Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

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Chicago

Program Overview

The Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine is a four-year, 184 credit program designed to prepare students for internships and residencies as practicing physicians.

Osteopathic medicine is a philosophy and practice of physician care in the United States, distinct in its whole-person approach and pioneering in its conceptualization of “wellness.” This whole-person approach includes partnering with patients, considering the connection of body, mind, and spirit in delivering care, and recognizing the role of a physician’s hands to diagnose and treat illness or injury. Emphasis on prevention and wellness is central in a philosophy that promotes the body’s natural tendency toward health and self-healing. As medicine has changed and improved over the years, so has the practice of osteopathic medicine.

Osteopathic physicians (DOs) are trained and licensed to practice the full scope of medicine, including prescribing medications and performing surgery. Osteopathic medicine emphasizes an integrative approach to health care, and physicians are trained to actively listen and communicate with their patients to determine the best methods of care and treatment.

The Chicago School DO Program curriculum structure is based on a common undergraduate medical education model in which the first two years of the program are pre-clinical and delivered on-site at the university and the second two years of the program are clinical and delivered on-site at contracted medical facilities.

Program Accreditation

The Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine has received Pre-Accreditation status from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) effective April 2025.

The Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation
142 East Ontario Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 202-8124
osteopathic.org/accreditation

Program Mission

The mission of the DO Program at The Chicago School is to train exceptional healthcare leaders to leverage the interconnection of physical and mental health to provide compassionate, patient-centered care of the highest quality.

Program Learning Outcomes

The Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program has the following program learning outcomes, which are aligned with the institutional mission and learning goals of The Chicago School, the standards established by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, and the mission of the Program:

Professional Practice

• Patient Care (PLO I) - Demonstrate effective patient care that appropriately incorporates osteopathic principles; implements equitable, empathetic, and evidence-based practices; and includes patient education, health promotion and disease prevention.
• Medical Knowledge (PLO II) - Demonstrate and apply the knowledge of foundational science and clinical medicine, and do so in an integrated, patient-centered, holistic manner.
• System-Based Practice (PLO III) - Demonstrate a functional understanding of healthcare delivery systems and the ability to provide quality patient care within these systems.
• Osteopathic Principles and Practices (PLO VII) - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of osteopathic manipulative medicine. Develop and demonstrate an approach to patient care based upon the four tenets of osteopathic medicine.
• Integrated Care (PLO VIII) - Demonstrate the ability to provide  patient-centered care that integrates the behavioral health needs of diverse populations across the lifespan.

Diversity

• Professionalism (PLO V) - Demonstrate professional behaviors that uphold the expectations of osteopathic medicine, including knowledge, humanistic behaviors, responsiveness to need, accountability, continuous learning, adherence to ethical principles, cultural competency, professional and personal self-care, and honest practices.

Professional Behavior

• Interpersonal and Communication Skills (PLO VI) - Demonstrate the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to establish and maintain positive professional relationships across the healthcare infrastructure.
• Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (PLO IX) - Demonstrate the ability to engage in effective interprofessional collaboration, communication, and teamwork with individuals from various healthcare disciplines to provide coordinated, patient-centered care.

Scholarship

• Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PLO IV) - Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate a clinical problem, formulate appropriate clinical questions, integrate evidence-based practices into patient care, and acquire additional knowledge for lifelong learning to continuously improve patient care and outcomes.

Licensure

For information on where The Chicago School meets or does not meet licensure eligibility requirements for the  state in which you wish to be licensed, please visit: https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/admissions/licensure-disclosures/.

Admission Requirements

For information on where The Chicago School is currently authorized, licensed, registered, exempt or not subject to approval, please visit https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/why-us/state-authorization/

Application to The Chicago School’s DO Program is open to any person who has earned a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements. The program admits students whom it judges to possess sufficient academic aptitude, as well as the emotional and social maturity to function effectively as future osteopathic physicians. Applicants will be evaluated on their overall ability to do graduate work. All applications to IllinoisCOM must be submitted electronically through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). Applicants that fail to submit required supplemental materials will not be further considered for admissions to IllinoisCOM. A candidate that receives an initial offer of admission to the IllinoisCOM must fulfill the conditions set forth in the Matriculation Agreement in order to successfully matriculate into the program.

Applicants must submit the following:

• $50 non-refundable application fee
• GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale is recommended, with a recommended minimum of 3.3 in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) subjects
• A minimum score of 500 on MCAT is recommended
• Official transcripts from all schools where a degree was earned and from all schools where the required courses for admission were obtained
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Admission essay addressing these prompts:

  • Reflect on an experience from your education or personal background that shaped your understanding of how individual identities, lived experiences, and cultural perspectives influence healthcare.

    • How did this experience shape your perspective, and how might it guide your contributions to IllinoisCOM and the communities you serve and your engagement with the principles and practice of osteopathic medicine?
    • As IllinoisCOM evolves, how do you envision contributing to the college’s developing identity, culture, and long-term impact? What does this opportunity represent to you personally, and how might you help shape the future of the college and its role in the broader healthcare community?
• Three letters of recommendation/evaluation. All letters must be on professional letterhead and be signed by the evaluator. Letter should include at least one frome each source:
  • A physician (preferably an osteopathic physician)
  • A source from your premedical institution(s)

• Prerequisite Coursework

  Applicants must have completed the following college or university courses, with a grade of C or above, to be considered:

  • Biology with labs: 12 credit hours (Minimum 4 credit in advanced topics, such as anatomy, cellular biology, or molecular biology. Must include two labs).
  • General Chemistry with labs: 8 credit hours (Minimum two courses. Any combination of general and inorganic chemistry. Must include two labs).
  • Organic Chemistry with labs: 8 credit hours. (Minimum two courses. Biochemistry may be substituted for one organic chemistry course. Must include two labs).
  • Physics with lab: 6 credit hours (Minimum two courses. Must include one lab).
  • English: 6 credit hours (Minimum two courses)
  • Humanities: 3 credit hours (Including but not limited to philosophy, theology, speech, debate, or theater).
  • Psychology: 3 Credit hours

Student Technical Standards

A candidate for admission to the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine (IllinoisCOM) Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program must possess, or be able to achieve through reasonable accommodation, the technical standards and personal competencies set forth in the Student Technical Standards Policy   that would enable the individual to carry out the activities described therein.

Applicant Notification

If, after initial review of all application materials the Admission Committee so recommends, the applicant will be invited for an interview day with members of the Department faculty. Interviews are by invitation only and mandatory for full consideration.

Post interview, the applicant will be notified of the Admission Committee’s decision regarding their application. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $250 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission to secure a place in the incoming class. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Progression Requirements

• OMSI to OMSII: Successful completion or remediation of all required OMSI coursework, professional good standing, and completion of all required administrative elements as affirmed by the Dean of the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine.
• OMSII to OMSIII: Successful completion or remediation of all required OMSII coursework, passing COMLEX-USA Level 1, professional good standing, and completion of all required administrative elements as affirmed by the Dean of the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine.
• OMSIII to OMSIV: Successful completion or remediation of all OMSIII clinical rotations and assessments, passing COMLEX-USA Level 2-CE, professional good standing, and completion of all required administrative elements as affirmed by the Dean of the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Degree Completion Requirements

• Successful completion of all required coursework
• Passing required national licensing exams
• Achieving passing scores on all assessments
• Maintaining professional and ethical good standing,
• Completing all program requirements within six calendar years from matriculation
• Completion of all required administrative elements

Residency Requirement    

All portions of the curriculum must be completed in residence at The Chicago School. No transfer credit will be accepted for this program.

Policies 

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures: Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Credit Hour Residency Requirement, Service Learning, and Transfer and Nontraditional Credit Hours.