Dec 07, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog

Osteopathic Medicine, “3+4”/”4+4” Early Acceptance Program Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, B.S.


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Go to information for Pre-Medicine Programs at SFU .

Department Contact:

Chair: Dr. Justin Merry, jmerry@francis.edu, 814-471-1105
Coordinator: Dr. Susan Reimer, sreimer@francis.edu, 814-472-3086

Program Description:

Under a joint agreement between the Lake Erie University of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and SFU, undergraduate students are enrolled jointly by SFU and LECOM. The program is comprised of two phases: phase I consists of the first three or four years of undergraduate education at Saint Francis; Phase II consists of the remaining four years of medical school education at LECOM. Saint Francis University will confer the Bachelor of Science degree to students enrolled in the “3+4” track upon successful completion of the first year of LECOM’s academic curriculum.

Students will be admitted to the SFU Phase (Phase I) of the program based upon the following criteria:

  3+4 Program 4+4 Program
SAT Scores or ACT > 1340 SAT or ACT score of 28 > 1240 SAT or ACT score of 26
High School GPA 3.7 on a scale of 4.0 3.5 on a scale of 4.0
Potential Additional evidence of scholarly and professional potential and desire to become a primary care physician Additional evidence of scholarly and professional potential and desire to become a primary care physician


The SAT scores (1240 or 1340) and high school GPA (3.5 or 3.7) serve as targets for applicant selection for admission to the program; other parameters, such as personal traits and desire to become an osteopathic physician, will also be considered for each applicant.

SFU representatives will interview applicants to the program and submit acceptable applications for review to LECOM with a recommendation for provisional acceptance. LECOM will interview students within the first two years of being properly enrolled in the program. Therefore, acceptance to Phase I of the program will be determined jointly by SFU and LECOM. Acceptance into Phase II is contingent on completion of a pre-medicine program at Saint Francis and maintaining GPA standards (for “3+4” track: > 3.5 Cumulative Overall GPA, and >3.2 Cumulative Science GPA; for “4+4” track: >3.4 Cumulative Overall GPA, >3.2 Cumulative Science GPA). Additional stipulations for matriculation are set forth in the articulation agreement between Saint Francis University and LECOM.

Students who are interested in pursuing the pre-medicine program in Osteopathic Medicine should contact Dr. Susan Reimer, SFU program coordinator.

Students can also find additional information about the program on LECOM’s website. http://lecom.edu/admissions/entrance-requirements/early-acceptance-programs/

Student Learning Outcomes:

This will vary depending on the student’s major. If the student is in the Biology, Pre-Medicine program, they will achieve the following learning outcomes:

  • Employ the scientific method, including the use of discipline-specific techniques, to discover and validate biological knowledge;
  • Demonstrate scientific literacy through reading, writing, presenting, and discussing research;
  • Demonstrate knowledge of how atoms and molecules interact to permit the function of living systems, and how cells sense, control, and respond to stimuli in their environments;
  • Demonstrate knowledge of molecular genetics and how this leads to the expression and inheritance of traits;
  • Explain how organisms reproduce and develop, how their anatomical structure permits function, how they maintain internal conditions, and how they sense and respond to external stimuli, across the full range of biological diversity;
  • Describe how evolution by natural selection explains the unity and diversity of life on earth, and articulate how organisms interact at the population, community, and ecosystem levels.

Estimate Completion Time:

For “3+4” program: Three years at Saint Francis, plus one year at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine to complete B.S. Completion of medical school takes a full four years at LECOM.

For “4+4” program: Four years at Saint Francis to complete B.S.  Four additional years to complete medical school at LECOM.

Capstone Requirement:

In the “3+4” program, the senior capstone requirement is satisfied by successfully completing the first year of their professional program at LECOM in good standing. In the “4+4” program, the senior capstone requirement is satisfying by passing BIOL 402 Evolution .

Requirements for the Program:

**Students pursue an existing pre-medicine program at Saint Francis University, such as the Biology, B.S. Pre-medicine Concentration or the Chemistry, B.S., Pre-Medicine Concentration. Students in the “3+4” track must complete at least 75% of the degree requirements, as agreed upon by the pre-medicine coordinator. Students in the “4+4” track must complete their program.

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