Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine - Southern Utah Campus prerequisites

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.

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.

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

Two semesters with lab at most schools. A meaningful and growing minority accept one semester of organic plus one of biochemistry. Do not drop the second semester on that assumption until you have checked the schools you actually want.

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.

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

Two semesters with lab. Algebra-based is accepted almost everywhere; take the calculus-based sequence only if your major needs it or a target school names it.

2 semesters · 6 credits

Two semesters of English or writing-intensive coursework. Many schools accept writing-intensive courses from any department, but a few name English specifically. If your writing credits come from elsewhere, confirm before you count them.

1 semester · 3 credits

One semester. Most schools with a math requirement accept statistics or calculus; statistics is the more widely accepted of the two and the more useful for reading clinical research, so the baseline tracks it here. If a target school names calculus, its own requirements will say so.

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.

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.

1 semester · 3 credits

One semester. Same reasoning as psychology: required by fewer schools, tested directly on the MCAT.

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.

150+ hours

RVU publishes no hours minimum and never uses the word shadowing. The requirement hiding in its letters rule is the one to plan around: one of the three required letters must come from "a credentialed healthcare provider (DO, MD, PA, or NP) who supervised the candidate's work (voluntary or paid) in a clinical setting." Supervised is the operative word: a shadowing-only relationship does not literally satisfy it, so you need clinical work someone was responsible for you during. A DO is not required; PAs and NPs count equally. The rule is identical at both campuses.

50+ hours

Aim for 40-50 across more than one specialty, including primary care. DO programs weigh shadowing more heavily and several ask for hours with a DO specifically. If DO schools are on your list, get those hours and the letter early.

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.

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.

No published minimum

The academic reference is required but its source is flexible: "order of preference to include Pre-Med Advisor or Committee, Basic Science Faculty, or anyone who can speak to the candidate's ability to successfully complete a rigorous medical school curriculum." A pre-med advisor or committee letter is the stated first preference.

No published minimum

Basic science faculty is the second preference for the required academic reference, behind a pre-med advisor or committee. The third required letter is simply "a letter of the candidate's choice." Letters must come through AACOMAS: not Interfolio, not VirtualEvals, not direct.

No published minimum

One of the three required letters must come from "a credentialed healthcare provider (DO, MD, PA, or NP) who supervised the candidate's work (voluntary or paid) in a clinical setting." Supervised is the operative word (a shadowing-only relationship does not literally satisfy it), but the net is wide: a PA or NP counts, and unpaid work counts.