Academic Programs Catalog

College of Osteopathic Medicine

Professional Program in Osteopathic Medicine

The College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University (MSUCOM) offers a professional graduate program leading to the degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). The program is accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).

The D.O. program is organized to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors consistent with the competent practice of osteopathic medicine.  The four-year program is divided into preclerkship and clerkship phases.  In the preclerkship phase, the foundational biomedical sciences and clinical disciplines are presented through an integrated curriculum.  Students are introduced to clinical skills, including professional development, data gathering, physical examination, diagnostic reasoning, and osteopathic principles and their application to patient care.  Early clinical experiences and patient encounters are interwoven to promote connections.  The clerkship phase provides immersive training across core clinical disciplines in the network of affiliated hospitals and other clinical sites, as well as options for elective rotations throughout Michigan and elsewhere.  Throughout the program, there is longitudinal integration of the osteopathic core competencies, including development of professionalism and communication skills for interprofessional patient care; strategies for self-directed, lifelong learning; and application of principles of research and scholarly inquiry.

Admission

The science and practice of osteopathic medicine require an understanding of the relationships among the physical, biological, psychological, cultural, and environmental aspects of human behavior. Thus osteopathic education requires preparation in the natural, social, and behavioral sciences. Candidates are expected to demonstrate their ability to work and think independently and in a scholarly manner. The mean undergraduate grade-point average of students who are admitted to the program is 3.6 to 3.8.

Applicants for admission to the first–year class in the college must meet the following minimum requirements:

  1. Completion of at least 90 semester credits in a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting commission of higher education.
  2. Completion of 8 semester credits of biology with no grade below 2.0, including both course work and laboratory work in general biology or general zoology. AP biology course work does not count toward the eight semester credit requirement.
  3. Completion of 16 semester credits of chemistry, including three semester credits of biochemistry, with no grade below 2.0.
  4. Completion of 6 semester credits of English—including both oral and written English, with no grade below 2.0.
  5. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) must be taken by the end of September of the year application is being made. Scores cannot be more than 3 years old.
  6. Suggested science course electives include anatomy, physiology, microbiology, histology, and statistics at the 300- and 400-level.
  7. Suggested medical humanities and ethics electives include course work in philosophy, history of medicine and medical ethics. 
An application must be completed and all official transcripts submitted to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). It is highly recommended that the application be submitted no later than September 1 of the application year for students who wish to begin classes the following summer. The Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine invites all applicants to complete a secondary application. Early application is wise because the college admits its students on a rolling basis. Most Admissions Committee reviews are conducted between September and March. Selection of students for the class and for the waiting list is generally completed by early April. Effective in summer 2023, courses in the D.O. curriculum will begin in July, preceded by an orientation program.

Requirements for the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree

The standard duration of the D.O. degree program is four years; the maximum time for completion of all degree requirements is six years as defined in the MSUCOM Policy for Retention, Promotion, and Graduation.  Specific program requirements leading to conferral of the D.O. degree include:
  1. Completion of each required course in the preclerkship and clerkship phase with a passing grade or successful remediation.
  2. Passing score on the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) COMLEX-USA Level 1, COMLEX-USA Level 2 Cognitive Evaluation (CE) licensure examinations within defined time limits and with no more than three (3) attempts permitted on each examination.
  3. Compliance with annual training requirements of the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) program.
  4. Achievement of the academic requirements and professional conduct expectations of the D.O. program as outlined in the policies and procedures of MSUCOM and MSU.
Preclerkship Curriculum

The preclerkship curriculum consists of 91 required credit hours across six semesters, representing years one and two of the four-year program.  The courses are offered in a predefined sequence. Successful completion of each course in a semester is required to advance to the following semester. The following courses are required:
OMM 511 Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine I 1
OMM 512 Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine II 1
OMM 513 Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine III 1
OMM 514 Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine IV 1
OMM 515 Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine V 1
OST 510 Clinical Human Gross Anatomy 6
OST 520 Foundations of Biomedical Science for Osteopathic Medicine 8
OST 521 Musculoskeletal System 4
OST 522 Hematology, Oncology and Infectious Diseases 3
OST 523 Neurological System 10
OST 524 Psychopathology 2
OST 525 Genitourinary System 4
OST 526 Endocrine System 3
OST 531 Reproduction, Development, and Sexuality 3
OST 532 Integumentary System 2
OST 533 Gastrointestinal System 6
OST 534 Cardiovascular System 8
OST 535 Respiratory System 7
OST 550 Introduction to Osteopathic Medicine and Clinical Skills 2
OST 561 Ambulatory Care Capstone 3
OST 562 Hospital Care Capstone 3
OST 563 Health Systems Science Capstone 2
In addition, each student must complete a clinical experience requirement, which may be met by earning 1 credit in one of the following courses:
FCM 650 Principles of Family Medicine II 1
FCM 671 Pathway to Family Medicine I 1
FCM 660 Pre-Clerkship International Preceptor 1
OST 586 Community-Based Service Learning 1

Clerkship Curriculum

The clerkship curriculum consists of 80 rotation weeks in years three and four of the four-year program following OST 601 (Transitions II-Classroom to Bedside). Students may advance to clinical rotations after successful completion of the COMLEX-USA Level 1 examination. During the clerkship curriculum, students must successfully complete 40 weeks of required clinical clerkship core rotation courses and an additional 40 weeks of elective rotations to be selected from available required clinical clerkship elective rotation courses. Core rotation courses are scheduled by the COM Clerkship Office and Base Hospital training site and may occur in different sequences. Most core rotation courses are completed during year three. Three required longitudinal courses span the clerkship: OST 603-Core Clinical Concepts in year three,  OMM 602-Osteopathic Principles and Practice in year three, and OST 604-Essential Clinical Skills for Senior Medical Students in year four.
 
Required Clinical Clerkship Core Rotation Courses:
FCM 620 Core Family Medicine Clerkship 6
FCM 622 Core Family Medicine Sub-Internship 6
Or
IM 658 Core Internal Medicine Outpatient Clerkship 6
IM 650 Core Internal Medicine In-Patient Clerkship 6
IM 657 Core Emergency Medicine Clerkship 6
IM 658 Core Internal Medicine Out-Patient 6
Or
FCM 622 Core Family Medicine Sub-Internship 6
IM 660 Core Internal Medicine Sub-Internship 6
NOP 656 Core Neurology Clerkship 6
OMM 602 Osteopathic Principles and Practice Clerkship 2
OSS 651 Core Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship 6
OSS 653 Core Surgery Clerkship 6
OST 601 Transitions II - Classroom to Bedside 5
OST 603 Core Clinical Concepts 9
OST 604 Essential Clinical Skills for the Senior Medical Student 2
PED 600 Core Pediatrics Clerkship 6
PSC 608 Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Clerkship 6
Required clinical elective clerkship rotation courses:  The student must successfully complete 40 weeks of clinical clerkship elective rotation courses. Twelve (12) clinical elective weeks must be chosen from the non-surgery category and eight (8) clinical elective weeks must be chosen from the surgery category. Most elective rotations will be available in two (2) or four (4) week blocks. Both clinical and non-clinical rotation requirements are listed below.
A complete list of required clinical clerkship elective rotation courses includes the following rotation courses which are credited toward the non-surgery requirement:
ANTR 685 Directed Study in Clinical Prosection 1 to 6
FCM 621 Family Medicine Specialty Rotation 1 to 24
HM 610 Pathology Clerkship 3 to 6
IM 621 Clinical Tropical Medicine Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 651 Cardiology Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 652 Gastroenterology Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 653 Oncology and Hematology Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 654 Pulmonary Disease Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 655 Nephrology Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 659 Medical Critical Care Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 661 Internal Medicine Specialty Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 662 Urgent Care Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 663 Emergency Medicine/Wilderness/Austere Medicine Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 664 Pediatric Emergency Medicine Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 665 Emergency Medicine Advanced Clerkship 1 to 20
IM 666 Emergency Medicine Toxicology 3 to 18
IM 667 Emergency Medicine Hyperbaric Medicine and Wound Management 3 to 18
IM 668 Emergency Medicine EMS and Disaster Management 3 to 18
IM 669 Emergency Medicine Ultrasound 3 to 18
NOP 657 Neurology Specialty Clerkship 1 to 24
OMM 601 Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Clerkship 1 to 20
OST 685 International Clerkship Rotations 1 to 20
OST 686 Global Health: Mexico – Clinical Immersion 1 to 20
OST 687 Global Health: Peru – Clinical Immersion 1 to 20
OST 688 Global Health: Cuba – Clinical Immersion 1 to 20
PED 601 Pediatric Specialty Clerkship 3 to 24
PMR 601 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clerkship 1 to 18
PSC 609 Adult Psychiatry Clerkship 3 to 6
PSC 610 Child Psychiatry Clerkship 3 to 6
PSC 611 Addiction Psychiatry Clerkship 3 to 6
PSC 612 Geriatric Psychiatry Clerkship 3 to 6
RAD 609 Radiology Clerkship 3 to 12
RAD 610 Advanced Imaging 1 to 3
The following rotation courses are credited toward the surgery requirement:
NOP 620 Ophthalmology Clerkship 1 to 24
ORT 644 Sports Medicine Clerkship 1 to 20
ORT 656 Orthopedic Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 640 Cardio Thoracic/Vascular Surgery Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 641 Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 642 Neurosurgery Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 643 Podiatry Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 645 Urology Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 646 Maternal Fetal Medicine Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 647 Reproductive Endocrine Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 648 Anesthesiology Advanced Clerkship 3 to 30
OSS 652 Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialty Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 654 Core Anesthesiology Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 655 Pain Management Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 658 Otorhinolaryngology Clerkship 1 to 20
OSS 663 General Surgery 1 to 20
RAD 612 Interventional Radiology var.
A maximum of eight (8) non-clinical rotation weeks may be selected to include rotations listed below or any elective clinical course completed in a virtual manner. The following rotation courses are credited toward the non-clinical requirement:
OST 605 Preparing for Practice 1.5
OST 615 Biomedical Research 3 to 18
OST 620 Patient Safety and Quality Improvement 1.5
OST 621 Leadership in Healthcare 3
OST 622 Addiction Medicine 3
OST 623 Board Preparation 1 to 6
OST 624 Essentials in Diabetes 1.5
OST 625 Introduction to Military Medicine 6 to 9
OST 626 Special Topics in Healthcare Ethics: Case Studies 3
OST 627 Fundamentals of Health Policy and Advocacy 3
NOTE: The number of rotation/course weeks determines the assigned credits.

Transfer Credits

For a student who is pursuing a full-time M.B.A. degree from MSU jointly with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree from Michigan State University - College of Osteopathic Medicine, a maximum of 12 credits from the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine may be transferred to the full-time M.B.A. degree program.