2024-2025 Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM)

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Grifalicious said:
Hey! The preclinical curriculum at ACOM is graded (A, B, C, F; no plus/minus; 10 point increments) and is systems-based. You take anatomy and molecular medicine (combination of biochem, micro, genetics, etc.) the first semester, but then you'll be doing systems for the other 3 semesters. The order of systems when I was going through (should be the same, but I'm not sure if it's changed) was as follows:
  • Second semester (spring of first year)
    • Neuro
    • Musculoskeletal
    • Heme/Lymph
    • Derm
  • Third semester (fall of second year)
    • Cardio
    • Pulm
    • Renal
  • Fourth semester (spring of second year)
    • Endo/Repro
    • GI
You will also take semester-long Osteopathic Practices and Principles (OPP), Primary Clinical Skills (PCS), and Foundations of Modern Healthcare (FMHC) courses during each semester.

I've had a fantastic experience at ACOM, especially with regards to the faculty and students. The people at ACOM are actually a significant part of the reason why I decided to attend the school. My interview experience made me feel so warm and welcomed (even over Zoom). The vast majority of my class is very supportive and collaborative. We have group chats and a discord server devoted to sharing study guides/resources, and people will constantly share discount codes and practice questions. As far as other pros of the school, the simulation program and clinical rotations are top-notch. I've felt very prepared for my rotations, and I've had a great experience with them, as well.

A lot of the cons are things that you'll see at most medical schools and are not really ACOM specific. The dress code is business casual (polo/khakis/nice blouse, etc.) or scrubs, so pretty much everyone wears scrubs to class every day. As I said before, classes are graded on that A/B/C/F scale, so that can add a little extra stress over P/F. Regarding the attendance policy, my hope is that they'll keep it optional going forward (it's been largely optional since 2021, so I hope they keep the same policy for future classes).

If I had to apply to med school again, I would absolutely apply to and attend ACOM again! I've gotten everything out of my med school experience that I could have wanted, and I hope that y'all decide to join us! Feel free to reach out any time with questions, and I'll do my best to get back to you, ASAP.
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Thank you so much for the detailed response!!! I really appreciate that. I'm stuck between ACOM and WCUCOM. WCUCOM is P/F. Do you think an A, B, C, F curriculum will add a lot more stress?
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ShaquilleOatmeal135 said:
Thank you so much for the detailed response!!! I really appreciate that. I'm stuck between ACOM and WCUCOM. WCUCOM is P/F. Do you think an A, B, C, F curriculum will add a lot more stress?
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Personally, I didn't find that it added that much stress, but I've heard from other students that it did add to their stress. I wouldn't let it be the deciding factor, but it's definitely something to take into account. If you haven't already, I would suggest making an ACOM vs. WCUCOM thread on the "Help Me Decide" community/forum to get more information/advice from students at both schools. Good luck with your decision!
 
Does anyone have any idea how long the interview is for ACOM? I am trying to decide if I should take the whole day off of work.
 
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Eldenring22 said:
WL does this school have a decent waitlist movement?
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Yes! ACOM interviews and accepts people earlier in the cycle than most other schools, so there will be a decent amount of waitlist movement heading into the spring/early summer. You could potentially see some movement in January after the initial December deposit deadline passes. Wishing you the best of luck!
 
Grifalicious said:
Yes! ACOM interviews and accepts people earlier in the cycle than most other schools, so there will be a decent amount of waitlist movement heading into the spring/early summer. You could potentially see some movement in January after the initial December deposit deadline passes. Wishing you the best of luck!
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Thank you, I appreciate it!
 
new dates dropped if you were still waiting to schedule interview
 
after a lot of consideration I am declining my A from here (it is just too far from my support system). Hopefully this will help one of y'all get an opportunity!!
 
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Has anyone attended the Open House? I have my interview on 11/15 and an open house registration is available. I'm not sure if the Open House will reiterate what we learn during the lunch, tour, and info session for the interview event.
 
Grifalicious said:
Hey! The preclinical curriculum at ACOM is graded (A, B, C, F; no plus/minus; 10 point increments) and is systems-based. You take anatomy and molecular medicine (combination of biochem, micro, genetics, etc.) the first semester, but then you'll be doing systems for the other 3 semesters. The order of systems when I was going through (should be the same, but I'm not sure if it's changed) was as follows:
  • Second semester (spring of first year)
    • Neuro
    • Musculoskeletal
    • Heme/Lymph
    • Derm
  • Third semester (fall of second year)
    • Cardio
    • Pulm
    • Renal
  • Fourth semester (spring of second year)
    • Endo/Repro
    • GI
You will also take semester-long Osteopathic Practices and Principles (OPP), Primary Clinical Skills (PCS), and Foundations of Modern Healthcare (FMHC) courses during each semester.

I've had a fantastic experience at ACOM, especially with regards to the faculty and students. The people at ACOM are actually a significant part of the reason why I decided to attend the school. My interview experience made me feel so warm and welcomed (even over Zoom). The vast majority of my class is very supportive and collaborative. We have group chats and a discord server devoted to sharing study guides/resources, and people will constantly share discount codes and practice questions. As far as other pros of the school, the simulation program and clinical rotations are top-notch. I've felt very prepared for my rotations, and I've had a great experience with them, as well.

A lot of the cons are things that you'll see at most medical schools and are not really ACOM specific. The dress code is business casual (polo/khakis/nice blouse, etc.) or scrubs, so pretty much everyone wears scrubs to class every day. As I said before, classes are graded on that A/B/C/F scale, so that can add a little extra stress over P/F. Regarding the attendance policy, my hope is that they'll keep it optional going forward (it's been largely optional since 2021, so I hope they keep the same policy for future classes).

If I had to apply to med school again, I would absolutely apply to and attend ACOM again! I've gotten everything out of my med school experience that I could have wanted, and I hope that y'all decide to join us! Feel free to reach out any time with questions, and I'll do my best to get back to you, ASAP.
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Thank you so much for taking time to help and all of the other applicants/future students?

1. For the grading system, what percent of students get an A, and is it much harder to get an A in medical school classes than undergrad?

2. Does the curriculum align pretty well with third party materials that people use to study for boards, or are the exams really in-house lecture based?

3. Do previous years students pass down any study materials like anki decks?
 
ShaquilleOatmeal135 said:
Thank you so much for taking time to help and all of the other applicants/future students?

1. For the grading system, what percent of students get an A, and is it much harder to get an A in medical school classes than undergrad?

2. Does the curriculum align pretty well with third party materials that people use to study for boards, or are the exams really in-house lecture based?

3. Do previous years students pass down any study materials like anki decks?
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Of course, glad to help!

1. Unfortunately, I don't have any hard numbers on what percentage of the class gets each letter grade. The averages for systems tended to vary between ~82-87 or so, and I would assume they're fairly normally distributed. The averages for OPP, PCS, and FMHC tended to be higher (in the low to mid 90s for OPP and PCS, and in the high 90s for FMHC). I don't feel that the material itself is harder than undergrad (in many cases, it's easier), but the sheer volume means that you have to study a lot more/efficiently to keep up with the workload. My grades are better in med school than they were in undergrad, but I've definitely had to put a lot more time/work in.

2. A solid mix of both. I definitely recommend reviewing the in-house material as you get closer to exams, but you can supplement with third-party material for board preparation purposes. I started med school using very few third-party materials, but the balance shifted towards third-party and away from in-house as we approached the end of second year. Definitely DO NOT neglect in-house material, as all of the exam questions have to be "tied" to the learning objectives in the lectures. If you can answer all of those (comfortably), you'll likely be ready for the exam.

3. They did when I was going through pre-clinical, but this question would be better answered by someone in the Class of 2027 or 2028. I would hope that they're still passing down resources, but I can't tell you anything for certain.

Hope this helps!
 
Received a “your application will remain under review for the duration on this cycle” email 😭 hoping for the best
 
Hey y’all! I have a question! Would it be to late to apply to ACOM? Also - do you know if they accept students with MCAT between 495-497?
 
Also - how do they evaluate GPA? Do they take into account graduate school course work and count the last 60 hours?
 
ryker1997 said:
Also - how do they evaluate GPA? Do they take into account graduate school course work and count the last 60 hours?
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I believe they do but I don’t think this is public information. I spoke with an advisor that acknowledged my uGPA wasn’t too good but they commented on my increased masters GPA of 30 credits
 
Stallion76 said:
I believe they do but I don’t think this is public information. I spoke with an advisor that acknowledged my uGPA wasn’t too good but they commented on my increased masters GPA of 30 credits
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Yea, I did well in my SMP compared to undergrad so hopefully that is considered. I think I’ll turn an application in
 
Could someone speak about grading and attendance policies? My understanding is that it is graded, but only quartiles are reported out? If this is the case is this for clinical years as well? And attendance is only required for labs and presentations, not lectures, correct?
 
flyers1818 said:
Could someone speak about grading and attendance policies? My understanding is that it is graded, but only quartiles are reported out? If this is the case is this for clinical years as well? And attendance is only required for labs and presentations, not lectures, correct?
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Based on the interview day presentations and student Q/A Zoom session:
- Both pre-clinical and clinical years ARE graded
- I'm not sure about the rankings reported; however, based on the current academic log, the ranking is based on percentage grade you obtain in your courses (someone else can correct me on this though)
- attendance is 70% optional and the mandatory sessions are mostly the labs/OPPs or occasional guest lectures
 
flyers1818 said:
Could someone speak about grading and attendance policies? My understanding is that it is graded, but only quartiles are reported out? If this is the case is this for clinical years as well? And attendance is only required for labs and presentations, not lectures, correct?
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osteohopeful said:
Based on the interview day presentations and student Q/A Zoom session:
- Both pre-clinical and clinical years ARE graded
- I'm not sure about the rankings reported; however, based on the current academic log, the ranking is based on percentage grade you obtain in your courses (someone else can correct me on this though)
- attendance is 70% optional and the mandatory sessions are mostly the labs/OPPs or occasional guest lectures
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Hey! Most of this is correct-- both pre-clinical and clinical are graded on the same scale (A/B/C/F, 10 point increments, no plus/minus). We are given our class ranks several times: a few months into second year, a few months into third year, and right before ERAS is due in fourth year. Only quartiles are reported on the MSPE. They also include graphs for every course taken during pre-clinical and clinical that show the class average and what you scored.

The rankings are based on percentage grade. For example, 2 students finish a course with an 81 and an 89. Both earn Bs on their transcripts and 3.0s for their GPAs, but the student with an 89 will be ranked above the student with an 81. The grading system also heavily weights exam performance, so you can be ranked higher than people if you regularly outscore them on exams.

The attendance policy used to be that you had to attend 80% of optional sessions and all mandatory sessions, such as labs/OPP/exams/guest lectures, etc. The percentage was steadily lowered to 70%, 60%, and then 50%. During COVID, however, the percentage was changed to 0% and classes are now offered in a hybrid format (you can attend live online, live in-person, or watch the recordings after). I'm hopeful that this will remain the policy moving forward, as it offers students a lot of flexibility. You still have to attend ALL mandatory sessions, so you'll be on campus anywhere from 1 or 2 to as many as 5 days a week, but the optional lectures tend to outnumber the mandatory sessions by a good number.

I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out with any questions and I'll do my best to get back to you, ASAP.
 
Grifalicious said:
Hey! Most of this is correct-- both pre-clinical and clinical are graded on the same scale (A/B/C/F, 10 point increments, no plus/minus). We are given our class ranks several times: a few months into second year, a few months into third year, and right before ERAS is due in fourth year. Only quartiles are reported on the MSPE. They also include graphs for every course taken during pre-clinical and clinical that show the class average and what you scored.

The rankings are based on percentage grade. For example, 2 students finish a course with an 81 and an 89. Both earn Bs on their transcripts and 3.0s for their GPAs, but the student with an 89 will be ranked above the student with an 81. The grading system also heavily weights exam performance, so you can be ranked higher than people if you regularly outscore them on exams.

The attendance policy used to be that you had to attend 80% of optional sessions and all mandatory sessions, such as labs/OPP/exams/guest lectures, etc. The percentage was steadily lowered to 70%, 60%, and then 50%. During COVID, however, the percentage was changed to 0% and classes are now offered in a hybrid format (you can attend live online, live in-person, or watch the recordings after). I'm hopeful that this will remain the policy moving forward, as it offers students a lot of flexibility. You still have to attend ALL mandatory sessions, so you'll be on campus anywhere from 1 or 2 to as many as 5 days a week, but the optional lectures tend to outnumber the mandatory sessions by a good number.

I hope this helps! Feel free to reach out with any questions and I'll do my best to get back to you, ASAP.
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Thank you!! And are exams at the end of each unit, or periodically spread throughout? Thanks again!!
 
flyers1818 said:
Thank you!! And are exams at the end of each unit, or periodically spread throughout? Thanks again!!
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Of course! Exam frequency varies by block/system, but you can count on having exams approximately every 3 weeks or so, and they tend to be stacked. For example, you'll go a couple weeks without any exams, but then you might have an Osteopathic practices/principles (OPP) and/or Primary clinical skills (PCS) written exam, OPP practical and/or an OSCE, and a system exam all in the same week. OPP practicals are on Tuesdays, OSCEs are on Thursdays, and system exams tend to be on either Mondays or Fridays.

The systems courses tend to stack topics together, as well. For example, the Neuro block, which is the first system (first course of second semester), lasts approximately 9 weeks. The first 3 weeks are heavy on neuroanatomy, the second 3 weeks are heavy on strokes/pathology, and the final 3 weeks are more psych/neuroscience/behavioral science heavy. Your 3 exams that you take in Neuro are therefore very different from one another, and they are technically non-cumulative (stroke localization/an understanding of neuropathology obviously requires you to have an understanding of anatomy, so the material is inherently cumulative-ish).

I hope this helps!
 
For those who have interviewed in person with ACOM this cycle, when did you receive the interview day schedule or any information regarding the interview? I am wondering when the day starts, how long it will be, and what to expect, but I have not found anything on the portal regarding this.
Thank you in advance!
 
Hey all, I got accepted tot his school, and it is higher on my list of the ones I have A's from. I got the accepted students day invitiation. Does anyone know if that is mandatory?
 
nickipinz said:
Hey all, I got accepted tot his school, and it is higher on my list of the ones I have A's from. I got the accepted students day invitiation. Does anyone know if that is mandatory?
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it’s not mandatory
 
How easy is it to find research opportunities and how many rotations have residents? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to confirm my decision before the deposit deadline!!
 
flyers1818 said:
How easy is it to find research opportunities and how many rotations have residents? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to confirm my decision before the deposit deadline!!
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Research opportunities are plentiful at ACOM! As part of our Foundations of Modern Healthcare (FMHC) course, every student will get a public health poster (that you present at our in-house poster day), so you're guaranteed at least 1 poster and presentation during pre-clinical. Many core sites also have research requirements (mine requires 2 case reports/presentations during third year), and our rural health rotation also provides a presentation. We also have a student organization dedicated to research opportunities, as well as a research department that regularly sends out opportunities for students. During the summer between first and second year, there is a summer research program at ACOM for which you can apply, but they will also work with you if you'd like to do research at another institution.

I was never big on research (I came into med school with none), and I'll be leaving with 4 "research experiences" on my ERAS and 6 presentations, and my specialty barely even cares about research. We had an alum a few years ago who left med school with north of 40 pubs (matched neurosurgery), so you can definitely pump your numbers far above my rookie ones.

Unfortunately, most of your rotations will not be with residents. At my site, I've had 2 rotations with residents, but most have been 1-on-1 with preceptors. Should you choose one of the bigger sites, you'll likely have more opportunities to work with residents before you get to your 4th year audition rotations. For what it's worth, I didn't feel like I had any trouble swapping from working directly with attendings to working with residents. To be honest, this is one of the biggest downsides for most DO school rotations, and I'm not aware of many that have tons of opportunities to work directly with residents.

I hope this helps! Best of luck with the rest of your cycle and your school decision!
 
Is the accepted students chat still active? I tried joining awhile ago and my request is still pending.
 
I got a WL in early October. Does anyone know if sending an update letter is a good idea? I'm planning on doing it next month because I heard there's more WL movement in January.
 
Does anyone know what time is the deposit due on December 14th? Also, has anyone been able to talk to the school about splitting the deposit payment by any chance?
 
For people that put down the deposit, the email said to select 2024/Fall but matriculation is 2025/Fall. Did you follow the instructions sent in the email or select 2025/Fall for making the deposit?
 
MedKid79 said:
For people that put down the deposit, the email said to select 2024/Fall but matriculation is 2025/Fall. Did you follow the instructions sent in the email or select 2025/Fall for making the deposit?
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For what it's worth, I selected 2021/Fall back when I paid my deposit in December of 2020. Hope this helps!
 
Is it too late to apply here? I have not had much luck on my original chosen programs so I'm trying to add in more apps whereever possible.
 
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