COM Admissions Requirements

Non-Discrimination Admission Statement

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 Non-discrimination policy statement & purpose.

Minimum Requirements for Interview and Admission

The admission process to CHSU COM is competitive. The COM uses a mission driven admissions process: therefore, the applicant’s academic ability and alignment with the mission and vision of CHSU is considered in the admissions process. Other qualities that reflect the student’s ability to adapt to a rigorous academic curriculum and to demonstrate professional and ethical characteristics for a future professional provide an advantage in the application process. If you have a question about the admissions process, contact the Office of Admissions in advance of applying.

A competitive applicant will likely have one or more of the following related qualities:

• A demonstrated interest in and 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 physicians);
• 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.

Applicants for admission must meet the following requirements to be considered for an interview:

• Must be able to earn a bachelor’s degree (B.S. or B.A.), or equivalent prior to matriculation. Any undergraduate major is considered but a strong science background is essential.
  • All prerequisites must be completed at an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  • Applicants who have taken coursework and/or earned a degree from a foreign institution must submit an evaluation of their transcripts to AACOMAS. The transcript evaluation company chosen must be approved by AACOMAS. Further detail relating to International Students are outlined below.

Prerequisite Coursework Required for Admission

Must have completed the prerequisite courses identified in the chart below.

• Applicants may not use the same course to fulfill more than one prerequisite.
• The number of units listed below for prerequisite requirements is the minimum number of units required in each subject area. Different educational institutions use different systems for determining the number of units for similar courses. Generally, each semester unit is equivalent to one-point-five (1.5) quarter units and applicants to the COM must have completed either the number of quarter units or semester units stated in the chart. In special circumstances where a course taken does not fit the traditional quarter or semester system, the COM Admissions Staff (“Admissions Staff”) may review the course syllabi and course descriptions to ensure the applicant has learned the necessary content for each subject area.
• Students must earn a minimum grade of at least a “C” or higher to satisfy completion of each prerequisite course. Grades of “C-”, will not be accepted. Pass/no pass, credit/no credit will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
• All applicants must complete all prerequisite requirements within ten (10) years prior of enrollment in the COM. Applicants who have taken prerequisite courses more than ten (10) years prior to enrollment in the COM may be required to repeat that coursework prior to matriculation.
• Applicants need to meet the minimum of an overall GPA requirement of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for both science and cumulative GPA. GPA calculations are based upon all courses completed at the time of application. Multiple takes of course will be accounted for in calculating the cumulative GPA.
• CHSU recognizes that some applicants have improved grades through additional coursework in the years since their initial degree. Students who have new academic history (i.e. those who have completed a pre-medical science program and improved their science GPA), should notify the Director of Admissions (preferably by email) of this coursework as it may not be reflected in the AACOMAS database.
   

• Additional college courses that are recommended but not required include 300-400 level courses that will enhance a student’s knowledge in: Microbiology, Biochemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Genetics and Immunology.
• AP credits are accepted if specified on transcripts. 

To be eligible for admission, all applicants must have an MCAT score of 500 or above, with no MCAT subsection score below the 25th percentile. MCATs must have been taken within the past four (4) calendar years to satisfy this requirement.

CHSU uses a rolling admissions process to select successful applicants. Therefore, admissions decisions will be offered on an ongoing basis throughout the application process. Applicants will be notified by mail, email, and phone if they have been accepted into the COM. Instructions and deadlines regarding the AACOMAS application are available from AACOMAS (www.choosedo.org).

Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident. Once matriculated, students must maintain the requirements for their permanent U.S. resident visa status as set forth by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Must meet the Technical Standards for Admission and Continued Enrollment. All students must read carefully and affirm that they meet the standards. Any falsification or misinformation is a reason for dismissal.

Letters of Recommendation

CHSU requires two (2) letters of recommendation to be submitted with the applicant’s application. 

1. CHSU requires a letter of recommendation from a science faculty member who has taught the student. A pre-medical, pre-health, academic advisor, research director, or committee letter that details the student’s academic abilities is also acceptable.
2. One additional letter of recommendation. A letter of recommendation from a physician that details the applicant’s ability to be successful in a medical setting is preferred.

Letters from relatives, spouses, family friends, or the applicant’s family physician will not be accepted – authors should be as objective as possible.

Letters will only be accepted through AACOMAS or Interfolio. Applicants who wish to utilize Interfolio must have letters sent to AACOMAS. CHSU-COM does not accept paper letters of recommendation, or letters sent directly from the evaluator or applicant via either mail or email. CHSU-COM reserves the right to refuse any letter that is not submitted on professional or college/university letterhead and signed by the evaluator.

Applicants are responsible for submitting applications consistent with these requirements. CHSU-COM is not responsible for receipt or processing of materials that do not conform to these guidelines.

Applicants will only be reviewed by Admission after all required letters are submitted. 

Admissions Process

AACOMAS Application

• CHSU participates with other osteopathic colleges in a centralized application processing service (CAS) called the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). Applicants must first complete a primary application through AACOMAS, including MCAT scores, final transcripts verifying all completed coursework, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and an application fee, https://aacomas.liaisoncas.com/. For help with questions related to primary applications, contact AACOMAS Customer Service at 617-612-2889 or aacomasinfo@liaisoncas.com.

Application Review and Invitation to Complete Supplemental Application

• Once the AACOMAS application is received the Office of Admission will review and confirm the application meets the requirements for admission as delineated above. Applications which meet the minimal requirements will receive an invitation via email. The email will include instructions on how to complete and submit the supplemental application. The applicant will be required to submit a non-refundable fee for the secondary application. CHSU COM will honor those applicants who are been approved for the AACOMAS Fee Waiver.

Interview Process

• To be considered for an interview, an applicant must meet all the preceding admission requirements and have a complete file. After the Office of Admissions receives these materials, the applicant’s file is reviewed to determine eligibility for an interview, based on the established criteria for admission.
• The interview will be completed in-person or remotely, by one or more interviewers from CHSU-COM. Interviewers will not receive any information about the candidate’s scores, grades, experiences, or application before the interview. The purpose of the interview is to assess oral communication skills and professionalism. The interview will also assess an applicant’s ability to complete the program successfully and advance in the field of Osteopathic Medicine. When invited to interview the applicant will be provided several interview dates to choose from.

Decisions

• At the conclusion of the interviews, the interviewers submit their evaluations and recommendation to the Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee may make any of the following recommendations: to accept, to deny, or waitlist. These recommendations will be sent to the Dean for final decision.
• The Dean makes all final admission decisions. Applicants will be notified in writing if accepted to CHSU COM. The Office of Admissions will notify in writing those applicants who have been placed on a waiting list and those who have not been accepted for the current admissions cycle. The Office of admissions will maintain a waiting list of highly competitive applicants who may be offered acceptance at a later date. Applicants on the waiting list could be called by the Office of Admissions when a vacancy occurs, up to the last day of COM Orientation for the new academic year.

Matriculation Requirements

Student Enrollment Agreement

Students who are accepted into the COM will be presented with a Student Enrollment Agreement. The Student Enrollment Agreement must be completed and submitted to the COM in order to show the applicant’s intent to accept the COM’s offer of admission and enroll in the program. The Student Enrollment Agreement is a legally binding contract when it is signed by the applicant and accepted by the institution. In signing the Enrollment Agreement, the applicant acknowledges the catalog and student handbook have been made available to read and review.

Seat Deposit

Accepted students are required to pay a seat deposit to secure their seat in the class. Enrollment Agreement and seat deposit must be received before the offer deadline, or the seat will be forfeited. The signed Enrollment Agreement must be received before the seat deposit can be accepted. The deposit will be applied toward the student’s first year of tuition.

• Those accepted before January 14 will have 30 days to pay the deposit of $1250
• Those accepted between January 15 and May 14 will have 14 days to pay the deposit of $1250
• Those accepted after May 14th may be asked for an immediate deposit of $1250.

Students choosing not to attend the COM after paying the seat deposit will receive a refund, minus the non-refundable portion of $250.

Right to Cancel

A student has the right to cancel their Enrollment Agreement and obtain a refund of all charges paid through attendance at the first-class session or the seventh day after enrollment, whichever is later, less the non-refundable two hundred fifty-dollar ($250) fee. Students who wish to cancel their enrollment agreement must notify the Office of Admissions of the cancellation by email or mail. If a student obtains a loan to pay for an educational program, the student may be required to return all, or a portion of, their loan. If the student has received a disbursement as a result of a credit balance on their account, they will be responsible to repay this loan amount plus interest directly to the lending institution.

Official Transcripts

Official transcripts sent to AACOMAS are provided to CHSU when an applicant applies. These transcripts are accepted by CHSU if all coursework the applicant has taken at that institution is completed as of June 1 of the application year.

Any school the applicant is attending (or will attend) after June of the application year will require an official transcript be sent directly from that institution to the CHSU In this case, the transcript sent to AACOMAS will not be accepted.

In the event that CHSU does require a transcript directly from an institution, transcripts must be sent directly from the Registrar’s Office of the school(s) attended directly to the CHSU Registrar’s Office. Unofficial transcripts or transcripts hand carried by the applicant (even if in a sealed envelope) are not acceptable. Failure to submit official transcripts by the due date (or to obtain authorized approval of an extension) may result in the offer of admission to CHSU being rescinded and forfeiture of the tuition deposit.

Technical Standards

All applicants are required to comply with the Technical Standards for the D.O. program. Details of CHSU can be found in the Technical Standards Policy.

The California Health Sciences University acknowledges Section 504 of the 1973 Vocational Rehabilitation Act and PL 11-336, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 19903, and requires minimum technical standards be present in students accepted into the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) program.