Welcome to The Ohio State University College of Medicine! You have been given a unique opportunity to explore the many educational, research, and service opportunities available at Ohio State and in Columbus, Ohio. In exchange for no MCAT requirement and medical school interviews, it is our expectation that you will take full advantage of your experience and contribute to the community in a substantial way. The information on this page outlines the requirements to maintain your conditional acceptance in the College of Medicine.
Academic Requirements:
- Maintain undergraduate college Honors affiliation throughout the duration of the program.
- Complete the basic course entry requirements for the College of Medicine, including one year of Biological Sciences, one year of General Chemistry, one year of Organic Chemistry with labs, one year of Physics with lab, one Biochemistry course, and one Anatomy course in any area.
- Complete the requirements of the General Education Curriculum (GEC).
- Complete all of the requirements for a major or Personalized Study Plan at The Ohio State University.
- Complete an Honors Thesis.
- Earn a cumulative grade point average (CPHR) of 3.50 or above in all course work and a cumulative BCPM of 3.50 or above (which includes all biological sciences, chemistry, physical sciences and mathematics courses) by the end of spring quarter of the third year.
- In certain situations (e.g. AP credit), students may be exempted from the requirement that specific courses be completed at the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.
- If the MAP participant loses and does not regain college Honors affiliation, they will no longer be eligible for conditional acceptance into the College of Medicine and will be counseled in the traditional medical school admissions process or in an alternate career path.
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) Requirement:
- The MCAT is not required of MAP participants who have met the academic program requirements listed above.
- The MCAT is required of MAP participants who have not met the above requirements at the end of Spring Quarter of the third year of enrollment. The student must:
- Register for and take the MCAT by October 1 of the fourth year and present a composite score of at least 32 with no sub-score less than 9 to continue in good standing in MAP; and
- Work with the MAP academic advisor to determine appropriate course work for the remainder of their undergraduate program; and
- Complete an undergraduate baccalaureate degree program (a third year petition is not an option).
Program Requirements:
- Gain clinical experiences throughout the program to understand the challenges, demands, and lifestyle of a physician and contribute to society in a substantial way.
- Significant participation in community and campus activities through volunteering and assuming leadership responsibilities.
- Participate in meaningful research activities beyond introductory level in the summer and/or during the academic year. An Honors thesis is required.
- Attend and participate in College of Medicine sponsored activities for MAP participants.
- Students must embody high ethical standards as outlined in the College of Medicine Honor Code and must be free of substance abuse, addictions and violent behaviors.
- Complete a program requirements progress review with a College of Medicine Admissions Committee faculty member at the end of each year including a reflection piece on extracurricular or curricular activities as part of the activities log.
- Complete a final exit interview with a College of Medicine Admissions Committee faculty member at the end of the program.
- Use the accompanying MAP Medical School Practicum Activities Planner as a starting point for tracking program participation.
- The conditional acceptance into the College of Medicine is subject to review for appropriate disposition as a result of any violations of The Ohio State University Code of Student Conduct.
MAP Third Year Option:
Eligible MAP participants have the option to petition for entry into the College of Medicine after three years of undergraduate course work. Students must submit a petition with the appropriate GEC and academic major advisor signatures to the College of Medicine Admissions Office at the end of the second MAP year.
Students whose third year option petitions are approved will be able to earn a bachelor's degree in absentia after successful completion of the first year of medical school.
Conditional Acceptance:
The MAP conditional acceptance into the College of Medicine is subject to review and renewal each year by the College of Medicine Admissions Committee. Factors taken into consideration (but not limited to) include:
- appropriate disposition as a result of any violations of The Ohio State University Code of Student Conduct;
- meeting MAP academic and program requirements; and
- strength of the academic course of study.
Final acceptance into the College of Medicine (or withdrawal of conditional acceptance) is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of all MAP academic and program requirements and resides with the College of Medicine Admissions Committee. Final review and acceptance (or withdrawal) will occur at the end of Winter Quarter of the fourth year.
The University also reserves the right to withdraw admission to the College of Medicine for failure to maintain the standards, morals, ethics and behavior of a student in the College as described in the College of Medicine Honor Code.
The College of Medicine at The Ohio State University reserves the right to refine and revise the policies and requirements of the Medical Admission Pathway as needed to maintain competitive standards.
Experiences Requirements
The Ohio State University College of Medicine goal is to select the most capable students to attend our medical school and to have a balanced, but heterogeneous group that will excel in both the art and science of medicine. A diverse student body promotes an atmosphere of creativity, experimentation and discussion that is conducive to learning. Exposure to a variety of perspectives and experiences prepares students to care for patients from all walks of life and from every segment of society.
While grades and the breadth and difficulty of coursework are important, by themselves they do not predict who will be successful in medical school. An equally important consideration is how the MAP student balances outside activities and responsibilities with school work as an indicator of ability to deal with the rigors of medical school. Commitment to community service, clinical exposure, ethical behavior, compassion, leadership ability, research, and communication skills are important characteristics and experiences that speak to motivation for attending medical school and understanding the medical profession.
Without the pressure of MCAT preparation and medical school interviews, MAP students are expected to demonstrate commitment and preparedness for medical school by taking advantage of the many opportunities available and contribute substantially to the community.
The expectation is that each student will be sufficiently involved in activities tailored around their interests to demonstrate their level of motivation for a career in medicine. All activities are to be recorded on the Activities Planner and submitted to the College of Medicine Admissions Office each year before the annual progress interview with a College of Medicine Admissions Committee faculty representative.
Resources to consider include the H&S and Volunteering tabs from the Honors & Scholars web site located at: http://www.honors-scholars.ohio-state.edu/Current.aspx. You may also use, but are not limited to, the opportunities listed on the Research tab.
Clinical Experience – Students should spend enough time in a clinical setting to understand the challenges, demands and lifestyle of a physician. It is important that the student be comfortable working with and around people from diverse backgrounds. The patient exposure experience can be gained in a variety of ways. Many students volunteer or work in hospitals, emergency rooms, homeless clinics or extended care facilities and are actively involved in patient contact. Participating in a variety of activities over a period of time will help develop the student's knowledge of the medical field.
Leadership – Dedication, determination, ability to make decisions and a willingness to contribute to the welfare of others are indicators of one's ability to succeed in medicine. Leadership capacity can be demonstrated in a variety of ways such as positions in employment, church, community and school organizations including coaching, tutoring and mentoring.
Community / Volunteer Service – The medical profession is strongly oriented to service in the community. Students must demonstrate a commitment to the community by being involved in service and volunteer activities. Work performed in service learning courses and community service performed as part of an organization or employment is a good starting point but service work beyond organized activities is required.
Research – Participation in research activities is an important part of the preparation for medical school. Physicians depend on medical literature to remain current in their fields. Research experience may be in any discipline and performed at any site. Students should be able to describe their project, the questions being asked and their role in the conduct of the research. Attendance at a college sponsored research colloquium and/or the Denman Research Forum is a good starting point.
Extracurricular Activities – How students deal with the demands of their lives outside the classroom is a strong indicator of how well they handle responsibilities and deal with stressful situations. It also predicts how well they will handle the demands of medical school. These activities help develop professional well being including a healthy lifestyle through physical activities and healthy eating as well as participation in team sports or pursuing a passion.
In addition to these experiences, the following are also required components of the program:
Yearly – end of Spring Quarter schedule and complete end of year progress interview with a College of Medicine Admissions Committee faculty representative
Year 4
Autumn:
- Attend College of Medicine interview day morning program
- Complete the AMCAS application by November 1
- Complete the OSU web secondary application by January 1
- Arrange to have three reference letters sent to the College of Medicine in support of your medical school application by January 1
Winter – Gain final acceptance into the Ohio State College of Medicine
Spring – Schedule and complete exit interview with College of Medicine Admissions Committee faculty representative
Year 5
Autumn – Matriculate into College of Medicine first year class