Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

What is the accreditation of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine?

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Institutional accreditation concerns the college as a whole; it is distinct from the specialized accreditation that may apply to an individual professional program.

The DO program's professional accreditor is the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. Other regulated fields have their own oversight. Applicants to pharmacy, physician assistant, or psychology programs should check the current program-specific accreditation record for the exact degree and campus they are considering.

Institutional accreditation is relevant to eligibility for federal student aid and is one factor other schools consider when reviewing transfer credit. It does not compel another institution to accept a course. Similarly, graduating from an accredited program does not by itself award a professional license: examinations, supervised experience, and state requirements may also apply.

What are the admission requirements at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine?

Admission to PCOM depends on the degree, but applicants generally need prior college coursework rather than a high school record alone. The college does not operate as an open-admission undergraduate institution: its major programs are graduate or professional programs with their own prerequisites and selection criteria.

DO applicants ordinarily apply through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). They should expect to provide college transcripts, evidence of required coursework, an MCAT score under the program's current policy, and supporting materials such as recommendations and a personal statement. Applicants invited to continue may face additional PCOM-specific steps, including an interview. Physician assistant, pharmacy, psychology, and master's applicants must follow their respective program instructions; one program's testing or prerequisite policy should not be applied to another.

PCOM's published requirements, deadlines, and accepted application services should be checked for the intended entry year and campus. International applicants should also review credential-evaluation and English-proficiency instructions where applicable. An undergraduate SAT or ACT score is not a substitute for the professional-school requirements.

What are the application fees and waivers at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine?

PCOM applicants should budget for the fee charged by their program's application service and check whether a separate PCOM application or supplemental fee applies. The amount and payment point can differ by program and application cycle, so there is no single application-fee figure that accurately describes every PCOM applicant.

For example, a DO applicant uses AACOMAS, whose fee-assistance process is separate from any PCOM-specific charge or waiver. Applicants seeking relief should review both the application service's eligibility rules and the relevant PCOM program's instructions before submitting or paying: a waiver from one organization does not automatically waive another organization's fee. An application fee is also different from any deposit required after an offer of admission.

What types of ROTC programs are available at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine?

PCOM is a graduate and professional health-sciences college, and applicants should not assume that it operates an Army, Navy, or Air Force ROTC unit on its Philadelphia campus. ROTC is generally an officer-training path pursued alongside undergraduate study; a cross-enrollment arrangement would need to be confirmed with both a host ROTC detachment and PCOM.

Students interested in military service as physicians or other health professionals should separately investigate the applicable branch's Health Professions Scholarship Program or other military education benefits. Those programs are not ROTC, and their eligibility, funding, application procedures, and service obligations differ. Applicants should obtain written details from the military program and PCOM's financial aid office before treating an award as part of their financing plan.

What are the requirements for transfer students at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine?

Transfer into a PCOM program is a program-specific question, not a general undergraduate transfer route. In 2024-25 enrollment reporting, PCOM recorded no transfer-in degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates, consistent with its graduate and professional focus.

A student who has begun a comparable graduate or professional program elsewhere should ask the intended PCOM program whether it considers transfers at all. An evaluation may require official college or professional-school transcripts, course descriptions or syllabi, evidence of good standing, and documentation of clinical training. Even when a student is eligible to apply, admission and the award of transfer credit are separate decisions.

Professional curricula often prescribe the order of courses and clinical experiences. Applicants should request a written determination of accepted credits, remaining requirements, and the resulting time to degree before withdrawing from another institution or committing to PCOM.

What types of study abroad programs are available at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine?

Applicants should not assume that PCOM offers a conventional semester-long study-abroad program of the kind common at undergraduate colleges. International travel or an overseas clinical experience, if available to a particular student, would need to fit the requirements of that student's graduate or professional program.

Before making plans, a student should obtain program approval and clarify supervision, academic credit, clinical-site standards, travel requirements, insurance, and any effect on licensing preparation. Financial aid eligibility may also differ between a PCOM-approved activity and an independently arranged trip. The relevant program office, rather than a general study-abroad assumption, is the appropriate starting point.