Admissions

May
Application cycle opens on the first Monday in May.

June
Secondary application invitations are sent out to qualified candidates.

August
Interviews begin. Selected applicants are invited to participate in a formal personal interview. Invitations are sent on a rolling basis, and options for in-person and virtual are available.

April
Primary Application Deadline: To be considered, applications must be submitted to AACOMAS by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 1. Noorda-COM utilizes a rolling admissions process, and verified applications are reviewed as they are received.

May
Secondary Application Deadline: Priority consideration will be given to completed secondary applications submitted on a first-come, first-served basis. All supporting documentation must be received by Noorda-COM by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on May 1. Accepted applicants may only hold one seat at one COM after May 1, per the AACOMAS Traffic Guidelines.

July
Accepted students will be required to attend an in-person Orientation Week, concluding with the White Coat Ceremony. Classes will begin the following week.

Applicant Responsibilities

Applicants are responsible for the following:

• Becoming familiar with admission requirements, following application procedures, and meeting all deadlines.
• The collection and timely submission of supplemental applications, letters of evaluation, transcripts, and all applicable fees.
• Reporting and updating any changes in the initially submitted application (e.g., address, phone number, academic status, and state of residence).
• Responding promptly, either to accept or to decline all interview invitations and offers of admission.
• Applicants who have made a final decision on the medical school they plan to attend have the obligation to promptly withdraw their application from all other schools. Applicants may hold only one acceptance after May 1.

Your success is our top priority.

At Noorda-COM, everything we do is centered on your academic success.  From our tech-forward curriculum and state-of-the-art simulation experiences to our highly credentialed faculty and close engagement with the community, you will find a medical school experience unlike any other here at Noorda-COM.

Academic Prerequisites

Applicants are required to provide evidence of a solid foundation and demonstrate proficiency in the biological and physical sciences. A baccalaureate degree earned from a regionally accredited college or university is required.

The preferred minimum academic requirements for admission to Noorda-COM are the following:

Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

A total score of 500 with subsection scores of 125 is preferred. Total scores of 494 and below will not be considered. MCAT scores are required and will not be waived; applications will be placed on hold and will not be reviewed until official MCAT scores are received through AACOMAS. MCAT scores are valid for three years from the original test date. Exams must be taken no later than March 31 of the year of matriculation.

GPA

A minimum cumulative and science GPAs of 3.0 are preferred. We appreciate that an applicant’s last 60 credit hours are a meaningful representation of their current ability and, as such, evaluate that as a separate metric.

Prerequisite Coursework

Completion of the following college courses, which may include laboratory work, before matriculation is required. These required courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher and taken for credit at a regionally accredited college or university. Advanced placement credits can fulfill the course requirements if they are accepted for credit by your degree-granting institution. Required courses must be recorded in the Academic History section of the AACOMAS application (see AACOMAS Transcript Entry instructions).

• Eight (8) semester credits of each subject below:
  • Biology/Zoology with lab
  • Inorganic Chemistry with lab
  • Organic Chemistry with lab (Four (4) semester credits can be Biochemistry)
  • Physics with lab
• Six (6) semester credits of each subject below:
  • English Composition and/or Literature
  • Behavioral Sciences⁽¹⁾
  • Psychology and sociology highly recommended
  • Math/Statistics

⁽¹⁾ Please see AACOMAS Course Subjects for courses classified as behavioral sciences.

The following courses are not required but are recommended as additional preparation:

• Anatomy*
• Physiology*
• Immunology
• Histology
• Embryology
• Philosophy
• Medical Terminology

* Completion of courses in anatomy and physiology is highly preferred and will give applicants a competitive advantage. Accepted students who have not completed these courses at enrollment will need to complete additional content prior to matriculation.

While online prerequisite coursework is accepted, in-person coursework and labs are highly preferred. Independent study coursework will not be accepted for required prerequisite courses. Prerequisite coursework completed at a community college is acceptable.

Completion of a minimum of 60 science credit hours is highly preferred and will give applicants a competitive advantage.

Substitutions or Waiver of Admissions Requirements 

Prerequisite course substitutions or waivers are permitted in some situations. An applicant may request substitution or waiver of undergraduate coursework for Noorda-COM’s prerequisites by submitting an Admissions Requirement Substitution/Waiver Request and supporting documentation to the Office of Admissions. Supporting documentation may include the following:

• A faculty letter detailing course content
• A copy of the course description from the college catalog
• A copy of the course syllabus.

Documentation providing the most detail will expedite the review process. Applicants will be notified of decisions upon review of course content. Please note that if a substitution is granted, the substituted course will not be counted toward the fulfillment of any other prerequisite.

Non-academic Achievements

Non-academic achievements also are considered, as well as a candidate’s ability and desire to fulfill the mission of the College. The Admissions Committee looks for non-academic experiences including but not limited to the following:

• Leadership roles in organizations (e.g., club leadership, teaching assistant, tutor, etc.)
• Involvement in non-healthcare community volunteer or enrichment
• Involvement in research activities
• Commitment to an organization(s) for more than two (2) years
• Participation in a domestic/international humanitarian or medical mission trip
• Work experience in the medical field (e.g., EMT, nurse, medical assistant, CNA, etc.)
• Medical field volunteer experiences (e.g., hospital or hospice volunteer, medical interpreter, Red Cross volunteer, etc.)
• Shadowing of a physician, osteopathic or allopathic (osteopathic preferred)

Residency

We encourage qualified individuals interested in osteopathic medicine to apply, regardless of their current/permanent state of residence. We accept individuals from across the country and aim to build a diverse class to help us meet our mission.

At this time, we are not accepting applications from international or DACA students. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents to apply.

Applicants who meet minimum standards and who align with the mission and values of Noorda-COM will be invited to complete a secondary application. This application will include submission of a video (preferred) or essay and professional headshot, a signed attestation of minimum technical standards, letters of recommendation, and a $60 secondary application fee (non-refundable, waived for applicants who qualify for AACOMAS Fee Waiver or AAMC Fee Assistance Program).

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation/evaluation are required from the three (3) following sources:

1. A healthcare source who is familiar with the applicant’s work in healthcare/with patients (preferably an osteopathic physician)
2. An academic source who is familiar with the applicant’s academic work
3. A character reference who can speak to the applicant’s personal attributes and character traits

Note: Letters must be signed and on letterhead and dated within two (2) years prior to application submission. Letters from family members are not accepted.

Applicants who anticipate applying for military scholarships should obtain additional copies of the letters of recommendation written on their behalf, sealed in an envelope to ensure confidentiality, to submit with such scholarship applications. Military scholarship committees require original letters and letters submitted to Noorda-COM will not meet this requirement.

Minimum Technical Standards

Students are held to technical standards for admission and matriculation. These standards fall under the following categories: communication, motor function/strength/mobility, observation and sensory skills, intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities, behavioral and social attributes, participation in osteopathic clinical skills laboratory, and proper dress attire. Please see our policy on standards in full here.

Official Transcripts

All incoming students are required to request official transcripts to be sent to transcripts@noordacom.org from all institutions where coursework and/or degrees were listed as in progress/pending at the time of application. Transcripts should be sent after the posting of final grades and/or the conferral of degree(s). Acceptance is conditional until all official transcripts are received from institutions where a degree was earned, or prerequisite coursework was completed.

Transcripts must be on file prior to matriculation. All required coursework must be completed with a C or higher and degrees completed by July 15 of the matriculation year. Transcripts must be submitted electronically to transcripts@noordacom.org. If an institution does not send transcripts electronically, transcripts may be mailed to:

Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine
Attn: Transcripts
2162 S 180 E
Provo, UT 84606

Criminal Background Check

Prior to matriculation, all students matriculating into Noorda-COM will have a criminal background check performed at their own expense. Students will be required to undergo an additional background check towards the completion of the second year prior to promotion to third year and clinical clerkships. The background check will be performed by a certifying organization retained by Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine. The purpose of the background check is to satisfy federal and state requirements for individuals participating in clinical activities involving patient care, including clinical clerkships and early clinical experiences.

Drug Screening

Prior to matriculation, all students matriculating into Noorda-COM will have a criminal background check performed at their own expense. Students will be required to undergo an additional background check towards the completion of the second year prior to promotion to third year and clinical clerkships. The background check will be performed by a certifying organization retained by Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine. The purpose of the background check is to satisfy federal and state requirements for individuals participating in clinical activities involving patient care, including clinical clerkships and early clinical experiences.

Immunization and Health Insurance Requirements

Students who project themselves as future healthcare workers must protect their health and the health of future patients. All matriculating students at Noorda-COM must be vaccinated in accordance with the College’s guidelines in order to pursue the clinical education aspects of the curriculum. Healthcare facilities, (hospitals, clinics, offices) require all contributing to patient care to be appropriately immunized to minimize patient risk.

Noorda-COM determines immunization requirements based upon current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for healthcare workers in combination with current requirements of local Clinical Affiliations. These requirements are subject to change and matriculating and enrolled students are expected to adhere to the current guidelines. Current vaccine guidelines for healthcare workers can be found on the CDC website.

Additionally, all students are required to maintain personal health and automobile insurance. Students are automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan unless an acceptable waiver is provided by the designated deadline. Students must maintain compliance by providing proof of updated immunizations and continuous insurance coverage.

Students who fail to meet these requirements will not be allowed to matriculate and/or may jeopardize their eligibility for participation in clinical education and/or continued enrollment.

Any party who writes a letter as part of an individual’s application to Noorda-COM should briefly indicate in what capacity and for how long they have known the applicant. Areas of particular interest include the following:

• Applicant’s motivation for osteopathic medicine
• Native intellectual ability (keenness, originality, capacity)
• Industry (promptness, application, perseverance, reliability)
• Initiative (imagination, independence, resourcefulness)
• Competence in classroom
• Competence in laboratory
• Character (integrity, honesty, responsibility, habits, ethics)
• Maturity
• Personality (strength, leadership, sense of humor)
• Attitude toward associates
• Expression (oral and written)
• Personal appearance (neatness, cleanliness, grooming)
• Patient contact
• Community service

Students enrolled at a medical school accredited by the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA-COCA) or the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) may be considered for transfer admission into the beginning of the second or third year of medical studies at Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (Noorda-COM) upon completion of the equivalent level of medical education as currently structured at Noorda-COM and provided that a vacancy exists. The last two years of education must be completed at Noorda-COM. LCME-enrolled transfer students must successfully complete all OMM/OPP competencies before graduation from the COM. Transfer or admissions with advanced standing is at the discretion of the Dean. Please read our Transfer Admission Policy in full here.