Frequently Asked Questions About APAP

MCAT:

Medical education literature notes that the MCAT is a predictor for the ability to obtain core knowledge in Basic Sciences and perform well on standardized testing. It fails to recognize other areas that make good physicians, such as empathy and the desire to serve. Accreditation standards do not allow a COM to change minimal requirements for subsets of applicants. LECOM requires a minimum MCAT of 23, the level below which students without prior medical training struggle with the medical boards. PAs that have previously completed study at LECOM have scored lower on the MCAT as they do not take traditional pre-medical sciences, often picking up physics, organic and inorganic chemistries only to meet the medical school application requirements and to take the MCAT. However, despite the lower MCAT, their performance on the Osteopathic COMLEX Boards and their graduating class rank are superior.

Pre-requisites:

Many applicants will have taken all of the standard medical school pre-requisites of physics, organic and inorganic chemistries. However, each application will be assessed individually with courses completed under ARC-PA accreditation standards for Physician Assistant Programs being considered and approved as substitutions as appropriate.

Clinical experience:

Completion of the PA curriculum and certification is required. By accreditation standards, this means applicants will have had at least one year of clinical clerkship experience, though most applicants will have been practicing for some time clinically. Applicants may apply directly following completion of their PA program and certification.

Applying to enroll:

Click here for directions on how to apply to the College of Osteopathic Medicine.