FAQs | PCOM South Georgia Osteopathic Medicine Program (2024)

DO stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. A DO is a fully trained physician who prescribes drugs, performs surgery and selectively utilizes all accepted scientific methods of treatment to maintain and restore health. DOs graduate from colleges of osteopathic medicine and are qualified to be licensed to practice all specialties of medicine and surgery in all 50 states.

DOs employ the osteopathic philosophy which states that osteopathic physicians treat disease in the context of the whole person, considering the function and interrelation of all body systems, as well as factors such as nutrition, environment and psychology. The musculoskeletal system can impede essential blood and nerve supply. To correct disorders that arise from this and restore proper functioning, DOs use manipulative therapy as an additional modality of treatment.

Learn more about osteopathic medicine or the difference between a MD and DO degree.

Osteopathic manipulative medicine, or OMM, involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Using OMM, an osteopathic physician will move your muscles and joints using techniques which include stretching, gentle pressure and resistance.

PCOM’s osteopathic medical students are trained in various OMM techniques. Our three campus locations feature OMM labs and practice rooms for medical students to train their manipulative therapy skills.

Learn more about osteopathic medicine and OMM.

Osteopathic medicine’s comprehensive approach serves the general practitioner superbly. Many DOs enter one of the primary care specialties including general practice, internal medicine, OB/GYN and pediatrics. An osteopathic education will also give you a strong foundation for pursuing any specialty or subspecialty of your choice including emergency medicine, surgery, neurology and more.

View our residency match lists to see where recent PCOM DO graduates have matched.

Visit our DO application requirements for detailed information regarding prerequisites, the application process, interview procedures and related admissions topics.

See also: Preparing for Medical School: Guide to a Competitive Application

Visit our application requirements page for details regarding MCAT scores.

Qualified DO program applicants selected by the Faculty Committee on Admissions are invited for a personal interview on a rolling basis. PCOM will offer a choice of either virtual or on-campus interviews.

When do interviews occur?

Interviews for the DO program begin in mid-September and will be conducted through March. If you are selected for an interview, you will be sent an email with required next steps. A candidate can be selected for an interview at any time throughout the review process at each location as deemed competitive by the Faculty Committee on Admissions.

How are selected candidates notified?

Applicants to our Philadelphia location will receive an email from admissions@pcom.edu. Applicants to PCOM Georgia will receive invitations from gaadmissions@pcom.edu, and applicants from PCOM South Georgia will receive invitations from sogaadmissions@pcom.edu.

Please add these addresses to your directory so they will not be captured in any email filters.

Again, we will use the email address provided on your AACOMAS application. Please check your account on a regular basis. It is your responsibility to update your email address within your PCOM application portal if it changes.

PCOM does not accept applicants for our Doctor of Osteopathic (DO) Medicine program who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card).

Visit the Office of Admissions' international applicants page for more details.

Applicants should not be discouraged by the cost of medical education. Funds are available. PCOM offers a variety of financial aid programs from scholarships to low-interest loans, and provides counseling and financial planning resources for all students.

Learn more about financial aid at PCOM.

View the DO program course sequences for an overview of the DO curriculum as well as course listings:

• PCOM - DO Program Course Sequence
• PCOM Georgia - DO Program Course Sequence
• PCOM South Georgia - DO Program Course Sequence

Third- and fourth-year clinical clerkships take place in affiliated hospitals, health care centers and in numerous outpatient facilities and physicians’ offices, in both rural and urban settings. It is also possible to arrange elective rotations throughout the U.S. and around the world.

• PCOM - Clinical Clerkships
• PCOM Georgia - Clinical Clerkships
• PCOM Source Georgia - Clinical Clerkships

Students graduating from colleges of osteopathic medicine currently have the opportunity to apply to residency programs through the AOA (American Osteopathic Association), the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) as well as the military. View our program statistics for recent match rates:

• PCOM - DO Program Statistics
• PCOM Georgia - DO Program Statistics
• PCOM South Georgia - DO Program Statistics

View our program statistics for details regarding recent COMLEX I, II and III pass rates:

• PCOM - DO Program Statistics
• PCOM Georgia - DO Program Statistics
• PCOM South Georgia - DO Program Statistics
  Note: PCOM South Georgia's inaugural class will begin taking COMLEX exams in 2022.

For additional information, please complete our request information form or contact the admissions office:

PCOM (Philadelphia, PA)

215-871-6700
admissions@pcom.edu

PCOM Georgia (Suwanee, GA)

678-225-7500
GAadmissions@pcom.edu

PCOM South Georgia (Moultrie, GA)

229-668-3162
SOGAadmissions@pcom.edu