How to Apply for Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
anna > 11-16-2017, 06:28 AM
The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine considers all competitive students with an emphasis on those students from Alabama and the surrounding regions who are committed to serving the rural and medically underserved areas of the state and region. Candidates will be evaluated on their academic ability, knowledge of and commitment to the tenets of osteopathic medicine, experience in health care and human services, community service, professionalism, communication skills and personal integrity. To select these students, ACOM uses a rolling admissions process within a competitive and selective admissions framework.
Competitive and Selective Admissions
Within its competitive and selective framework, ACOM uses multiple criteria to select the most qualified candidates from an applicant pool expected to exceed 3,600. ACOM is approved to matriculate 150 students.
Rolling Admissions
ACOM uses a rolling admissions process in which applications are reviewed and student interview decisions are made at regular intervals during the admission cycle. Interviews are conducted and selection decisions are made until the class is filled. Applicants are notified of the admission status within two weeks after their interview. Candidates should apply early in the admissions cycle to be competitive in this process.
ACOM Application Process
It is our goal at ACOM to make your application process as simple as possible. An overall schedule along with specific steps are outlined below. Please contact the Office of Admissions at [email protected] if you have any questions about the process.
Step 1:
To initiate the application process, all applicants must apply online via the centralized application service administered by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). Through AACOMAS, students file one electronic application, which is then verified and distributed by AACOMAS to all the osteopathic colleges designated by the student.
The AACOMAS application service is available in early May and applications are released to ACOM in mid-June annually. As part of the AACOMAS application you will need to arrange for your original transcripts to be sent directly to AACOMAS and have your MCAT scores transmitted electronically from AAMC to AACOMAS. Be advised that AACOMAS has a deadline for receiving MCAT scores.
The AACOMAS Customer Service phone number is (617) 618-2889, available between 9 am and 5 pm EST Monday through Friday, and the email address is [email protected].
For more information regarding fees and Step-by-Step application instructions, please visit www.aacom.org.
Step2:
Upon receipt of your completed AACOMAS application, the Admissions Committee will review it and students who meet our admissions criteria will be asked to submit a supplemental application with supporting materials. Supplemental applications, and all required documents, must be received by ACOM prior to April 15 to be considered. However, early submission is strongly recommended as interviews begin in late August and decisions are made on a rolling basis.
- Supplemental Application: Applicants must complete and submit the Supplemental Application with supporting materials to the Office of Admissions online or print the PDF version and submit it to the Office of Admissions. A nonrefundable/waiver $50 processing fee can be paid online with a credit card or, if you mail your application, include a check or money order payable to ACOM. Students approved for a fee waiver by AACOMAS will automatically be eligible for a waiver from ACOM. However, the ACOM fee will need to be paid at the time of the Supplemental submission. When the student waiver status is confirmed by AACOMAS via the list routinely sent to the COMs, a refund will be issued to the card of payment.
- Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must submit specific letters of recommendation. These letters can now be submitted as part of the AACOMAS application process. In addition, letters can continue to be sent directly to the ACOM Office of Admissions by mail or uploaded into the Interfolio or Virtual Eval systems by the evaluator or university. You will be given a deadline for the receipt of letters. The following letters are required:
- One signed letter from a physician (D.O. preferred or M.D.) that details your exposure to patients and your ability to perform in a medical setting. It can reflect shadowing, volunteer, or work experience.
- And either of the following:
- One pre-med advisor or committee letter that includes the names and departments of the committee members OR
- Two signed academic letters written by college science professors who have instructed you in the required science courses, or recommended upper-level science courses. These letters should be on letterhead with academic credentials in the signature line. Also, letters should include the course title the evaluator taught. Students should inform faculty of these requirements when requesting letters. We only accept letters from instructors of biology, chemistry or physics. Letters from social science (e.g. psychology, sociology, etc.) or math professors will not count toward this requirement. Also, letters from laboratory and research instructors will not meet the requirement.
- Non-traditional students who have been out of college for more than two years and have not taken recent prerequisite or other classes must have letters from immediate supervisors and a physician.
Letters that do not count toward completion of your admission file include: letters from relatives, spouses, family friends, coaches, personal trainers, veterinarians, dentists, your family physician or pediatrician (unless you have shadowed or worked with the doctor). We prefer the authors are as objective as possible. Letters can be submitted via the same routes previously identified. The mailing address is ACOM Office of Admissions, 445 Health Sciences Blvd., Dothan, Alabama, 36303.
Step3:
An applicant’s completed file, containing the AACOMAS application and required ACOM supplemental application along with supporting materials, will be reviewed using standards set by the Admissions Committee (see Application Review Process for more details). The Director of Admissions will send invitations to students who qualify for an on-campus interview based on these standards.
Interviews are conducted from August until the class is filled. Applicants selected for an on-campus interview will be contacted by telephone and/or email to schedule the interview. The applicant will be given pertinent information about the schedule of events for the interview day.
Following the receipt of all requested information and the interview, the applicant’s file will once again be reviewed by the Admissions Committee at its weekly meeting. Applicant decisions will be assigned to the following categories:1) Acceptance, 2) Wait listed, or 3) Rejection. All applicants will be notified of their admissions status within two weeks of the final review.
Application schedule
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine applicants are encouraged to begin the application process a year prior to their anticipated matriculation. The following represents a monthly guide for application preparation.
May: AACOMAS Centralized Application Service opens. Contact all colleges and universities attended and have official transcripts forwarded directly from the educational institution to AACOMAS. Complete application process as soon as possible.
July: ACCOMAS Application reviews begin using a rolling admissions process. ACOM Invitations to complete the supplemental application are sent to qualified applicants.
August: Personal interview schedule begins.
Feb. 1: AACOMAS Centralized Application Service deadline. Secondary applications continue to be accepted and processed until all class seats have been filled.
Feb. 15: AACOMAS Transcript deadline.
March: ACCOMAS Centralized Application Service closed. The Wait List will continue to be used until all class seats have been filled.
April 15: All supplemental applications and required supporting documents must be received by ACOM to be considered.