DO · West Des Moines, Iowa · private
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine prerequisites
What Des Moines asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 3 lines differ from the standard medical school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two semesters with lab. The single most universal prerequisite: essentially every MD and DO program asks for it, and it is the foundation the MCAT assumes.
- General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two semesters with lab. Take it early: organic chemistry, biochemistry, and most upper-division biology all sit behind it, so a late start pushes the whole sequence past your MCAT date.
- Organic chemistry with labrequireddiffers
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
Most medical schools ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
Four semester hours (one semester, not the usual year) with the lab required when your institution offers one.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester, lab rarely required. Roughly two thirds of schools require it outright and the MCAT tests it heavily, so treat it as required even where it technically is not, and take it before you sit the exam.
- Physics with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Eight semester hours with labs where available, but DMU will let up to three semester hours of statistics substitute for three hours of physics. That is a rare swap; nowhere else on your list is likely to allow it.
- English or writing-intensiverequired
2 semesters · 6 credits
Six semester hours, and DMU counts speech alongside English, composition, and literature, so a public speaking course can fill part of this.
- Statisticsrecommendeddiffers
1 semester · 3 credits
Most medical schools ask for 1 semester · 3 credits and list it as required.
Statistics is not a requirement at DMU. It appears only as the course you may use to substitute for three semester hours of physics.
- Calculusrecommended
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester. Required outright at a minority of schools (several of them highly selective) and accepted in place of statistics at most of the rest. Take it if calculus is already in your major's path.
- Psychologyrecommended
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester. A minority of schools require it, but a quarter of the MCAT is psychological and social foundations: this is the cheapest points on the exam.
- Sociologyrecommended
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester. Same reasoning as psychology: required by fewer schools, tested directly on the MCAT.
- Geneticsrecommended
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester. Required by a small number of schools and a common way to fill the upper-division science coursework that strengthens a science GPA.
- Advanced biologyrecommendedextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
DMU recommends cell biology, microbiology, immunology, genetics, physiology, and anatomy beyond the required biology hours.
Experience hours
- Clinical experiencerecommended
150+ hours
DMU is explicit that this is not a gate: 'while clinical exposure isn't mandatory, it is recommended to help confirm your interest in and commitment to the osteopathic medical profession.' It counts shadowing, paid positions, and volunteer work equally, and publishes no hours figure.
- Physician shadowingrecommended
50+ hours
No hours and no required physician letter. DMU simply points you at the American Osteopathic Association 'to establish a mentoring or shadowing relationship with an osteopathic physician', a nudge toward DO time rather than a requirement.
- Non-clinical volunteeringrecommended
150+ hours
Service with no medical angle. Committees are reading for a habit, not a total, so one commitment held for two years beats five one-off events.
- Researchrecommended
100+ hours
Effectively expected at research-heavy MD programs and genuinely optional at many DO and community-focused schools. If research is not your path, put those hours into clinical work and say so clearly rather than padding a semester in a lab.
Also on the school’s page
Des Moines asks for eight hours each of biology or zoology, general chemistry, and physics, four hours of organic chemistry, three of biochemistry, and six of English, composition, speech, or literature. Speech counting is unusual and worth knowing. The quirk to remember is that up to three semester hours of statistics may be substituted for three semester hours of physics. Labs are required when available. Every prerequisite needs a C or higher, and DMU accepts none of CLEP, AP, or pass/fail credit toward them, so anything you placed out of has to be retaken or replaced with higher coursework. A 2.8 cumulative and 2.8 science GPA are the recommended minimums. You may apply with coursework still in progress as long as everything is finished before you start.
School
dmu.eduCheck your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Des Moines still needs from you.
See it for medical school