D.O. Program Outcomes

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Graduation Rates By Entering Year

Overall graduation rate is the number of students who begin medical school and then graduate at the end of six years. Although 87-95% of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences graduate within four years, many factors can impact this. Factors may include illness or injury, academic failure, moving to a five-year program of study, suspension, withdrawal or dismissal.

DMU’s D.O. students have a high graduation rate compared to many schools across the country.

2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19
Matriculants
(Excludes transfer students)
221 220 218 219
Students Transferred Into Cohort 0 0 0 0
Graduated in Four Years 191
86.4%
193
87.7%
192
88.1%
204
93.2%
Graduated in Five Years 212
96.4%
208
95.0%
212
96.8%
Graduated in Six Years 209
95.9%
214
97.7%

Last Updated: July 2025

Retention Rates By Entering Year

2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22
Matriculants
(Excludes transfer students)
233 230 221 221
Students Withdrew or Dismissed For Any Reason 0 1 7 11
Students Transferred to New Medical School 1 1 2 0
Retention Rate 99.6% 99.1% 95.9% 95.0%

Last Updated: July 2025

Internship and Residency Match Rates

Finding graduate medical education after medical school is a top priority for our students at DMU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. Not every student decides to pursue a residency right away but for the majority that do, they will be well prepared for what lies ahead on their career path. Competition for GME is solid with the unified Match of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Osteopathic Association, but our goal at DMU is to equip students to be competitive applicants. DMU prides itself on a high placement rate percentage and in the 2022 and 2023 cycles, we had a 100% placement rate.

GME Placement Rates

  DMU Overall Military Match* ACGME
2020 97.1
(206/212)
2.8
(6/212)
94.3
(200/212)
2021 99.5
(203/204)
5.9
(12/204)
93.6
(191/204)
2022 100.0
(222/222)
3.2
(7/222)
96.8
(215/222)
2023 100.0
(201/201)
3.5
(7/201)
96.5
(194/201)
2024 100.0
(213/213)
3.3
(7/213)
96.7
(206/213)

*  Percentage of Class Matching Military
Last Updated: October 2024

For additional GME placement data, contact Shelley Mitchell, student advancement and GME coordinator, at shelley.mitchell@dmu.edu or 515-271-1629.

Board Pass Rates by Testing Cycle

DMU first-time pass rates on COMLEX board exams consistently exceed the national average.

Board exam results provide an important measure of knowledge for review as part of the graduate medical education (residency) application process. Four-year averages represent the most recent four years of data.

COMLEX Pass Rate Percentages

 
Level 1 Level 2-CE   Level 3
Testing Cycle Testing Cycle
2020-21 97.7 93.7 99.0 96.5 2020 98.5 97.0
2021-22 98.6 92.2 97.3 95.1 2021 98.2 97.1
2022-23 99.1 90.6 98.5 94.5 2022 97.4 96.3
2023-24 96.7 93.1 97.2 92.5 2023 98.6 94.7
2024-25 97.1* 90.3* 97.6* 91.3* 2024 99.6 96.8
4-Year Average 98.0* 92.4* 98.0* 94.7* 98.5 96.2

* Pending final annual school reporting from NBOME, excluded from 4-year average.
Nat’l = National Average
Last Updated: June 2025

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