Burrell College Of Osteopathic Medicine Admissions

The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine participates in the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS). The AACOMAS offers prospective applicants a convenient and centralized online application service for accredited osteopathic medical schools. Through AACOMAS, an applicant files one master electronic application, which is then verified and distributed to the designated osteopathic colleges selected by the applicant. The AACOMAS application opens to prospective applicants in May of each cycle year. Go to www.AACOM.org to begin the application process.

What is Osteopathic Medicine?

Osteopathic medicine is a distinct form of medical practice in the United States. Osteopathic medicine provides all of the benefits of modern medicine including prescription drugs, surgery, and the use of technology to diagnose disease and evaluate injury

It also offers the added benefit of hands-on diagnosis and treatment through a system of therapy known as osteopathic manipulative medicine. Osteopathic medicine emphasizes helping each person achieve a high level of wellness by focusing on health promotion and disease prevention. Osteopathic physicians ascribe to a medical philosophy that bases their clinical practice on the four tenets of osteopathic medicine:

The body is completely united; the person is a fully integrated being of body, mind and spirit. No single part of the body functions independently. Each separate part is interconnected with all others and serves to benefit the collective whole of the person. Alterations in any part of the system, including an individual’s mental and spiritual health, affect the function of the body as a whole and all other parts therein.
The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health-maintenance. Health is the natural state of the body, and the body possesses complex, homeostatic, self-regulatory mechanisms that it uses to heal itself from injury. In times of disease, when a part of the body is functioning sub-optimally, other parts of the body come out of their natural state of health in order to compensate for the dysfunction. During this compensatory process, however, new dysfunctions may arise. Osteopathic physicians must work to adjust the body so as to realign its parts back to normal. Osteopathic manipulative medicine aims to restore the body’s self-healing capacity by decreasing allostatic load, or the physiologic effects of chronic bodily stresses, and enhancing the immune system.
Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated. The structure of a body part governs its function, and thus abnormal structure manifests as dysfunction. Function also governs structure. In addition, if the body’s overall structure is suboptimal, its functioning and capacity for self-healing will be inhibited as well.
Rational treatment is based on an understanding of these three aforementioned principles. These basic osteopathic tenets permeate all aspects of health maintenance and disease prevention and treatment. The osteopathic physician examines, diagnoses, and treats patients according to these principles.

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine or (D.O.s) are trained to look at the whole person from their first days of medical school, which means they see each person as more than just a collection of organ systems and body parts that may become injured or diseased.

This holistic approach to patient care means that osteopathic medical students learn how to integrate the patient into the health care process as a partner. They are trained to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, and they get the opportunity to practice these skills in their classrooms and learning laboratories, frequently with standardized and simulated patients.

Today, when the challenge of ensuring an adequate number of primary care physicians extends to osteopathic medicine, the majority of most osteopathic medical school graduates choose careers in primary care. Osteopathic medicine also has a special focus on providing care in rural and urban underserved areas, allowing D.O.s to have a greater impact on the U.S. population’s health and well-being than their numbers would suggest. While D.O.s constitute seven percent of all U.S. physicians, they are responsible for 16 percent of patient visits in communities with populations of fewer than 2,500.

Burrell College Of Osteopathic Medicine Overview

The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine utilizes the latest technologies and learning methods to ensure success in the classroom and future professional practice. Led by highly experienced professionals from osteopathic, allopathic and general higher education, the College is committed to impacting the workforce needs and access to quality medical services in the region.

The College celebrates its nationally recognized faculty, students and clubs, and its collaborative campus climate.
Medical students are very active in coordinating and participating in regional community outreach, education, and service projects.
The College’s robust pre-clinical standardized patient program, high fidelity mannequins, and procedure-specific training provide medical students with opportunities to refine their clinical skills.
Medical students expand their knowledge of anatomy by utilizing both the gross anatomy cadaver lab and digital anatomy software.
The College boasts a 99% average graduate medical education placement rate for its first two graduating cohorts.

Campus setting:

Suburban. Burrell College is located in the Chihuahuan desert of Las Cruces, New Mexico, a beautiful, temperate and vibrant Southwest city with strong economic growth. Las Cruces is New Mexico’s second largest city with plenty of outdoor activities for residents, including hiking in the Organ Mountains, bird watching in and around Dripping Springs and river rafting on the Rio Grande. Nationally, Las Cruces has been recognized as a top place for work, recreation, tourism, retirement and raising a family.

Year founded: 2013

Type: Private, for-profit

Accreditation:

The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine is accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).

Institutional affiliation: None

Facilities:

The College’s campus is a newly constructed building located in the Arrowhead Research Park on the New Mexico State University (NMSU) campus. The space offers an array of impressive resources including lecture halls and seminar rooms for traditional and collaborative learning, a hybrid gross-virtual anatomy lab, a standardized patient facility, a physical diagnosis lab, and a simulation center utilizing high-fidelity mannequins. Through the College’s library, students have access to core medical and osteopathic collection materials including electronic databases and journals, print and electronic books, and media titles. The Biosciences Research Laboratory, which is a fully equipped BSL-2 facility, is available to support faculty driven research which may involve supervised research experiences for students.

Student residence options:
Please visit college’s website for information on housing. There is also a student-managed Facebook page for housing suggestions and guidance for incoming students.

2021-2022 Enrollment

Total medical school enrollment: 636
Total male: 290
Total female: 346
First-year matriculants: 161
First-year male matriculants: 62
First-year female matriculants: 99
Matriculants in-state: 9
Matriculants out-of-state: 152
Total enrollment affiliate institutions: 636

Rolling Admissions

The College uses a rolling Admissions process. Pre-screened applicants will be invited to submit a Supplemental Application. Applications will be reviewed and interview invitation decisions made at regular intervals throughout the cycle. Applicants from both in-state and out-of-state are encouraged to apply; at this time the College is unable to consider international applicants.

2021 – 2022 Cycle Application Schedule

Primary application service: AACOMAS
Earliest application submission date: Opening Date of AACOMAS (5/4/2021)
Primary application deadline: 3/31/2022
Burrell College Supplemental Application deadline: 4/15/2022
Latest MCAT test date considered: July 2019
Virtual Interviews Conducted

Admission Requirements

The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine uses a holistically driven Admissions process whereby applicants are assessed in several different areas, including academic and non-academic characteristics. The College’s Admissions process has been developed in an attempt to identify characteristics that are aligned with its mission. Applicants from both in-state and out-of-state are encouraged to apply; at this time the College is unable to consider international applicants.

Prior to progressing in the Admissions process, applicants will be pre-screened for the following minimum requirements:

Cumulative science grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
A 496 or higher, with no subsections lower than the 15th percentile, on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Oldest test dates considered for the 2022-2023 cycle: July 2020

Applicants who meet or exceed the minimum pre-screening requirements will be invited to complete and submit a Supplemental Application. Applicants must submit the Supplemental Application to become eligible for further review.

In-person Campus Tours Available

Offered applicants will be required to submit necessary matriculation documents, including a seat deposit, according to the following schedule:

Those receiving seat offers prior to November 20 will have 30 days to accept the offer and submit the seat deposit.
Those receiving seat offers between November 20 and February 28 will have 15 days to accept the offer and submit the seat deposit.
Those receiving seat offers after February 28 may be asked for an immediate seat deposit.

Prior to progressing in the Admissions process, applicants will be pre-screened for the following minimum requirements:

Cumulative science grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
A 493 or higher, with no subsections lower than the 15th percentile, on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Oldest test dates considered for the 2021-2022 cycle: July 2019

Previous Education

Completion of a baccalaureate degree, or equivalent, from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Prerequisite Coursework

Completion of prerequisite coursework with a minimum grade of “C” or higher:

Biology with lab 8 semester hours (or equivalent*)
General/Inorganic Chemistry with lab 8 semester hours** (or equivalent*)
Organic Chemistry with lab 8 semester hours** (or equivalent*)
Physics with lab 8 semester hours (or equivalent*)
Science elective 3 semester hours***
English courses 6 semester hours****

*Or equivalent to one year with laboratory component.
**Biochemistry hours may count towards fulfilling hour requirements for General/Inorganic Chemistry or Organic Chemistry or the Science Elective.
***Recommended courses to meet Science Elective prerequisite include advanced courses in behavioral sciences, biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, human anatomy, immunology, molecular biology, neurosciences, physiology.
****Approved English course subjects are those listed within the AACOMAS English category. For those courses not included in the AACOMAS English category list, applicants will be expected to provide a course syllabus and/or course catalog description to the Office of Admissions for evaluation.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation – Three (3) required letters of recommendation include:

One letter from a physician (D.O. or M.D. accepted) AND
One of the following:

One pre-medical committee letter OR
Two academic letters written by science professors, scientific research advisors, or equivalent
- Non-traditional students who have not been enrolled in any science coursework for three (3) years or more, may submit letters from employment supervisors.

For Admission requirements and provisions affected by COVID-19, please click below:

The AACOMAS application allows for six total letters of recommendation to be submitted. Letters should be formatted on letterhead and include credentials. Letters from relatives will not satisfy the requirement. If an applicant is asked to provide an updated and/or new letter of recommendation, it can be submitted to the Office of Admissions by the following accepted methods:

AACOMAS
Virtual Evals
Interfolio
Directly by Referee to the Office of Admissions –

Email: admissions@bcomnm.org
Mail: Office of Admissions
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
3501 Arrowhead Dr.
Las Cruces, NM 88001

Experience Hours

Applicants are encouraged to not only provide an account of academic merits, but to also provide details on any extracurricular, medical, non-medical, and/or community volunteer experience hours they have accumulated prior to applying.

The College also seeks to admit students who are committed to serving rural and medically underserved areas and who will contribute to the potential impact of the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine and the osteopathic medical profession in these areas.

Foreign Coursework

Transcripts submitted from institutions outside the United States of America (U.S.) or Canada must be evaluated for U.S. equivalence by one of the services listed below. An official report must be sent from the service directly to AACOM and the College. The applicant should retain a copy of the report to reference in completing the AACOMAS application. The report should contain a course-by-course evaluation, including a listing of courses, subject codes, semester hours and grades on the AACOMAS Academic Record or Professional School Academic Record as per the instructions. Unofficial copies of any equivalence evaluation report will not be accepted. The following is a list of foreign evaluation vendors. The College does not endorse nor recommend any particular vendor.

World Education Services (WES), wes.org
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., ece.org
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., jsilny.org
International Education Research Foundation, Inc., ierf.org

Grade Point Averages

Minimum Cumulative Science GPA – 3.0 or above

While there are no set minimum requirements for a non-science GPA or overall GPA, each will still be reviewed when evaluating an applicant’s academic record. The College will follow the calculated grade point averages (GPAs) submitted in the verified AACOMAS application. For more detailed information on how AACOMAS calculates GPAs, please visit the AACOM website.

Permanent Residents

Applicants will be asked to present proof of legal U.S. residency status. Applicants who are legal, permanent residents of the U.S. will be required to provide a copy of their permanent resident card prior to progressing in the admission process. In the event that permanent residency status is revoked, abandoned or otherwise lost following matriculation, the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine shall not be held responsible nor liable in any way for claims, damages, losses, expenses or liabilities whatsoever, related to or arising from such student’s inability to complete, or any delay in completion of the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program.

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