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

Class of 2016 Profiles

• Female: 33%
• Male: 67%
• Average Age: 25
• Average Overall GPA: 3.48
• Average Science GPA:3.41
• Average Composite MCAT: 28
• Class Size: 252
• Top Home States: Arizona, California, Utah 

Residency Placements

• Military — including Beaumont A.M.C., Pendleton N.M.C., and Lackland M.C.
• Top Arizona hospitals — including Phoenix Baptist Hospital, Banner Good Samaritan, Maricopa County Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare, Kingman, St. Joseph's, Verde Valley Medical Center, Tucson Medical Center, University of Arizona Medical Center, Sierra Vista Regional Health Center, Phoenix Childrens Hospital
• 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 Level 1 Board Scores (2012, NBOME Reporting)

96.37 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers, exceeding national average by 5+ percent

COMLEX Level 2CE Board Scores (2012, NBOME Reporting)

91.06 percent pass rate for first-time test-takers

US Employment Projections through 2013

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

2011 Median Salaries in the west (varies by specialty)-From MGMA Physicians Compensation and Production Survey 2012 report

• Family practice physicians, pediatricians, internists: $192,248
• General Surgeons: $357,560
• Anesthesiologists: $392,865
• Emergency Medicine: $358,104
• Obstetrics: $276,227

Admission Requirements

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.
   • Applicants participating in special affiliated programs with the College and other exceptions to this policy will be considered on an individual basis.
3. Competitive test scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).
   • Average MCAT score for students entering AZCOM in 2012 was 28.
   • 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. 

Admission Prerequisites

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

Application Deadline:

Students may obtain AACOMAS applications as early as May 1st of the
academic year preceding the year in which they plan to apply. To be
competitive in our rolling admissions process, students should apply as
early as possible. The official AACOMAS deadline for completed applications
for fall enrollment is January 1st.

Additional Application Information

 Return to TOP

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

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 some 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 and 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.

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.

Program Improvements

For the 2011-2012 academic year, AZCOM program improvements included the development of didactic distance learning programs for rotation sites, faculty development to standardize teaching in rotations, and improved Board Examination preparation. AZCOM also worked with the MWU OPTI to develop additional residency programs at student training sites in Arizona and California. To better  prepare OMS3 students for their OMS4 year, and preparation of their MSPE (Dean's Letter), OMS3 students were invited to meet individually with the Dean, or the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, to discuss residency preparation and review the "unique characteristics" portion of their MSPE.

Improvements planned for the 2012-2013 academic year include additional simulation and standardized patient program encounters for students in the first, second, and third years. OCM IV, which started as a didactic program for OMS4 students during the 2011-2012 year, is expanding to include more Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) review so that AZCOM graduates are betters prepared to enter the residency years. Curricular mapping, which began in 2011, is slated to finish in 2012 so that the Curriculum Committee may review and update the educational program, as needed.

Mission

Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine educates students to exhibit professionalism, provide patient care, and serve their communities in order to become qualified osteopathic physicians.

 The mission will be achieved by meeting the following objectives: 

1. Incorporate clinical teaching into the curriculum throughout the four year program.
2. Incorporate osteopathic principles and practice into both preclinical and clinical training years.
3. Incorporate basic scientific principles into the learning and medical curriculum.
4. Provide opportunities for research and scholarly activity for students, graduates, and faculty.
5. Prepare students for COMLEX Level 1, Level 2 CE, and Level 2 PE to support completion of the program and graduation. 
6. Demonstrate continuing progress in acquiring the core competencies during student clinical clerkship training.
7. Assess the performance of AZCOM graduates.
8. Encourage community service by students, graduates, and faculty.
9. Support the Midwestern University Osteopathic Postgraduate Training Institute (MWU/OPTI) to mutually enhance the training of our students, residents, and faculty.
10. Equip students to be successful in residency placement.
11. Provide faculty development opportunities to promote AZCOM objectives.
12. Provide financial literacy programs and events.

Accreditation

The Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)/Commision on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). COCA is recognized as the accrediting agency for colleges of osteopathic medicine by the United States Department of Education and the Council of Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA). AZCOM is currently accredited through 2014 having received a 7 year accreditation in 2007. 

For further information, please contact the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, 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), 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413.

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)

AZCOM 2015 Welcome Packet

Midwestern University Clinics