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All institutions
request letters of recommendation or evaluation; usually 3-5 letters
at the time of the supplementary or secondary application. Guidelines
for authors of letters of recommendation, however, vary among the
institutions. Some require/recommend a combination of letters from
professors, a practicing D.O, advisors, employers, a clergy person,
etc. It is highly recommended you identify at least a minimum of 2
science professors. Also we recommend you review the guidelines of
your institutions of choice to ensure you are meeting their requirements.
Various institutions
ask for a pre-health advisor or committee letter. Since we do not
have committees at UCLA for a collective letter you should follow
the guidelines for alternative letters of evaluation, which typically
would be professors or others familiar with your academic performance
or scholarship. All letters should be directly sent to UCLA Career
Center by the author. Upon request they will be forwarded to institutions
of your choice.
CO-CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES
Colleges
consider both cognitive and non-cognitive factors in the admissions
process. In addition to academic excellence, job history, extracurricular
and/or community activities, letters of evaluation, and interviews
are used to attest to the rest. Most admission committees seek students
that demonstrate a genuine concern and interest for people; a sincere
understanding of and interest in the process and philosophy of Osteopathic
Medicine; and a general awareness of the medical profession as demonstrated
by various medically related or human service experiences. Other factors
include leadership skills; motivation; maturity; effective listening
and communication skills; character and personality. Clinical experience,
research, student group or community activities are excellent ways
to demonstrate these qualities.
MAJOR
Any major
is appropriate for medical school preparation since the pre-med. requirements
can be taken in conjunction with any major UCLA offers. However, it
is best to choose your major based on your personal preferences because
Grade point average (GPA) is an important factor considered by medical
schools. According to colleges of osteopathy most prospective D.O.
students major in sciences with an emphasis in biology or chemistry.
REQUIRED
COURSES
To be considered
for admission to any of the nation's osteopathic medical schools,
applicants typically have completed undergraduate studies that include
English, biological sciences, physics, general chemistry, and organic
chemistry.
Other requirements
may include genetics, biochemistry, mathematics, and courses in behavioral
sciences. Check with the individual schools of interest for specific
course requirements. Some schools accept students who have completed
75% of their undergraduate studies, however, the majority prefer completion
of a baccalaureate degree prior to enrollment.
The following
is a guideline of core requirements and UCLA equivalents.
Pre-Professional
Osteopathic Physician and Required Courses
Biology
Life Sciences 1, 2, 3, 4. One year of coursework
with lab.
Notes: LS 1-4 will prepare you for the Biological Science section
of the MCAT. If you took LS 2 and 3 before Fall 98, then take two
additional life science lab courses (in departments such as OBEE,
MCD Bio, neuroscience, psychobiology, or physiological science). Many
schools recommend extra upper division life science courses in addition
to this basic requirement.
Chemistry
Life science or non-science majors: Chemistry 14A, 14B/BL,
14C/CL, 14D; plus 153A/L (biochemistry).
Physical, life or non-science majors: Chemistry 20A, 20B/L,
30A/AL, 30B/BL, 30C; plus 153A/L (biochemistry).
General and organic chemistry courses are required.
Many schools include a separate requirement for or a strong recommendation
to take biochemistry. The general chemistry coursework will
prepare you for the Physical Science section, and the organic chemistry
coursework prepares you for the Biological Science section of the
MCAT.
Physics
Physics 6A, 6B, 6C or 6AH, 6BH, 6CH or 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL
One year with labs is generally required. Trigonometry-based physics
can also satisfy this requirement, but UCLA only offers calculus-based
courses and these are required for the various science majors. Physics
prepares you for the Physical Science section of the MCAT.
.
English
One year of college level literature and composition.
Writing I and Writing II courses, select general education literature
courses, and any upper division English literature or English Composition
courses will satisfy this requirement. Please see the “English
requirement for health professions schools” sheet for a complete
list of suggested courses. These courses will prepare you for the
Verbal Reasoning and Writing Sample sections of the MCAT.
Behavioral
Science
One year of behavioral science. Coursework
generally includes Psychology, Sociology, Gerontology, and
Cultural Anthropology. Check with each individual department
counselor for availability of upper division courses.
Other
strongly recommended courses:
Other
Biology
Physiology, anatomy, embryology, histology, or cellular biology are
all recommended. Check with each individual department counselor
for availability of upper division courses.
| Physiology |
OBEE
M166, Phy Sci 3, 5, 111A-C |
| Anatomy |
Phy
Sci 13, 107, NeuroSci M102 |
| Embryology |
MCD
Bio 138 |
| Histology |
OBEE
157 |
| Cellular
Biology |
Any upper
division Microbiology or MCD Bio class, OBEE M158 |
Math
Math 3A, 3B, 3C or 31A, 31B, 32A
One year of math can include statistics (see below) and computer programming
classes (PIC 10A, 10B, 10C). This is your preparation
for calculus-based physics.
Statistics
Statistics 10, M11, M12, 13, Biostatistics or Biomath, Psychology
100A*
*Check with individual schools for acceptability of classes offered
outside of the Statistics department.
Foreign
Language
Knowledge and cultural competency in any language other than English
is a valuable asset to working in a health care field. If your future
plans include working in California or the southwestern states, Spanish
is highly valued and somewhat expected. Ask yourself: Can I walk into
a hospital room and get a patient history in another language? If
the answer is no, then consider taking college level foreign language
classes to brush up on your skills.
Other Humanities
and Social Science courses are strongly recommended. The non-science
GPA is an important component to your overall academic record, and
liberal arts education. Courses in the following can enhance your
communication skills and overall understanding of the world: Anthropology,
Communication Studies, Economics, any ethnic studies area (e.g. Women’s
Studies, LGBT Studies, Afro-American Studies, Chicana/Chicano Studies,
Near Eastern Studies), Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology,
Sociology, and Speech to name a few.
Computer skills
are strongly recommended. Many programs have incorporated computers
and electronic media into their curriculum. Several programs are strongly
recommending that a student owns a computer. Check with individual
schools about a computer purchase requirement.
UCLA
is not responsible for coursework being accepted by recipient schools.
Students should contact the individual schools directly.
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