The nation’s colleges of osteopathic medicine report a total of 4,872 2009 first-time matriculants to the 24 osteopathic colleges and three branch campuses that are part of the AACOMAS application process. (The University of North Texas Health Sciences Center College of Osteopathic Medicine matriculants are not included in this analysis because the data from the Texas state medical school application system are not part of the AACOMAS database.) This analysis includes data on 4,846 matriculants who applied through AACOMAS. Twenty-six matriculants who did not apply through AACOMAS are excluded from the analysis.

The full report can be found at http://www.aacom.org/about/fastfacts/Documents/Summaries/2009MatriculantSummary.pdf.

AACOMAS Matriculants

Total matriculant numbers represent an increase of 29 percent since 2006 (the first year for which AACOM has data reporting the names of matriculants to all of the colleges. In the same period, the number of applicants to AACOMAS grew by 33 percent.

Matriculant Race and Ethnicity

The race and ethnicity questions on the AACOMAS application follow the current U.S. Census lead and ask applicants to mark all that apply. Although applicants are allowed to select multiple race/ethnicities, the following table, titled One Race Response, has, by creating the category Multiple Races, allowed for each applicant to be allocated to only one category. 

Unduplicated underrepresented minorities in the 2009 entering class account for 8 percent of all matriculants.  “Underrepresented minorities” includes applicants of Hispanic/Latino, African American, Native American and Pacific Islander race/ethnicity.

Component MCAT Scores

Total MCAT scores of matriculants have edged upward since 2006, from a mean of 25.11 to a mean of 26.19. The mean component scores contributing to the total in 2009 are displayed in the chart below.

Mean GPAs

The mean undergraduate GPAs of AACOMAS matriculants also have trended upward, with the overall GPA increasing from 3.36 in 2006 to 3.48 in 2009.