Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

Rocky Vista University (RVU) is committed to osteopathic philosophy and heritage, and to advancing the science and the art of the practice of osteopathic medicine. RVU strives to recruit and educate individuals committed to becoming highly competent physicians who will assist in meeting the needs of the wide diversity of patients they will encounter during their careers, and who will be equipped to adapt to the demands of a changing health care system.

The principles of education that guide RVU include early clinical integration and experience for its students; a supportive, active, and interactive learning environment; and an integrated curriculum designed to provide the knowledge, skills and competencies required to prepare a student to enter graduate medical education and support life-long professional growth and learning.

RVU’s extensive community partnerships ensure that the clinical sites and clinical faculty needed for the education of its students are available within the region and that the student’s education will continue under the supervision and guidance of college appointed faculty. RVU is actively engaged in developing the graduate medical education opportunities that will be required and desired by graduates as well as other osteopathic and allopathic physicians within our community partners and at affiliated sites.

How are DOs Educated and Trained?

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, complete four years of osteopathic medical school, with an emphasis on preventive medicine and comprehensive patient care. The medical school is organized into two parts; preclinical and clinical. The preclinical phase includes two years of science training when you learn about basic medical concepts, the structure and functions of the body, diseases, diagnoses and treatment concepts. You'll also learn the basics of doctoring, such as taking medical histories and other essential competencies. The clinical portion of the training involves clinical rotations, during which time you will receive basic instruction and hands-on experience with patients in major medical specialties.

Upon graduating from Rocky Vista University medical school, DOs complete internships, residencies and fellowships. This training lasts three to eight years and prepares them to become licensed and board-certified.

4 Years Medical School

First two years are Preclinical Education (classes, labs, hands-on training), last two years are Clinical Education (out in field with .

Board Pass Test(s)

RVU requires student doctors to successfully pass the national exams COMLEX I, COMLEX II CE (Cognitive Evaluation), COMLEX II PE (Performance Evaluation). Graduates are required to take the COMLEX III when in residency.

Commencement/Graduation

After completing your 4 years of medical school, you will graduate from RVU

Internships, Residency

Depending upon your specialty, this training can last anywhere from three to eight years and prepares them to become licensed and board-certified.

CAMPUS LOCATIONS

Englewood, CO (Parker)
RVUCOM

Rocky Vista University Colorado location is located in a small town called Parker, just 20 miles southeast of Denver, which is a place rooted in history and heritage. The spirit of the west that lives here is matched in character only by our embrace of forward-thinking innovation. This rare balance offers experiences that are unique even for Colorado, making Parker the ideal one-day getaway. The community is known for its excellent school system, extensive biking and jogging trails, recreational facilities, dining, and entertainment, as well as a wide variety of arts and community events held throughout the year.

Billings, MT
MCOM

Billings, sitting along the Yellowstone River and the famous Rimrocks, is known as Montana’s Trailhead because it serves as the border between western Montana’s mountains and Eastern Montana’s plains and badlands. Billings is an urban city offering modern amenities, exceptional views, outdoor recreation, and award-winning cuisine. Billings is the medical hub for two thirds of Montana and portions of bordering states. Although Billings is the largest city in Montana, it boasts small-town hospitality! Where you can explore recreation, dining, shopping, and events happening in Billings.

Southern Utah (Ivins, UT)
RVUCOM

Our Utah campus is located in Ivins, UT, approximately 15 minutes from downtown St. George. The City of Ivins is a known as beneath the Big Red Mountain, which is where the campus is located. The weather is beautiful and sunny most of the year which makes it a great place for outdoor recreation, hiking, boating, camping, kayaking to name a few. There are several National Parks which are close to the campus; Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Grand Canyon National Park. Snow Canyon State Park is located just 5 minutes from campus which offers an beautiful landscape of red and white rocks.

APPLY NOW

REQUEST INFORMATION

ADMISSIONS PROCESS

RVU participates in the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) for the receipt and processing of applications. Applications are submitted electronically through AACOMAS (click here). AACOMAS processes applications within approximately 3-6 weeks. This timeframe may vary depending on the time it takes to receive an applicant’s transcripts and the volume of applications being processed. RVU’s deadline for submitting an AACOMAS application is March 15, 2025. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis, therefore it is in an applicant’s best interest to apply early in the process. Once an applicant’s AACOMAS application is received, it is evaluated to determine if the minimum requirements have been met.

A minimum science and cumulative GPA of 3.00;
Note: The chances for admission for a candidate with minimal grades are limited. Admission would require outstanding achievement on the part of the candidate during their career or unique individual circumstances. Preference will be given to candidates with a science and cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher. On average, candidates admitted to colleges of osteopathic medicine each of the past three years have GPAs greater than 3.6.

RVU is requiring candidates to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Candidates are required to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) within 3 years prior to matriculation. There is no minimum required score.
Note: A competitive MCAT score is around 506

Three Letters of Recommendations (submitted to AACOMAS), required letters include:
- A letter from a healthcare provider (DO or MD preferred) who has worked with the candidate.
- An academic reference (order of preference to include Pre-Med Advisor or Committee, Basic Science Faculty, or anyone who can speak to the candidate's ability to successfully complete a rigorous medical school curriculum).
- A letter of the candidate's choice.
- Be aware that only the maximum number of six (6) letters submitted through AACOMAS will be considered. The Office of Admissions is not able to accept letters of recommendation sent directly to RVU or from any other letter service, such as Interfolio or VirtualEvals

Applicants meeting these minimum requirements will receive an email containing instructions for submitting the supplemental application and fee. RVU's deadline for submitting the supplemental application is April 15, 2025. Candidates will select their campus of choice in the supplemental questions within the AACOMAS application and can opt to have their application considered for the other campus if they are not considered for their preferred campus. Candidates who initially do not meet the minimum academic requirements are welcome to resubmit updated information through AACOMAS. Candidates resubmitting qualifying information will then be invited to proceed through the process upon verification that the minimum requirements have been met. Applicants awarded an AACOMAS fee waiver will be granted a fee waiver for RVU’s supplemental fee. Fee waivers will also be granted for active duty military, veterans, as well as immediate family members.

An applicant’s file is considered complete upon the receipt of the AACOMAS application, supplemental application, processing fee, and letters of recommendation (letters submitted with applications from previous years will not be transferred). Be aware that we will only consider the maximum number of letters submitted through AACOMAS. We are not able to accept letters of recommendation sent directly to RVU, or from any other letter service such as Interfolio, or VirtualEvals.

For submission instructions on the fee waiver, visit here

The deadline for submitting a supplemental application and fee for the class matriculating is April 15, 2025. Please note that due to the rolling admission process, it is feasible that all interviews will be awarded prior to this date.

The Office of Admissions reviews all completed files and notifies applicants of their interview status. All applicants invited for an interview are given the choice of several interview dates.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The RVU Office of Admissions processes thousands of applications for admission each year. The minimum requirements for admission include:

A bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university must be completed prior to matriculation (exceptions may be made and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis; including exceptions that pertain to faith-based and/or strong international universities).
In the event of coursework completed at foreign institutions, official detailed course-by-course evaluations must be completed by an approved agency. Please see the list of approved agencies in the RVU Student Handbook and Catalog, under 'Matriculation' section.
Minimum prerequisite course work that must be completed prior to matriculation includes:

– Biology/Zoology (8 semester hours including lab)
– General Chemistry (8 semester hours including lab)
– Organic Chemistry (8 semester hours including lab)
– Physics (8 semester hours including lab)
– English or Literature (6 semester hours)
– Biochemistry (3 semester hours)

No grade below a “C” will be considered to fulfill requirements. C- is considered below a C and will not fulfill requirements. Additional upper-division coursework such as Human Anatomy, Physiology, Genetics, and Cellular Biology is highly recommended.

A minimum science and cumulative GPA of 3.0 as calculated on the AACOMAS application.
Note: The chances for admission for a candidate with minimal grades are limited. Admission would require outstanding achievement on the part of the candidate during their career or unique individual circumstances. Preference will be given to candidates with a science and cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher. On average, candidates admitted to colleges of osteopathic medicine each of the past three years have GPAs greater than 3.6.
RVU is requiring candidates to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Candidates are required to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) within 3 years prior to matriculation. There is no minimum required score.
Note: A competitive MCAT score is around 506
Letters of Recommendations (submitted to AACOMAS). Three required letters include:
- A credentialed healthcare provider (DO, MD, PA, or NP) who supervised the candidate’s work (voluntary or paid) in a clinical setting in a clinical setting.
- An academic reference (order of preference to include Pre-Med Advisor or Committee, Basic Science Faculty, or anyone who can speak to the candidate’s ability to successfully complete a rigorous medical school curriculum).
- A letter of the candidate's choice
- Note, only the maximum number of letters submitted through AACOMAS will be considered. The Office of Admissions is not able to accept letters of recommendation sent directly to RVU or from any other letter service, such as Interfolio or VirtualEvals.

Students must provide official transcripts from all colleges attended where a degree was earned prior to matriculation. In the event of coursework completed at foreign institutions, the applicant must submit official detailed course-by-course evaluations completed by an approved agency. A list of these agencies is available in the University Handbook & Catalog.

International students: RVU may consider international applications. Demonstrated English language proficiency is required during the interview; preference will be given to applicants who have previously attended a regionally-accredited college or university in the U.S.

APPLY NOW

REQUEST INFORMATION

TUITION AND FEES

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) Program – 2024-2025 Tuition

Tuition: $66,604
Student Health Insurance*: $5,229

*All students are required to have health insurance. Students will be automatically enrolled in and billed for the RVU Student Health Insurance Plan unless they provide evidence of equivalent coverage prior to the waiver deadline date. Please contact the Office of Student Financial Services for more information.

BOARD PASS RATES

APPLY NOW

REQUEST INFORMATION