I.
Selection Process
Two major categories of criteria are applied by the
Student Selection Advisory Committee to select from the applicants who
have been interviewed.
A.
Academic Ability
We must determine if the applicant could survive
our curriculum. If the applicant’s credentials and the data
collected at the time of the interview suggest the applicant would be
unable to accommodate the academic load at the Ohio University Heritage
College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM), we risk filling one of the
seats available to new freshmen with an individual who would fail to
graduate. If this were to happen, the people of the State of Ohio
would lose a great deal in terms of their investment in the development
of this College. And, more immediately, OU-HCOM loses the tuition
and the enrollment-driven subsidy, which make up the majority of the
College’s budget. If an applicant interviews well, but the
Committee judges the applicant would probably not survive our
curriculum, we must then face the fact that the quality of the
applicant’s personality and motivation is of no significance.
B.
Professional Promise
When the question about academic survival has been
satisfied, we can explore whether this applicant would become a D.O. of
whom we would be proud. The quality of the applicant’s academic
background may influence this judgment as well, but it is more important
for applicants to convince the three committee members with whom they
have separate interviews that they would become “good doctors”.
Their ability to think clearly, to communicate effectively and their
interest in osteopathic medical science are of major significance.
The genuineness of their interest in the osteopathic profession as a
career choice is always a major factor for consideration. In our
experience, we have discovered that long or close personal association
with the osteopathic profession does not necessarily promise strong
commitment to the osteopathic profession.
Additional questions of major significance to the
Selection Committee are if applicants:
If it appears likely that the applicant would
become outstanding and supply real leadership to the profession, this
will have considerable influence on the judgment of the Committee.
If the individual has a high degree of interest in being of service to
people who would benefit from osteopathic health care, this too will
improve the applicant’s chance for admission.
II.
Admissions Interview
Decisions
At 4:00 p.m. each interview day, the full committee
meets to decide by consensus the status of the day’s applicants.
To accept, to put on the alternative list, or reject.
During the same week of interview, letters are sent
to the applicants from the Admissions Office informing them of their
applications’ status.
Individual policies relating to each of the three
categories are as follows:
A.
Accept
Qualified students accepted by the Selection
Committee are offered a seat in the following year’s class.
The student’s admission is contingent upon the
receipt of official transcripts from all colleges attended, including
any post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, degree or non-degree.
The academic record will be verified and the student will be notified of
any deficiencies he/she may have in our entrance requirements.
If the student is currently enrolled in classes, or
plans to take additional courses between now and the date of
matriculation, he/she must continue to forward transcripts showing all
work completed. These official transcripts should include grades
for course work completed to satisfy any deficiencies he/she may have in
our entrance requirements and reflect conferred degrees. The
student checks with his/her registrar to make certain that this
information is included on the final official transcript.
Exceptional students who have not completed their
baccalaureate degrees may be allowed to matriculate. If for any
reason they will not obtain their baccalaureate degrees, they must
petition this office for committee approval. The committee
strongly prefers that each student obtain his/her baccalaureate
degree.
The student has two weeks from the mailing date of
the admissions letter to forward written confirmation regarding his/her
desire to have a place reserved in the class or decline the office.
Students accepted in the fall are required to submit a first deposit of
$100 in the form of check or money order payable to Ohio University
after December 15th. Students accepted after December
15th must submit their first deposit within two weeks of the
date of acceptance. A second deposit of $500 is required and must
be received no later than June 15. Upon registration, these
nonrefundable advance enrollment deposits will be credited to the
student’s tuition and fees. The student should be sure to include
both the letter of intent and the initial enrollment deposit.
B.
Deferred Acceptance
When spaces in the class are filled, “accepted”
applicants become “deferred accepted” and are either guaranteed a place
in the following year’s class, or are given priority if other accepted
applicants do not enroll. Generally, their status is confirmed by
August.
C.
Deferred Admission
Any applicant who is initially accepted to the
College may petition for a one year deferment of his/her matriculation.
Petitions are routinely accepted for most reasons if asked for in a
timely fashion.
D.
Alternate List
Qualified students who are not immediately accepted
to this class may be place on the alternate list. Based on the
student’s alternate list placement, he/she may be offered a seat in the
following year’s class, if one should become available.
When all of the interviews are completed, the
Student Selection Advisory Committee has a meeting during which
committee members are given an opportunity to advocate individual
candidates from the Alternate List. In each round of
presentations, a member of the committee is given the opportunity of
advocating a single candidate. These advocated candidates are
discussed as a group and placed on the Alternate List according to the
consensus developed during the discussion. This process is
repeated until none of the committee members expresses a desire to
advocate more candidates. It should be noted that “deferred
admission” candidates must be placed and remain at the top of the
Alternate List as we begin to advocate.
After the advocated candidates have been discussed
and ranked, the rest of their ranking on the Alternate List will be done
according to their relative position in the #1 to #10 ranking interview.
Category #1 will be the top of the list in descending order, to
Alternate Hold Grouping #10, which will be the bottom of the list.
If there are ties within the group, the ranking will be determined by
science grade point average. Any remaining ties within these
groups will be ranked by total MCAT scores.
E.
Reject
The decision to reject an applicant indicates that
the student is not longer in consideration for a seat in the following
year’s class. A rejected applicant is eligible to make
reapplication for any subsequent year’s class.
NOTE:
While it is frequently necessary to provide a student with further
explanation as to why his/her application was rejected or placed on the
alternate list, precaution should be taken. For example, it is
inappropriate to discuss a student’s specific placement or location on
the alternate list.
For additional information, please see HCOM policy
#10.04,
Admissions (Student): General
Process
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