Early Assurance Program
Overview
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine selects a number of outstanding Ohio high school seniors to participate in the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Early Assurance Program. In as few as seven years, students can earn their undergraduate degree from an EAP partner school – and their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Heritage College.
The Heritage College has EAP partnerships with Baldwin-Wallace University, John Carroll University, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio University, Otterbein University and Shawnee State University. These partnerships, coupled with the opening of the Heritage College campuses in Dublin and Cleveland, are designed to increase the pathway of primary care physicians throughout Ohio.
Students selected for an interview will be notified by the Heritage College Office of Admissions. Interviews will be completed at the end of February, with all final decisions rendered by March 31.
The application for the Early Assurance Program will open in October, 2024. The deadline to apply will be mid-January, 2025.
Please consider attending our Fall EAP Preview Day in Athens on Monday, October 14, 2024, from 1:30 pm - 4:00pm. There will be an information session about OU-HCOM, program benefits and expectations, a panel of current EAP students and current medical students who completed the EAP, plus a tour of the medical school facilities. You can register here. Please note that to be in compliance with Ohio University's Minors on Campus policy, all persons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Application Closed
Program Features
- Official Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) requirement is waived, however, EAP students must complete the mock MCAT exam and score at least a 500 to meet HCOM entrance requirements. EAP students will be provided two opportunities to meet this score.
- 3+4 and 4+4 curricular options are available. A 3+4 track creates an opportunity to count your first year of medical school as the last year of your undergraduate baccalaureate degree. A 4+4 track allows for a traditional four-year undergraduate experience before entering medical school.
- Mentoring from a current Heritage College medical student who previously completed the EAP program.
- Access to programming and activities that provide a firsthand look into the medical school experience, including the EAP Leadership & Service Seminar Series (LS3), community service opportunities, and RUSP workshops at OU-HCOM.
Program Requirements
You will want to be sure and check out our partner school’s websites for detailed information on program and application requirements, but in general, to be considered an applicant to the Early Assurance Program at the Heritage College, you must:
- Be accepted to your selected partner school(s) before you apply to the EAP.
- Meet all application deadlines. Most occur in December or early January.
- Be an Ohio resident.
- Graduate from an Ohio high school.
- Earn at least a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5+ on a 4.0 scale (unweighted).
- Have completed or be in the process of completing four units or credits of high school math, English and science, including biology and chemistry (coursework in physics is strongly encouraged).
- Have the School Counselor Evaluation form submitted and a letter of recommendation from a science teacher who taught you in class for a grade.
- Submit an official high school transcript and official transcripts from any postsecondary institutions attended.
- Submit an essay detailing why you wish to pursue a career in medicine.
- Be invited for a virtual interview that will take place in February or March.
To remain eligible as an EAP participant, students must have an overall GPA of 3.7 and a GPA of 3.6 or higher in science coursework at the completion of the undergraduate program. They must also complete the mock MCAT exam and earn a score of at least 500. Finally, EAP students must meet requirements for shadowing hours, extracurricular activities, and community service. The EAP Student Manual (which is provided to EAP students upon acceptance to the program) provides more details on student responsibilities and loss of conditional admission status.
Program Partners
BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY
EAP application deadline: January 10 of sophomore year at Baldwin Wallace.
Maximum cohort size: 3
Visit the Baldwin Wallace University website for more information.
JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY
EAP application deadline: January 10
Maximum cohort size: 10
Visit the John Carroll University website for more information.
OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY
EAP application deadline: January 10
Maximum cohort size: 7
Visit the Ohio Dominican University EAP website for more information.
OHIO UNIVERSITY
EAP application deadline: January 10
Maximum cohort size:12
The 3+4 curricular experience is only available to students in the Honors Tutorial College or the College of Arts & Sciences Biological Sciences or Chemistry and Biochemistry departments. For more information about Ohio University's EAP program, go here:
Options for Ohio University Arts & Sciences majors
Ohio University eligibility and application process
OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY
EAP application deadline: January 10
Maximum cohort size: 7
Students opting for a 4+4 curricular experience can pursue any major, while students considering the 3+4 curricular track can major only in biology, chemistry, biochemistry or molecular biology.
Visit the Otterbein University EAP website for more information.
SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY
EAP application deadline: January 15
Maximum cohort size: 3
Students may only complete a 4+4 curricular experience within the bachelor of science in biology, biomedical sciences track.
Visit the Shawnee State University EAP website for more information.