Summer Scholars FAQ

Summer Scholars

What is Summer Scholars?

Summer Scholars is a four-week program coordinated by the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Office of Admissions. It is designed to give students a taste of what medical school will be like. The program is facilitated by current Heritage College faculty and upper-level medical students.

What will my time demands be?

Summer Scholars is a residential program, meaning you'll be housed in a residence hall on the Athens campus. The expectation is that you will be on campus Monday through Sunday and be available for evening and weekend study sessions with other Summer Scholars participants and/or your teaching assistant. The program is essentially a five-week medical school interview, so you will want to make yourself available and take advantage of all the opportunities that the program provides. Working full or part-time while in Summer Scholars is not advisable.  

Who is eligible to participate?

Those who come from rural or urban communities and have demonstrable barriers that could inhibit or impede medical school admission are encouraged to apply. 

Applicants to the program should be students who either 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), 

meet the economic conditions detailed below in the next question, or whose parents have not completed a bachelor's degree or higher.   

How do I know if I'm economically disadvantaged?

Follow these guidelines to verify your eligibility (updated October 3, 2023):

For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,140 for each additional person.

*Based on the poverty guidelines provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Why do you need my or my parents’ tax information?

Tax information is needed if the only way you qualify for the program is due to economic disadvantage (see above). This information is requested to determine a student’s economic status for participation in the program. All application information will be kept confidential, and all tax information will be shredded after the selection process.

How many students are selected each year?

Twenty-four students are selected to participate each year.

Where do I send my application materials?

Most of your application materials can be uploaded via your applicant portal or sent via email to ou-hcom@ohio.edu. 

Do I have to take the MCAT to participate in Summer Scholars?

No. You will only need to take the MCAT if you wish to take advantage of our guaranteed interview option.

Can I use letters of recommendation from a current medical school application?

Possibly. If you are currently applying for fall medical school entry and your medical school application file is complete, then we can accept those letters of recommendation for your Summer Scholars application. If you are applying for fall medical school entry and your file is incomplete, we will need to evaluate your letters to ensure they meet our general requirements.

If you are not currently applying for fall entry into medical school, you must supply us with two letters of recommendation from natural science faculty who taught you in class for a grade. Ideally, these letters will speak to your ability to benefit from Summer Scholars and your academic and non-academic preparedness for medical school.

Do I have to be interviewed to participate in Summer Scholars?

No. Selection for participation in Summer Scholars will be based upon your application materials, including letters of recommendation. You will be notified via email or phone if you are selected to participate. The committee plans to have selections made on or before February 15, 2024.

Do you have a question that hasn’t been answered here?

Email us your questions, and we’ll respond to you personally. We may also include your question and our answer here on this site.