AACOMAS and Applying to Osteopathic Medical Schools

AACOMAS versus AMCAS

AACOMAS, run by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, is the centralized application every accredited osteopathic (DO) medical school in the United States uses. It works the same way AMCAS does for MD programs: you complete one application, list your target schools, and AACOMAS verifies your coursework and transmits your file to each one. The two systems are entirely separate. Applying to both MD and DO schools in the same cycle means submitting to AMCAS and AACOMAS independently, with separate fees, essays, and transcript submissions for each.

Cycle timeline and fees

The 2026-27 AACOMAS cycle opened May 4, 2026, and remains open through April 30, 2027. Application deadlines vary by individual DO school, with most falling between January and March 1, 2027. The application fee is $198, which covers submission to one designated college, with each additional school costing $60. A limited number of fee waivers, each worth $198, are available to eligible applicants, though approved waivers must be used within 14 days of approval.

Why rolling admissions changes your strategy

Most DO schools review applications, conduct interviews, and make decisions on a rolling basis throughout the cycle rather than waiting for a single deadline. Seats fill as the cycle progresses, so an application submitted in May or June competes against a smaller applicant pool than one submitted in December, even though both may technically meet the school's deadline. Applying as close to the cycle's opening as your prerequisites, MCAT score, and letters allow gives you a real advantage with DO admissions in a way that matters more here than with most MD programs.

How DO prerequisites compare to MD

DO programs generally ask for the same core science prerequisites MD programs do: a year each of biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics, usually with labs, plus math. A handful of DO schools accept a slightly different mix of substitute coursework than MD programs expect, so confirm each school's specific list rather than assuming DO requirements mirror MD ones exactly. The AACOMAS application uses its own course classification system, similar in structure to how AMCAS sorts coursework into a science GPA.

What DO admissions committees look for

DO programs expect the same core science prerequisites as MD programs, biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and typically math, plus a competitive MCAT score and GPA. Beyond that baseline, DO admissions committees weigh exposure to osteopathic medicine specifically. Shadowing a DO physician, not only MDs, and being able to speak to why osteopathic medicine's emphasis on the musculoskeletal system, preventive care, and a whole-person approach to treatment appeals to you both matter in DO interviews and secondary essays.

A letter of recommendation from a DO physician is required or strongly preferred at many osteopathic schools, separate from the standard academic and clinical letters MD programs also expect. Confirm this requirement for each school on your list, since it is easy to miss if you built your letter plan around MD applications first.

COMLEX-USA versus USMLE

DO students take COMLEX-USA, the licensing exam pathway specific to osteopathic medicine, which includes an osteopathic manipulative medicine component MD students never see. A growing number of DO students also sit for the USMLE, the exam MD students take, since some residency programs weigh USMLE scores during the match. Ask current DO students or a school's student affairs office how their graduates typically approach this decision before you commit to a program.

Applying to both MD and DO programs

Many applicants submit to both AMCAS and AACOMAS in the same cycle to widen their options, particularly if their GPA or MCAT sits below the median for most MD programs on their list. Doing this means preparing two separate primary applications, two sets of secondaries, and potentially two sets of letters if a school requires a DO-specific letter. Budget the extra time and fees into your plan rather than treating AACOMAS as an afterthought added late in the cycle.

After you submit

Once AACOMAS verifies your application, individual DO schools send secondary applications with their own essay prompts and fees, similar to the MD process. Some DO schools also require a situational judgment test as part of their secondary review, so check each school's specific requirements rather than assuming your MD-focused prep covers it.

If a school accepts you, deposit deadlines depend on when the offer arrives: AACOM's published timeline gives applicants accepted before November 15 until December 14 to submit a deposit. Those accepted between November 15 and January 14 get 30 days, a window that shortens to 14 days for offers made between January 15 and April 30, and can mean an immediate deposit for offers made May 1 or later as remaining seats fill.

Interview formats vary by school too. Some DO programs use a traditional one-on-one interview day, while others use a multiple mini interview format built around several short stations. Check each school's format ahead of time and practice accordingly, since the two formats reward different preparation.