Summer Scholars
2027 Program Dates: July 1 - July 28, 2027. Move-in Date: June 30
The application will be available on or before October 12, 2026, and is due January 10, 2027. Decision notifications will be sent by February 1, 2027.
The Summer Scholars program is designed for aspiring physicians from communities experiencing healthcare disparities or medical provider shortages, as well as those from educationally or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. For more than 40 years, participants from these communities have been selected for a rigorous four-week program that offers an immersive experience, provides a realistic introduction to the first-year curriculum at Heritage College, and fosters academic, career, and personal success.
Delivered in the flipped classroom style of our Pathways to Health and Wellness curriculum, the program mimics the experience of a first-year OU-HCOM medical student. OU-HCOM faculty deliver academic content on medical morphology, histology, physiology, immunology, and biochemistry. OU-HCOM staff and current medical students will host workshops on admission, learning strategies, time management, and other areas relevant to the medical school experience.
Each year, the program accepts 24 applicants who have faced barriers that impeded their path to medical school but are passionate about practicing medicine in populations and communities with limited medical resources and access to healthcare.
Program Description
During your time in the program, you will:
- Be introduced to osteopathic principles and practices, and learn the basics of biomedical sciences
- Experience the curriculum, including volume, pace, and rigor, as a first-year student in our Pathways to Health and Wellness Curriculum.
- Demonstrate your readiness to enter medical school both academically and personally.
- Build inclusive relationships by collaborating with other pre-medical students from diverse backgrounds as part of a team.
- Live in a university residence hall room (single occupancy) and receive a modest living allowance of $1,120 for the four-week program (paid in two disbursements).
- Travel reimbursement is available up to $350 for flights and $250 for those driving personal vehicles.
- Program participants who meet the minimum requirements for admission to Heritage College, including having taken the MCAT, will have the opportunity to interview for a place in the 2028 entering class.
Application Guidelines
While the program primarily benefits rising college seniors and graduates, college juniors are also eligible to apply.
Requirements
- Applicants must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Come from a community considered a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or Medically Underserved Area (MUA) (https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area),
- Qualify as economically or educationally disadvantaged, or
Come from a rural or urban community and have demonstrable barriers that could inhibit or impede medical school admission.
For more details, please visit the Summer Scholars FAQ page.
- Letters of recommendation - One letter must come from a natural science faculty member who taught you in class for a grade. Please instruct your recommender to include the course(s) they taught you within their letters. Examples of natural science courses include biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, etc. Social sciences DO NOT count toward this requirement (e.g., sociology, psychology, etc.)
The second letter can come from a professor (natural sciences or otherwise), a licensed physician (DO/MD), a supervisor, or another qualified professional.
OR
One letter of recommendation from a premedical/health professions advising committee
- Official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions you have attended
- U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status
- A minimum of one year each of college-level general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics
Things we consider:
- Science GPA of 3.0 and above (must have at least a 3.0 for the guaranteed interview)
- Grade trends/academic performance
- Essay question responses
- Interest in osteopathic medicine
- A valid MCAT score of 500 or above (only needed if you want to participate in the guaranteed interview; not required for selection into the program)
- Letters of recommendation
- Preference is given to rising seniors, recent college graduates, and nontraditional premedical students.
Applicants will be notified of selection decisions via email by February 1, 2027.
Questions?
For more information on the Summer Scholars program, contact ou-hcom@ohio.edu or visit our frequently asked questions page.