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AZCOM Admission

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.

Competitive Admissions

Within their 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. For the class that matriculated in the fall of 2017, AZCOM received over 5,700 applications for its 250 seats.

Rolling Admissions

AZCOM 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 classes are filled. Applicants are notified of their selection status within two to four weeks after their interview date. To be competitive within this process, candidates should apply early in the admissions cycle.

Admissions Prerequisites

Prerequisite Course Sem Hrs QTR Hrs
Biology with lab 8 12
General Chemistry with lab 8 12
Organic Chemistry with lab 8 12
Physics 8 12
English Composition 6 9

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:

  1. Completion of the 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
  2. Completion of a bachelor's degree at regionally accredited colleges or universities prior to matriculation.
  3. Competitive test scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).
    • Average MCAT score for students entering AZCOM in 2017 was 505.
    • Only MCAT exam scores earned from tests taken no more than 3 years prior to the matriculation date of the planned enrollment year are acceptable.
    • Register for MCAT tests through the MCAT Program Office at 202/828-0690 or visit http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat for information.
    • MCAT exams are offered multiple times per year.
  4. Two letters of recommendation are required.
    • 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.

Students seeking admissions to AZCOM must:

  1. Demonstrate understanding of and sincere 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 oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues.
  5. Pass the Midwestern University criminal background check.
  6. Commit to abide by the Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy.
  7. Meet the Technical Standards for the College.

International Applicants

Must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, or from a recognized post secondary Canadian institution that uses English as its primary language of instruction and documentation. Of the 30 semester hours, 15 hours must be in the sciences, six hours in non-remedial English composition, and three hours in speech/public speaking.

Applicants who wish to receive transfer credit for prerequisite coursework completed outside the US or at a Canadian institution that does not use English as its primary language of instruction and documentation must submit an official, detailed, course-by-course evaluation obtained from one of the following evaluation services:

  • Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE): 414/289-3400 or Fax 414/289-3411; www.ece.org
  • World Education Services (WES): 212/966-6311 or Fax 212/739-6100; www.wes.org
  • Josef Silny & Associates International Education Consultants: 305/273-1616 or Fax 305/273-1338; www.jsilny.com

International applicants who do not provide documentation of acceptable US or Canadian course/degree equivalency will not receive credit, and will be required to complete all prerequisite courses at an accredited college or university in the United States, or at a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada that uses English as its primary language of instruction and documentation.

For clarification about recognized post-secondary institutions in Canada that use English as a primary language of instruction and documentation, international applicants should contact the Midwestern University Office of Admissions.

Click here for more information on International Student Financial Services

Technical Standards for Admission

The educational mission of AZCOM is to produce competent osteopathic physicians, emphasizing primary care but including traditional specialties and subspecialties. Because the D.O. degree signifies that the holder is a physician prepared for entry into the practice of medicine within postgraduate training programs, 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, the following abilities and expectations must be met by all students admitted to AZCOM with reasonable accommodation. A candidate must have abilities and skills in five areas: 1) observation; 2) communication; 3) motor; 4) intellectual, 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.

1. Observation: The candidate must be able to accurately make observations at a distance and close at hand. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and somatic sensation and is enhanced by the functional use of all of the other senses.

2. Communication: The candidate must be able to communicate effectively, efficiently, and sensitively in both oral and written form and be able to perceive nonverbal communication.

3. Motor: Candidates must be able to coordinate both gross and fine muscular movements, maintain equilibrium, and have functional use of the senses of touch and vision. The candidate must possess sufficient postural control, neuromuscular control, and eye-to-hand coordination to perform profession-specific skills and tasks.

4. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: The candidate must be able to problem solve, measure, calculate, reason, analyze, record, and synthesize large amounts of information in a timely manner. The candidate must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand spatial relationships.

5. Behavioral and Social Attributes: The candidate must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities; the exercise of good judgment; the consistent, prompt completion of all responsibilities; and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships. Candidates must be able to tolerate physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. The candidate must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility, and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, effective interpersonal skills, willingness and ability to function as an effective team player, interest and motivation to learn are all personal qualities required during the educational process. The candidate must agree to experience touching/palpating and being touched/palpated by individuals of either gender as defined in the College's curricular requirements.

Candidates are required to certify that they understand and meet these Technical Standards. Candidates must provide such certification prior to matriculation. Candidates who may not meet the Technical Standards must inform the Director of Admissions, who will then contact the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students, in consultation with the academic dean (and program director), will identify and discuss what accommodations, if any, the College(/Program) would need to make that would allow the candidate to complete the curriculum. The College(/Program) is not able to grant accommodations that alter the educational standards of the curriculum. Students must meet the Technical Standards for the duration of enrollment in their professional program.

Application Deadline

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.

Apply Online at AACOMAS

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Application Process

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 http://aacomas.aacom.org/. The AACOMAS application is typically available in early May. As part of this process, you must submit official MCAT scores 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 1.

2. AZCOM Supplemental Application – March 1st Deadline

Upon receipt of the AACOMAS application from the application service, the Midwestern University Office of Admissions will e-mail the supplemental application to all applicants who have earned minimum cumulative GPAs and science GPAs of 2.75. Applicants must complete and submit the supplemental application form with their resume, essay responses, and 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 1.

3. Letters of Recommendation – March 1st Deadline

Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. One letter must be written by a prehealth advisory committee or science professor who has taught the applicant. The second letter must be from a physician, either a D.O. or an 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:

  • The applicant’s full legal name and AACOMAS ID number must be on the front page of the recommendation. Please provide this information to the evaluator.
  • Letters must be sent directly from the evaluator and must be printed on letterhead stationary, which includes the complete contact information for the evaluator.
  • The evaluator's academic degree must be listed (e.g., Ph.D., D.O., M.D.).
  • Students who have previously applied to AZCOM must submit new letters of recommendation.
  • Letters from immediate family members will NOT be accepted.

The Office of Admissions will accept letters of recommendation via mail, Interfolio, or VirtualEvals. Mailed letters of recommendation should be sent to the following address:

Midwestern University
Office of Admissions
19555 N. 59th Avenue
Glendale, AZ 85308

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 fall enrollment.

5. Application Review 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. Students should complete their files as soon as possible to remain competitive in this process and to ensure full consideration of their application.

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 your application information on the University website will be sent to you by the Office of Admissions. Please keep the Office of Admissions informed of any changes to your mailing address and e-mail address. All requests for withdrawing an application must be done in writing. Applicants are expected to act professionally in their interactions with AACOMAS and with AZCOM. Please follow AACOM's applicant protocol at all times.

Interview and Selection Process

Applicants must meet all of the admissions requirements listed previously to be considered for on-campus interviews. 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 waiting list pending possible interview openings toward the end of the interview cycle.

When applicants accept interview appointments, they join several other interviewees to meet with members of a two-person interview panel selected from a volunteer group of basic scientists, current students, administrators, and clinicians. Team members question applicants about their academic, personal, and health care preparedness for medical school, and they rate applicants on a standardized evaluation form relative to each variable. At the conclusion of the interviews, the team 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 Dean, via the Office of Admissions, notifies students of their status within three or four weeks of the interview.

The interview process typically begins in August and ends in April/May.

Reapplication Process

After receiving either a 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.

Matriculation Process

The matriculation process begins after students receive notification of their acceptance. To complete the matriculation process students must:

  1. Submit the matriculation agreement and required deposit monies by the date designated in the matriculation agreement. Deposits are applied toward the first quarter's tuition.
  2. Submit official final transcripts from all colleges attended post-high school by the deadline of two weeks (14 calendar days) prior to the first day of classes. Students who are accepted to MWU less than one month prior to the first day of classes will have 30 calendar days from the date of their acceptance to submit all official transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Any special circumstances or requests for exceptions to this policy must be sent to and approved by the Office of the Dean of the College. Students who fail to submit all official final transcripts by the stated deadline may jeopardize their acceptance or continued enrollment in the College.
  3. Submit completed medical files documenting completion of a physical exam, immunizations, tuberculosis and titer blood testing as instructed by the Office of Student Services and detailed in the Student Handbook.
  4. Meet the Technical Standards for the Program.
  5. Submit proof of medical and disability insurance coverage. Students may select either a plan offered by an MWU-approved carrier or a comparable plan offered by an outside carrier of their choice, as determined by the Office of Student Services. Insurance must be maintained throughout the entire period of enrollment.
  6. Submit additional documents as required by the Office of Admissions or college
  7. Students who are requesting an I-20 visa or who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must prepay tuition and in some cases other mandatory program fees for the entire length of their program at Midwestern University.
  8. Submit a signed Credit Policy Statement
  9. Authorize and pass the MWU criminal background check and/or fingerprinting background check as required by the specific college/school/program.
  10. Submit a signed MWU Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy Statement.

Students who either fail to satisfy the above matriculation requirements or omit or falsify information required on official admissions documents automatically forfeit their seats in the Program. Any individual accepted for admission to the college/program who does not comply with stated time lines for submission of all required materials receives no further notification from the college regarding forfeiture of their seat.

Related Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition rates are subject to change each academic year for all enrolled students. Click here for the current Glendale Tuition and Fees.

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 standing and provide acceptable reason(s) 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.

Students requesting transfers must meet the College'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 designates available transfer positions, applications will be sent.
  4. Students must return their completed applications to the Office of Admissions and must include: transcripts from the COM, class rank (must be in top 50%), statement of reason for transfer, Dean's letter verifying "Good Academic Standing," a letter of reference from the Dean of Student Affairs, and COMLEX Level 1 scores, if available.
  5. Completed applications are forwarded to the Dean of AZCOM.
  6. The Dean's Advisory Council conducts interviews with applicants.
  7. Recommendations are forwarded to the Dean of AZCOM for final approvals.
  8. Applicants are notified by the Dean through the Office of Admissions of the final transfer decision.

Related Links

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)

Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) Program Office

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