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All institutions
request letters of recommendation or evaluation; usually three-five
letters at the time of the supplementary or secondary application.
Guidelines for authors of letters of recommendation, however, vary
among the institutions. Some require/recommend a combination of letters
from professors, a practicing D.O., advisors, employers, a clergy
person, etc. It is highly recommended you identify at least a minimum
of two science professors. Also, we recommend you review the guidelines
of your institutions of choice to ensure you are meeting their requirements.
Various institutions
ask for a pre-health advisor or committee letter. Since we do not
have committees at UCLA for a collective letter, you should follow
the guidelines for alternative letters of evaluation, which typically
would be professors or others familiar with your academic performance
or scholarship. All letters should be directly sent to UCLA Career
Center by the author. Upon request, they will be forwarded to institutions
of your choice.
CO-CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES
Colleges consider both cognitive and non-cognitive factors in the
admissions process. In addition to academic excellence, job history,
extracurricular and/or community activities, letters of evaluation,
and interviews are used to attest to the rest. Most admission committees
seek students that demonstrate a genuine concern and interest for
people, a sincere understanding of and interest in the process and
philosophy of Osteopathic Medicine, and a general awareness of the
medical profession as demonstrated by various medically related or
human service experiences. Other factors include leadership skills,
motivation, maturity, effective listening and communication skills,
and character and personality. Clinical experience, research, student
group or community activities are excellent ways to demonstrate these
qualities.
MAJOR
Any major is appropriate for medical school preparation since the
pre-med. requirements can be taken in conjunction with any major UCLA
offers. However, it is best to choose your major based on your personal
preferences because grade point average (GPA) is an important factor
considered by medical schools. According to colleges of osteopathy,
most prospective D.O. students major in sciences with an emphasis
in biology or chemistry.
REQUIRED
COURSES
To be considered
for admission to any of the nation's osteopathic medical schools,
applicants typically have completed undergraduate studies that include
English, biological sciences, physics, general chemistry, and organic
chemistry.
Other requirements
may include genetics, biochemistry, mathematics, and courses in behavioral
sciences. Check with the individual schools of interest for specific
course requirements. Some schools accept students who have completed
75% of their undergraduate studies, however, the majority prefer completion
of a baccalaureate degree prior to enrollment.
The following
is a guideline of core requirements and UCLA equivalents.
Pre-Professional
Osteopathic Physician and Required Courses
Biology
Life Sciences 1, 2, 3, 4. One year of coursework
with lab.
Notes: LS 1-4 will prepare you for the Biological Science section
of the MCAT. If you took LS 2 and 3 before Fall 98, then take two
additional life science lab courses (in departments such as EEB (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology),
MCD Bio, neuroscience, psychobiology, or physiological science). Many
schools recommend extra upper division life science courses in addition
to this basic requirement.
Chemistry
Life science or non-science majors: Chemistry 14A, 14B/BL,
14C/CL, 14D; plus 153A/L (biochemistry).
Physical, life or non-science majors: Chemistry 20A, 20B/L,
30A/AL, 30B/BL, 30C*; plus 153A/L (biochemistry). *Chem 30CL
may not be required for applicants from the life science majors.
General and organic chemistry courses are required.
Many schools include a separate requirement for or a strong recommendation
to take biochemistry. The general chemistry coursework will
prepare you for the Physical Science section, and the organic chemistry
coursework prepares you for the Biological Science section of the
MCAT.
Physics
Physics 6A, 6B, 6C or 6AH, 6BH, 6CH or 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL
One year with labs is generally required. Trigonometry-based physics
can also satisfy this requirement, but UCLA only offers calculus-based
courses and these are required for the various science majors. Physics
prepares you for the Physical Science section of the MCAT.
.
English
One year of college level literature and composition.
Writing I and Writing II courses, select general education literature
courses, and any upper division English literature or English Composition
courses will satisfy this requirement. Please see the “English
requirement for health professions schools” sheet for a complete
list of suggested courses. These courses will prepare you for the
Verbal Reasoning and Writing Sample sections of the MCAT.
Behavioral
Science
One year of behavioral science. Coursework
generally includes Psychology, Sociology, Gerontology, and
Cultural Anthropology. Check with each individual department
counselor for availability of upper division courses.
Other
strongly recommended courses:
Other
Biology
Physiology, anatomy, embryology, histology, or cellular biology are
all recommended. Check with each individual department counselor
for availability of upper division courses.
| Physiology |
Phy
Sci 166, Phy Sci 3*, 5, 111A-C |
| Anatomy |
Phy
Sci 13, 107, NeuroSci M102 |
| Embryology |
MCD
Bio 138 |
| Histology |
EEB (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
157 |
| Cellular
Biology |
Any upper
division Microbiology or MCD Bio class, EEB (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) M158 |
*PS 3 has a lab component effective Summer 04. Any offerings before
Summer 04 did NOT have a lab.
Math
Math 3A, 3B, 3C or 31A, 31B, 32A
One year of math can include statistics (see below) and computer programming
classes (PIC 10A, 10B, 10C). This is your preparation
for calculus-based physics.
Statistics
Statistics 10, M11, M12, 13, Biostatistics or Biomath, Psychology
100A*
*Check with individual schools for acceptability of classes offered
outside of the Statistics department.
Foreign
Language
Knowledge and cultural competency in any language other than English
is a valuable asset to working in a health care field. If your future
plans include working in California or the southwestern states, Spanish
is highly valued and somewhat expected. Ask yourself: Can I walk into
a hospital room and get a patient history in another language? If
the answer is no, then consider taking college level foreign language
classes to brush up on your skills.
Other Humanities
and Social Science courses are strongly recommended. The non-science
GPA is an important component to your overall academic record and
liberal arts education. Courses in the following can enhance your
communication skills and overall understanding of the world: Anthropology,
Communication Studies, Economics, any ethnic studies area (e.g. Women’s
Studies, LGBT Studies, Afro-American Studies, Chicana/Chicano Studies,
Near Eastern Studies), Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology,
Sociology, and Speech to name a few.
Computer skills
are strongly recommended. Many programs have incorporated computers
and electronic media into their curriculum. Several programs are strongly
recommending that a student owns a computer. Check with individual
schools about a computer purchase requirement.
UCLA
is not responsible for coursework being accepted by recipient schools.
Students should contact the individual schools directly.
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