Osteopathic medicine is a distinctive form of medical practice in the United States. Osteopathic medicine provides all of the benefits of modern medicine including prescription drugs, surgery, and the use of technology to diagnose disease and evaluate injury. It also offers the added benefit of hands-on diagnosis and treatment through a system of therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine. Osteopathic Medicine emphasizes helping each person achieve a high level of wellness by focusing on health education, injury prevention and disease prevention.
-American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
History of Osteopathic Medicine?
€œOsteopathic medicine was founded in the late 1800s in Kirksville,
Missouri by Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., who felt that the medical practices
of the day often caused more harm than good. After losing members of his
immediate family to meningitis, Still focused on developing a system of
medical care that would promote the body€™s innate ability to
heal itself. He called his system of medicine osteopathy, now known as osteopathic
medicine.€
-American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
Education
Medical School is a four year program consisting of two years of basic sciences and the remaining two years of rotations at teaching hospitals in the respective area. A list of medical schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico can be found here.
Post Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Programs
Post Baccalaureate programs
are programs offered by many institutions that allow students to complete
their pre-requisites or improve their academic records. Most of these programs
are one year in length, and many have specific requirements similar to those
of entry to college.
For example: A minimum MCAT score
Application Process
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is an eight hour long exam usually taken on a Saturday. The test is divided into four (4) sections: Verbal Reasoning (VR), Physical Sciences (PS), Biological Sciences (BS), and Writing Section (WS). The Verbal Reasoning section consists of reading and comprehension with an average of 6-7 questions per passage and about 8 passages in total. The topics range from Greek Mythology, Peter Pan, Napoleon, Cystic Fibrosis, Stock Market, and more. Though the MCAT is used to analyze your scientific knowledge, it is also used to measure what you know in other academic areas. The Physical Sciences section examines knowledge similar to that of Physics I and II as well as Chemistry I and II. The Biological Sciences section deals with Organic Chemistry I and II, Immunology, Physiology, Microbiology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, and some Biochemistry. For more information on the MCAT exam, please visit the AAMC website.
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
(AACOMAS)
The AACOMAS is a centralized online application service for accredited osteopathic
medical schools. Through AACOM€™s Application Service (AACOMAS),
students can file one electronic application then have it verified by the
service and distributed to each of the colleges designated by the applicant.
To complete the application should have your personal statement, list of
schools, and college transcripts to fill out the application. The application
process is costly once you start applying, so appropriate preparedness is
crucial at the beginning stages of applying.
Secondaries
Secondary applications are what the schools personally send to fill out and find out more about the interested student. Usually there is a deadline and an additional fee, so be adequately prepared. Secondaries should be completed as soon as they arrive, since they tend to pile up.
Interview
If the Admissions Committee thinks you have what it takes, they will invite you for an interview. The interview occupies an entire day; one full of mini sessions and a faculty or medical student interview.