Med School Early Assurance Program FAQs

• Acceptance into Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM) as a senior in high school, providing all criteria are met. OU-HCOM is one of the top osteopathic programs in the country and the only osteopathic medical program in Ohio.
• Option to earn both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree in either seven years (3+4 track) or eight years (4+4 track).
• Ability to earn your undergraduate degree from ODU with the option of completing your Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at OU's Columbus campus or its main campus in Athens, Ohio.
• The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) is waived; the practice MCAT is required. The MCAT is a standardized, multiple-choice test designed to assess the examinee’s problem-solving ability, critical thinking, and knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. Scores are reported in Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning and Biological Sciences.

• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine; D.O. practitioners follow a holistic approach to medicine, treating the whole person rather than just symptoms.
• D.O. and M.D. are the only fully licensed physicians in the United States and are licensed to prescribe medication and perform surgery.
• As a D.O., you can choose to practice in any specialty of medicine, such as obstetrics, surgery, family medicine, psychiatry or pediatrics.
  Note: You must pass comparable examinations to obtain state licenses to practice in fully accredited and licensed health care facilities.
• About 60 percent of practicing doctors of osteopathic medicine specialize in primary medicine, such as family medicine, general internal medicine and pediatrics.
• More information on osteopathy is provided on the American Osteopathic Association's website.

• Med School Early Assurance Program, 3+4 track: The 3+4 track includes three years of study at ODU. Afterward, you will complete your ODU Bachelor of Science degree requirements during your first year of medical school at OU-HCOM, earning your Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree in seven years.
• Med School Early Assurance Program, 4+4 track: Within the 4+4 track, you will complete your undergraduate studies at ODU and obtain your Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from OU-HCOM. 

• The ODU-to-OU Med School Early Assurance Program is available only to residents of Ohio.
• In accordance with OU-HCOM policy, all applicants must be Ohio residents. They also must be a U.S. citizen or hold a permanent visa. 

In addition to being accepted by Ohio Dominican University and submitting a separate application to OH-HCOM, to be considered an applicant to the Early Assurance Program at the Heritage College, you must:

• Be an Ohio resident (for questions on residency requirements, click here).
• Graduate from an Ohio high school.
• Earn a minimum high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.5+ on a 4.0 unweighted scale.
• Have completed, or be in the process of completing, four units or credits each of high school math, English and science (including biology and chemistry; coursework in physics is strongly encouraged).
• Have the Guidance Counselor Evaluation form submitted and a letter of recommendation from a science teacher who taught you in class for a grade.
• Submit an official high school transcript.
• Submit an essay detailing why you wish to pursue a career in medicine.
• Be invited for a virtual interview with the Heritage College of Medicine that will take place in February or March.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Please note that letters of recommendation may take several weeks to obtain from letter writers - please plan accordingly.

• Complete the Ohio Dominican University application.
• Complete the ODU-to-OU Med School Early Acceptance application.

Unfortunately, no. The ODU-to-OU Med School Early Assurance Program is very competitive. We commend everyone who makes it this far into the process.

However, from the pool of eligible applicants, ODU and OU-HCOM will select 20 to 25 finalists. We will then schedule interviews with these finalists.

We anticipate 10 candidates will be accepted into the program.