Description of Degree Program & Purpose Statement
The purpose of the College of Osteopathic Medicine (“COM”) Admissions policy is to provide guidance to applicants in the admissions process and to provide transparency in the admissions process. The core of CHSU’s mission is to educate physicians who will be prepared to serve the growing health needs of the Central Valley. CHSU is committed to developing compassionate, highly trained, intellectually curious, adaptive leaders capable of meeting the healthcare needs of the future through a performance-based education.
To accomplish its mission, it is essential that CHSU only admit those students that it believes will be successful in the COM’s program and, ultimately, the Osteopathic Medicine profession. Additionally, CHSU must seek to achieve diversity among its student body. CHSU has a compelling interest in making sure that talented applicants, from all backgrounds, are welcome at CHSU. As such, CHSU uses a holistic approach to admissions that considers more than just an applicant’s GPA and completed coursework. Specifically, factors such as an applicant’s extracurricular activities, relevant life experiences, research, work and volunteer experience (including, but not necessarily limited to, experience in an Osteopathic Medicine or other health care setting), family responsibilities, intellectual curiosity, respect for and knowledge of cultural differences, ability to overcome hardship, integrity, personal maturity, creativity, exceptional circumstances, status as a first generation college student and/or commitment to serving the Central Valley or disadvantaged communities (“Non- Academic Factors”). These Non-Academic Factors are all taken into consideration during the admissions process. Through these Non-Academic factors applicants should demonstrate motivation for and a commitment to health care.
This policy explains the admissions process for applicants at CHSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and provides guidance on minimum requirements necessary to be eligible to apply to the program. Additionally, the policy discusses record retention procedures for admissions records, and program academic and technical standards.
CHSU’s regional accreditor is the WASC Senior College and University Commission (“WSCUC”). The College of Osteopathic Medicine’s accrediting body is the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).
Admissions Committee Description
The COM Admissions Committee and the Admissions Staff review application materials for applicants to the College, along with input from selected faculty members who have interviewed applicants in accordance with procedures established by the College. Recommendations regarding admissions decisions are made to the Dean; the Dean of the College makes the final decision regarding whether an applicant is admitted to the College. The Admissions Committee is comprised of faculty of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, and University or College-level admissions personnel, as appointed by the Dean.
The COM Admissions Committee’s review of candidates for the College of Osteopathic Medicine program helps to ensure that CHSU is selecting a qualified and diverse student body for the program. These values are not compromised regardless of the size or quality of the applicant pool.
The COM does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disabilities or religion, or based on any other membership in a protected class. CHSU-COM selects applicants in compliance with CHSU’s Governing Statute Number 4, Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Statement.
Competitive Application Profiles
National averages for qualifying GPA and MCAT scores for matriculating in an Osteopathic Medical College can be found at https://choosedo.org/admission-requirements/.
A competitive applicant will likely have one or more of the following or similar qualities:
- A demonstrated commitment to healthcare as evidenced by volunteer or employment in a health care setting;
- A demonstrated commitment to or understanding of the osteopathic medical profession (e.g., shadowing one or more osteopathic physician);
- Service to the community (e.g., volunteer humanitarian/altruistic works);
- A determination to learn the continued advancements in biomedical sciences through research and other scholarly activities.
Pre-application and Timeline
Prior to applying to attend CHSU, applicants are strongly encouraged to explore and gain a thorough understanding of what it means to have a career in Osteopathic Medicine. Importantly, applicants should understand the CHSU Team Based Learning model which emphasizes collaborative learning. Applicants are also required to commit to abiding by all CHSU and CHSU-COM policies and procedures upon enrollment, including but not limited to policies regarding smoke-free and drug-free requirements.
CHSU uses a rolling admissions process to select successful applicants. Therefore, admissions decisions will be ongoing throughout the application process. Applicants will be notified by mail and phone if they have been accepted into the COM. Instructions and deadlines regarding the AACOMAS application are available from AACOMAS (www.choosedo.org).