Osteopathic Medicine in Downers Grove

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

200

2008 Class Profiles

• Female: 51%
• Male: 49%
• Average Age: 24
• Average Overall GPA: 3.53
• Class Size: 173
• Top Home States: Illinois (58%), Indiana, Wisconsin

Residency Placements (Class of 2007)

75 programs in 21 states; sites include Loyola University Chicago, University of Chicago, Northwestern, Scripps, Stroger-Cook County, Cleveland Clinic, University of Minnesota, University of Indiana, State University of New York, Cincinnati Children's, University of Nebraska

Match Rate (Class of 2007)

79 percent go to first or second residency choice; far surpasses national match rate of 68 percent

COMLEX Part I Board Scores (1998-2007)

92.3 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers

COMLEX Part II Board Scores (1998-2007)

93.1 precent pass rate for first-time test-takers

Career Opportunities

Primary care, surgery, emergency medicine, pediatrics, anesthesiology, plus other medical specialties and options in hospitals, medical schools, private practices, and government facilities

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

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 CCOM in 2008 was 28
   • 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
   • One letter from either a premedical advisory committee or science professor who has taught the applicant
   • Second letter from either a D.O. or an M.D. Letters from osteopathic physicians are strongly recommended, and letters written by immediate family members are not acceptable
   • Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the evaluators, and letters submitted by students are not accepted by the Office of Admissions
0. Demonstration of 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 fingerprinting background check
0. Commitment to abide by Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy

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Program Description

The CCOM 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 (DO) degree, CCOM 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, CCOM's four-year curriculum educates students in the biopsychosocial approach to patient care, as well as the basic medical arts and sciences. CCOM 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 CCOM curriculum encourages students to regard learning as a lifelong process.

Program Expectations

To produce competent osteopathic physicians, CCOM's program emphasizes primary care but includes traditional specialties and subspecialties. Because the DO degree signifies the holder is a physician prepared for entry into the practice of medicine within postgraduate training programs, CCOM 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 CCOM 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

CCOM educates osteopathic physicians to provide quality, compassionate care and promotes the practice of osteopathic medicine, lifelong learning, research, and service.

Values

CCOM achieves educational excellence through

• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Commitment
• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Diversity
• Practice and Application of the Osteopathic Philosophy

Vision

Every member of the CCOM family exemplifies its core values to provide relationship-centered teaching and care. Our communities include:

• Students, Interns, Residents
• Alumni
• Clinicians
• Faculty, Administration
• Staff
• Parents

Program Reputation

Since its founding in 1900, the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine has graduated more than 6,000 alumni and accounts for nearly 13 percent of all practicing osteopathic physicians and surgeons in the United States.

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 Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine is accredited by the Commission on College Accreditation American Osteopathic Association (AOA). The Commission on Osteopathic 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: American Osteopathic Association, 142 E. Ontario Street, 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 Glendale

Osteopathic Medicine as a Career

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)

American Osteopathic Association (AOA)

Costin Institute for Medical Educators

Illinois Osteopathic Medical Society (IOMS)

Student Doctor Network (SDN)