Applications are submitted online through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service. AACOMAS opens in early May each year for the class enrolling the following year in August. However, due to rolling admissions, it is to your advantage to apply earlier in the cycle.
Note: If you are an international student, please refer to our international student information pages.
Application Process
- Review the requirements for admission.
- Submit your online application through AACOMAS as soon as possible. Designate that Des Moines University should receive your application. Applications are available in early May for the class enrolling the following year in August. The application deadline is the AACOMAS application closing date.
- Submit official transcripts to AACOMAS. Please include all colleges and universities attended. Transcripts must be from a regionally accredited college or university from within the United States.
- Submit your official MCAT scores to AACOMAS. Only MCAT scores taken within three years of matriculation will be accepted.
- Submit your letters of recommendation to AACOMAS. It is best to have letters of recommendation submitted promptly to ensure completion and committee review of your file. Once three letters are received by the admissions office, your letter of recommendation requirement will be considered met and your application will be forwarded to the admissions committee for review; we will not delay the review for additional letters. Below are descriptions of the types of letters the admissions committee recommends:
Healthcare Related Experiences Letter(s): Letter from a supervisor who is familiar with your shadowing, volunteer or work experience, but should not include situations that involved you as the patient being treated. Peer letters are not recommended.
OR
Academic or Advisor Letters: Letters written by science professors or academic advisors detailing your academic ability, performance in the sciences and overall preparation for medical school.
OR
Committee Letter: Letter written/compiled by an established college/university pre-health professions committee and will count as two of the required letters of recommendation.
- To further enhance our holistic review process during the 2024 application cycle, we are strongly encouraging applicants to complete the Association of American Medical Colleges Professional Readiness Exam, to assess the pre-professional competencies that our admissions committee believes are essential for success at our medical school and will be increasingly important in meeting the needs of patients and improving the health of all people. The AAMC PREview™ exam is an opportunity for applicants to showcase personal and professional characteristics - beyond classroom learning - that will make them a great fit for Des Moines University. We will consider scores as one part of our admissions process to better understand and evaluate the whole applicant. The AAMC PREview exam will be available June through October 2023. For the 2024 application cycle, the AAMC PREview exam will be administered online using remote proctoring. There will be a $100 fee for examinees to take the AAMC PREview exam and release their AAMC PREview scores to all schools they apply to. Students who qualify for the Fee Assistance Program will receive a full fee waiver (no cost). Free preparation materials, including a full-length practice exam, are available through the AAMC. Information about the AAMC PREview exam, including preparation materials, test registration, requests for accommodations and important dates and deadlines, is available at aamc.org/PREview.
Admissions Decisions
Your file will not be considered complete by Des Moines University or be forwarded for committee review until all the following are processed by the admissions office:
- Verified AACOMAS application
- Three letters of recommendation submitted through AACOMAS
- Official MCAT scores submitted through AACOMAS
An interview is required for admission. The interview is a competency-based, holistic, asynchronous assessment. Because of the rolling admissions schedule, those who apply early in the admissions cycle are more likely to be interviewed than those who apply later.
First-time entering students may apply to only one Des Moines University clinical program at a time (includes DO, DPM, PA and DPT). Multiple applications will not be accepted or processed.
Accommodations in Education Policy
The University complies with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Iowa Civil Rights Act and other laws relating to the Accommodations of disabilities in its educational programming.