Be at the forefront of the most popular way to practice medicine. As a student of the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) program at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, you’ll master the unique combination of scientific knowledge and humanism that is D.O.
This four-year program doesn't just prepare you for the real world, it helps you carve your ideal path to be a leader in competent and compassionate care through intensive coursework, clinical reviews, and customized rotation plans.
Much like traditional medical doctors, D.O.s remain on the cutting edge of research and technology, yet they are equally committed to being compassionate healers, especially to underserved populations.
Your learning experience will reinforce this distinct approach to medicine starting on day one. With access to extensive resources, interprofessional service learnings, and a three-month rotation in a rural or urban medically underserved setting, you’ll quickly develop a strong patient-focused mindset that will distinguish you as a professional with expert medical skills and a human touch.
As we explore the next chapter of medical education here at NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, we are committed to pursuing a pathway that provides our students with the most comprehensive, equitable and inclusive, cutting-edge, and compassionate learning experience possible.
Elaine M. Wallace, D.O., M.S. | dean, college of osteopathic medicine
The Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) are both professional medical degrees that position you to pursue a career as a physician.
While training in both degrees focuses on providing the most comprehensive, cutting edge practice of medicine, what sets the D.O. degree and training apart is its core focus on the holistic side of practicing medicine, with a strong historical commitment to supporting medically underserved populations.
Nova Southeastern University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine has been granted accreditation by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). This body is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting agency for colleges educating osteopathic physicians and surgeons.
The NSU D.O. program ranks as the 10th-largest in terms of total enrollment among the 35 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States.
You won’t just become a doctor, you’ll become a patient-focused leader. That’s the NSU Edge. And you’ll experience it every step of the way, from labs with advanced patient simulation technology to interprofessional service-learning opportunities to accelerated tracks to graduation.
You’ll also have access to extensive professional resources and a tight-knit peer group; so no matter where life takes you after graduation, you’ll always have the NSU edge.
Find your fit outside the classroom through any of the 50+ student clubs and organizations, leadership opportunities, and exposure to established health professionals, as well as volunteer opportunities. You’ll grow beyond the classroom and graduate a well-rounded leader of medicine.
Graduates of the D.O. program continue to excel during the competitive NRMP and other Match Processes. In the past four years, graduating classes have obtained placement into graduate medical education programs at 98% and higher, with the Class of 2022 reaching the college's goal of 100%.
The unique curriculum of the D.O. program provides academic and clinical training, which prepares you for the "real world" of medicine. It will make you more competitive for postdoctoral training positions and more attractive to those interviewing candidates for those positions.
NSU’s flexible approach to pursuing a career in osteopathic medicine starts with two options so you can feel good about your starting point, whether that’s getting more clinical experience and prep first or setting out for your doctoral degree right away.
Great! The first step is complete your application and submit supporting documents through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Services (AACOMAS).
The college receives more than 7,500 applications per year. It is in the best interest of the applicant to apply early.
NSU Osteopathic Medicine participates in the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service, which provides an interactive, web-based application that can be accessed through aacom.org for the receipt and processing of all applications. AACOMAS takes no part in the selection of students.
Upon receipt of the completed AACOMAS application, NSU will forward YOU an online secondary application. You should submit the following materials to Nova Southeastern University no later than March 1.
Supplemental information or application updates can be mailed to:
Enrollment Processing Services
NSU College of Osteopathic Medicine
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
3300 S. University Drive
P.O. Box 299000
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328-2004
If you’d like to transfer to the College of Osteopathic Medicine at NSU, you’ll want to start by submitting an application, plus:
Undergraduate coursework taken at a foreign institution must be evaluated for U.S. institution equivalence. Foreign coursework must be evaluated by any one of the services listed below.
World Education Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 5087, Bowling Green Station
New York, NY 10274
www.wes.org
Josef Silney & Associates, Inc.
International Education Consultants
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173
(305) 273-1616
www.jsilny.org
Educational Credential
Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470
(414) 289-3400
www.ece.org
It is the applicant's responsibility to have this coursework evaluated, and an official evaluation must be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
The Nova Southeastern University Health Professions Division is pledged to the admission and matriculation of qualified students and wishes to acknowledge awareness of laws that prohibit discrimination against anyone on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age or disabilities, and religion. Regarding those students with verifiable disabilities, the university will not discriminate against such individuals who are otherwise qualified but will expect applicants and students to meet certain minimal technical standards (core performance standards) as set forth herein, with or without reasonable accommodation. In adopting these standards, the university believes it must keep in mind the ultimate safety of the patients whom its graduates will eventually serve. The standards reflect what the university believes are reasonable expectations required of health professions students and personnel in performing common functions.
The holders of health care degrees must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. In order to carry out the activities described below, candidates for Health Professions Division degrees must be able to integrate consistently, quickly, and accurately all information received, and they must have the ability to learn, integrate, analyze, and synthesize data.
Candidates for degrees offered by the Health Professions Division must have, with or without reasonable accommodation, multiple abilities and skills, including intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; interpersonal communication; mobility and strength; motor skills; and hearing, visual, tactile, behavioral, and social attributes. Candidates for admission and progression must be able to perform these abilities and skills in a reasonably independent manner.
The Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (KPCOM) is pledged to the admission and matriculation of qualified students and wishes to acknowledge awareness of laws that prohibit discrimination against anyone on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, sex, pregnancy status, national or ethnic origin, non-disqualifying disability, age, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, military service, veteran status, or political beliefs or affiliations. Regarding those students with verifiable disabilities, the university and KPCOM will not discriminate against such individuals who are otherwise qualified but will expect applicants and students to meet certain minimal technical standards (core performance standards) as set forth herein, with or without reasonable accommodation.
In adopting these standards, the university and KPCOM believe it must keep in mind the efficacy and safety in the learning environment, as well as the ultimate safety of the patients who some of its graduates will eventually serve. Specifically, the standards reflect what the university and KPCOM believe are reasonable expectations required of future osteopathic physicians in performing common functions. Any exceptions to such standards must be approved by the dean of KPCOM based upon appropriate circumstances.
Honor and integrity are essential and depend on the exemplary behavior of the individuals in their relations with classmates, patients, faculty members, and colleagues. This includes accountability to oneself and to relationships with fellow students, future colleagues, faculty members, and patients who come under the student’s care or contribute to the student’s training and growth, as well as members of the general public. This applies to personal conduct that reflects on the student’s honesty and integrity in both academic and nonacademic settings, whether or not involving an NSU-sponsored activity. All students must have the capacity to manage their lives and anticipate their own needs. Upon accepting admission to NSUKPCOM, each student subscribes to, and pledges complete observance to, NSU’s Student Code of Conduct Policies. A violation of these standards is an abuse of the trust placed in every student and could lead to suspension or dismissal.
Students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program must have, with or without reasonable accommodation, multiple abilities and skills including intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; interpersonal communication; mobility and strength; motor skills; and hearing, visual, tactile, behavioral, and social attributes. Students must be able to perform these abilities and skills in a reasonably independent manner. Osteopathic physicians must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. In order to carry out the activities described below, students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program at KPCOM must be able to integrate consistently, quickly, and accurately all information received. They must also have the ability to learn, integrate, analyze, and synthesize data.
Students must have critical thinking ability sufficient for problem solving and good clinical judgment. This is necessary to identify cause/effect relationships and to develop plans of action or plans of care. In addition, students should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures. Students are expected to be able to perform multiple tasks in a diverse, dynamic, highly competitive, and challenging learning environment. They must be able to think quickly and accurately in an organized manner, despite environmental distractions. Examples include, but are not limited to, identification of cause/effect relationships in clinical situations, development of treatment plans, transferring knowledge from one situation to another, evaluating outcomes, problem solving, prioritizing, and using short- and long-term memory.
Students must be able to interact and communicate effectively with respect to policies, protocols, and process—with faculty and staff members, students, patients, patient surrogates, and administration—during the student’s educational program. They must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients. Communication includes not only speech, but also reading and writing. Students must also be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in all written forms with all members of the health care team. They must have interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.
Students must have sufficient proficiency with English to retrieve information from texts and lectures and communicate concepts on written exams and patient charts; elicit patient backgrounds; describe patient changes in moods, activity, and posture; and coordinate patient care with all members of the health care team. Students must be able to communicate or provide communication in lay language so that patients and their families can understand the patient’s conditions, treatment options, and instructions. Students must be able to accurately enter information in the patient’s electronic health record, according to each program’s requirements.
Osteopathic medicine students must have sufficient motor function to execute movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatment to patients. Examples of emergency treatment reasonably required of some health care professionals are cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), administration of intravenous medication, the application of pressure to stop bleeding, the opening of obstructed airways, and the ability to calibrate and use various pieces of equipment. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.
Students must have sufficient mobility to attend emergency codes and to perform such maneuvers as CPR when required. They must have the physical ability to move sufficiently from room to room and to maneuver in small places. Osteopathic medicine students must have the ability to position patients for the administration and delivery of osteopathic manipulative treatment in a variety of settings and to position and move patients when required.
Students must have sufficient auditory ability to monitor and assess auditory communication, when necessary. Osteopathic medicine students must be able to hear information given by the patient in answer to inquires; to hear cries for help; to hear features in an examination, such as the auscultatory sounds; and to monitor equipment.
Osteopathic medicine students must have visual ability sufficient for observation, assessment, and rendering of treatment necessary in patient care. It must be consistent in many cases with being able to assess asymmetry, range of motion, and tissue texture changes. Osteopathic medicine students must have sufficient visual ability to use ophthalmologic instruments. It is necessary to have adequate visual capabilities for proper evaluation and treatment integration. Students must be able to observe the patient and the patient’s responses, including body language and features of the examination and treatment.
Osteopathic medicine students must have sufficient tactile ability for physical assessment. They must be able to perform palpation and functions of physical examination and/or those related to therapeutic intervention. Osteopathic medicine students must be able to use tactile senses to diagnose directly by palpation and indirectly by sensations transmitted through instruments.
Osteopathic medicine students are required to have an enhanced ability to use their sensory skills. These enhanced tactile and proprioceptive sensory skills are essential for appropriate osteopathic evaluation and treatment of patients.
You can check your application anytime on the NSU Self-Service Banner (WebSTAR).
Call Enrollment Processing
Services at 1-877-640-0218 or email
us at hpdadmissionsinfo@nova.edu
If selected, you’ll receive an invitation from the Office of Admissions to schedule an interview. This personal interview is the next step and does not guarantee admission. Acceptance is on a “rolling” or periodic schedule, and you will receive decision notices via email and mail.
