Osteopathic Medical Doctors have earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree (DO) degree, and like an MD is responsible for treating symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, and surgery, but in addition, osteopathic medicine uses a holistic approach that includes examining a person's lifestyle and environment as part of preventative medicine or during treatment. While there are some differences in training between allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical programs, physicians with either degree have the knowledge and training to provide effective treatment and care to individuals.

Medical School and Residency Education and Training

Osteopathic medical programs are typically 4 years beyond the undergraduate degrees, and training in in osteopathic medical programs typically includes osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), which focuses on the movement of joints and muscles to enhance healing. After completing the 4-year medical program, osteopathic physicians then complete 3-7 years of residency, similar to allopathic physicians.  Osteopathic physicians may choose allopathic or osteopathic residencies.

Pre-Requisite Courses for Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Programs

While pre-requisite courses may vary slightly from institution to institution, below are typical courses for students in a pre-med concentration and the specific courses offered by VSU. The hours listed are semester hours.

 Common Medical School (MD) Pre-Requisite Courses
General Biology I and II (for science majors) 8 hours
General Chemistry I and II (for science majors) 8 hours
Organic Chemistry I and II with labs 8 hours
Biochemistry I 3 hours
Physics I and II with labs 8 hours
English 3-6 hours
Recommended Courses for MCAT Preparation
Statistics 3 hours
Psychology 3 hours
Sociology  3 hours
Optional Additional Advanced Biology Courses Anatomy and Physiology, Genetics, Microbiology

 

Specific VSU Courses that Satisfy Medical School Pre-Requisites
BIOL 1107/1107L Principles of Biology I 4 hours
BIOL 1108/1108L Principles of Biology II 4 hours
CHEM 1211/1211L General Chemistry I 4 hours
CHEM 1212/1212L General Chemistry II 4 hours
CHEM 3401 Organic Chemistry I 4 hours
CHEM 3402 Organic Chemistry II 4 hours
CHEM 3601 Biochemistry  3 hours
PHYS 1111 (or PHYS 2211) Physics I  4 hours
PHYS 1112 (or PHYS 2212) Physics II 4 hours
ENGL 1101 English Composition I 3 hours
ENGL 1102 English Composition II 3 hours
Specific VSU Courses for MCAT Preparation
MATH 1401 Elementary Statistics 3 hours
PSYCH 1101 Intro. to General Psychology 3 hours
SOCI 1101 Intro. to Sociology 3 hours

Additional Biology Courses:           

BIOL 3200, BIOL 3100, BIOL 2251 & BIOL 2252

Additional Biology Course Names:

Genetics, Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology I & II

 

 

3 - 4 hours per class

Please talk with your advisor and faculty mentor on opportunities available at VSU.  More information and the names of Pre-Medicine Faculty Mentors for Biology Majors can be found here, and Chemistry Majors can find information about Advising and Mentoring here. 

Taking the MCAT Exam

The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) was developed and is administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC); it is the standardized, multiple-choice exam required by medical schools.

There are four sections of the current MCAT exam:

  • Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
  • Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
  • Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
  • Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

More information can be found at here at AAMC.

Letters of Evaluation

Letters of evaluation/recommendation are required to be submitted through AACOMAS, directly to the school, or through a service such as Virtual Evals, or Interfolio.  The requirements vary from program to program, so check with each school before submitting letters of recommendation.

Some schools ask for a committee letter, which is written by a pre-health committee and takes into account feedback from multiple sources that have evaluated and/or interacted with the student. Typically, these pre-health committee letters are not required, so a student's application will still be considered if a committee letter is not available.  

The Department of Biology has a Pre-Health Committee that is available to write committee letters for Biology majors who are applying to medical programs.  More information can be found in this document, and the form can be found here. 

Statistics of Osteopathic Programs

PCOM-South Georgia (Entering Class of 2021 Program Statistics)

  • Total Applicants: 2,541
  • Accepted Students: 189 (Matriculated 59)
  • Gender: 59.3% male, 40.7% female
  • Demographics: White: 34.7%, Asian 32.7%, Black 28.6%, Hispanic 2%, Unidentified 2% 
  • Average MCAT: 501