for recovery.

I will be ever vigilant in aiding the general welfare of the community, sustaining its laws and institutions, not engaging in those practices which will in any way bring shame or discredit upon myself or my profession. I will give no drugs for deadly purposes to any person, though it be asked of me.

I will endeavor to work in accord with my colleagues in a spirit of progressive cooperation, and never by word or by act cast imputations upon them or their rightful practice.

I will look with respect and esteem upon all those who have taught me my art. To my college I will be loyal and strive always for its best interests and for the interests of the students who will come after me. I will be ever alert to further the application of basic biologic truths to the healing arts and to develop the principles of Osteopathic Medicine which were first enunciated by Andrew Taylor Still.

Accreditation

The Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine is accredited by the Commision on College Accreditation American Osteopathic Association (AOA). The Commision on College Accreditation is recognized as the accrediting agency for colleges of osteopathic medicine by the United States Office of Education and the Council of Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA). For further information, please contact the American Osteopathic Association, 142 E. Ontario St., Chicago, IL 60611; 800/621-1773.

Midwestern University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission/A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC/NCA), 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602.

Related Links

MWU Osteopathic Medicine Program in Downers Grove

Osteopathic Medicine as a Career

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)

American Osteopathic Association (AOA)

Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association (AOMA)

Student Doctor Network (SDN)