Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine

The Beginning

In 1936, a state-approved, four-year school by the name St. Francis Normal merged with Immaculate Conception Junior College to form Marian College. Later that year in November, the Sisters of St. Francis purchased “Riverdale”, a former James Allison estate for the College. In 1937, Allison mansion then became the new location for Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the building consisted of administrative offices, a library, classrooms, and sleeping quarters for the Sisters as well as the students. In 1948, the College decided to do an expansion program with the aim of adding a gymnasium and two halls that went by the names; Marian Hall and Clare Hall. After the completion of Marian Hall in 1945, the College became the first co-educational Catholic college in Indiana. After 2 years the North Central Association accredited Marian College. Then in 1976 the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education formally accepted all teacher education programs of the college. Fast forward to January 2010, Marian University announced its plan to open the College of Osteopathic Medicine. This College was the first Osteopathic School in Indiana and the first Medical School in Indianan in the past 110 years.

Mission

The mission of Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine is to build on the values of their Franciscan heritage. The College is dedicated to preparing who are fully committed to their patient’s healing. This institution is committed to serving the people of Indiana and to developing osteopathic physicians through research, service, and teaching.

MU-COM will provide:

- A quality professional education program emphasizing osteopathic training in primary care through lifelong learning and scholarly activity in a caring, academic community. This community will include students from Indiana as well as those from the surrounding states, the nation, and the world.
- An education that “profoundly transforms lives, society, and the world” consistent with the Catholic university’s four core Franciscan sponsorship values (dignity of the individual, peace and justice, reconciliation, and responsible stewardship) and the tenets of osteopathic medicine.
- A curriculum that promotes and measures student competencies with an emphasis on osteopathic clinical skills and public service activities provided in diverse populations of individuals and cultures, including the underprivileged and medically under-served in local, regional, national, and international environments.
- A commitment to actively support and encourage hospitals in Indiana and surrounding states in the expansion of graduate medical education either by increasing positions in existing residency and fellowship programs or by creating new programs.

Vision

To provide an education that profoundly transforms lives, society, and the world.

Milestones

January 15, 2010: Marian University along with Indiana Osteopathic Association announced that the university will open up its first College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) in Indiana.
February 1, 2010: Steve Noone ’64, an alumnus of the university, a former executive director of the American Academy of Osteopathy, and a former executive director of the Indiana Osteopathic Association joined as a project coordinator for MUCOM project.
March 8, 2010: The position opening for the College’s Dean was posted on the website.
March 23, 2010: Representatives from the university’s Board of Trustees and members of MUCOM development committees visited Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) in Harrogate, Tennessee.
June 16, 2010: The site for the building was decided to be located at 30th Street and Cold Spring Road on the university’s campus and this was announced to the public as well.
June 30, 2010: $5 million were given to the college by the Community Health Network and St. Vincent Health.
July 14, 2010: President Elsener finished a series of presentations around the state with DOs that took him to Evansville, Ft. Wayne, Indianapolis, Merrillville, Michigan City, South Bend, and Terre Haute.
July 2010: A document titled “What is a DO?” was published was electronically published by the university.
August 9, 2010: Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens was visited by the representatives from the university’s Board of Trustees and members of MUCOM development committees.
August 19, 2010: a feasibility study for the osteopathic school was submitted to the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).
August 25, 2010: a vice president and founding Dean for the college, Paul Evans, was selected.
September 14, 2010: The economic impact study, “The Economic Contributions of Marian University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine” was published.
October 14, 2010: The Marian University Center for Health Sciences and the Healing Arts rendering was approved. It was decided that the building will house the college of osteopathic medicine and the university’s School of Nursing so doctors and nurses can train together.
November 11-12, 2010: Evaluators from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) visited campus for a pre-accreditation site visit.
November 12, 2010: Hill Rom, a medical device manufacturer, made a $1 million gift and a pledge to provide equipment for the new Center for Health Sciences and the Healing Arts building.
December 3, 2010: A ground blessing ceremony was held for the Center for Health Sciences and the Healing Arts.
January 20, 2011: Charles E. Henley, DO was selected as the associate dean for clinical affairs.
April 10, 2011: A $300,000 gift was given to the college by the representative from Suburban Health Organization.
April 18, 2011: Bryan Larsen named associate dean for biomedical sciences of Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
April 18, 2011: The Center for Health Sciences and the Healing Arts received a donation of $1 million from Eli Lilly and Company Foundation.
May 4, 2011: The college of osteopathic medicine received pre-accreditation status from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) of the American Osteopathic Association.
August 24, 2011: A ground-breaking and naming ceremony was held for the new building, Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences.
September 30, 2011: Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences received a donation from Union Hospital of $100,000 for the building’s café.
February 24, 2012: Roche Diagnostics Corporation of Indianapolis sponsored one of the simulation laboratories in the new building by investing $75,000.
March 1, 2012: At their February 2012, meeting the Institutional Action Council of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) approved the expansion of Marian University’s accreditation to include the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO).
May 2, 2012: Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MU-COM) received pre-accreditation with permission to recruit immediately and provisional accreditation status effective July 1, 2012. MU-COM also has been accepted as a full member of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM).
May 8, 2012: Margaret Mary Community Hospital (MMCH) of Batesville, Indiana decided to partner with Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine by sponsoring a simulation lab and a seminar room.
October 5, 2012: An opportunity for Marian University’s pre-medical students for early acceptance was given by introducing a fast-track program.
January 2013: Assistant Dean for Biomedical Sciences Bryan Larsen, Ph.D. brought on board three scientists as full-time faculty members who immediately began contributing their expertise to complete the first-year curriculum.
February 2013: Three physicians arrived on campus to join the full-time faculty of the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
August 12, 2013: The college welcomes its first class which comprised of 162 students.

Admission Requirements

- The applicant should have completed 90 hours or three-fourths of the required credits for a degree in a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting body. Candidates must earn a baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation.
- The applicant should have a cumulative grade point of 3.10 on a scale of 4.00.
- The applicant must submit scores from the MCAT.

Admission Pre-requisites

SCIENCE COURSES

- Biology/Zoology: 8 semester hours are required along with a lab.
- Biochemistry: 3 semester hours are required.
- Inorganic Chemistry: 8 semester hours are required along with a lab.
- Organic Chemistry: 8 semester hours are required along with a lab.
- Physics: 8 semester hours are required along with a lab.

NON-SCIENCE COURSES

- College English: 6 semester hours are required along with a lab.
- Behavioral Sciences: 6 semester hours are required along with a lab.

Application Procedure

Applicants have to complete their primary and supplementary applications online and everything including processing fee, communication, and other application material is done electronically.

Steps:

The applicant first must submit a primary application that consists of AACOMAS application, supplemental application and fee, MCAT score, letters of recommendation, and certification. MU-COM does not accept January 2021 MCAT for the 2021 cycle.
After this, the primary applications submitted are screened to verify that the applicant fulfills the minimum admission requirements.
After the screening is done the applicant is sent an invitation to complete the supplemental application.
After completing the supplemental application, the applicant has to submit it on the applicant portal along with the processing fee.
The applicant needs to check the application status as well as their email for an interview decision.
The applicant should schedule and prepare for the interview.
Wait for the admissions committee decision. All decisions are communicated to students within a few weeks of the interview date.

Important Dates

May 2: AACOMAS application opens.
June 15: Primary applications start to arrive from AACOMAS.
July 15: For the Early Decision Program (EDP) primary application must be received.
August 15: All EDP application materials must be received.
August 28: Interviews start.
September 29: Applicants notified of the EDP decision.
December 14: First seat deposit deadline for regular admission.
February 1: Primary application deadline.
March 1: Supplemental application deadline.
March 5: All application materials must be received.
April 23: Interviews end.
May 1: Tuition deposit deadline for regular admission.

Tuition

Description	First Year	Second Year	Third Year	Fourth Year
Tuition	$53,920	$53,920	$53,920	$53,920
Housing	$14,247	$14,247	$18,996	$15,830
Personal/Miscellaneous	$5,475	$5,475	$6,947	$5,978
Transportation	$1,939	$1,939	$2,512	$2,130
Books/Supplies	$1,400	$700	$700	$200
COMLEX Level 1		$675
COMLEX Level 2 CE			$675
COMLEX Level 2 PE			$1,300
Clinical rotation travel			$3,828	$3,190
TOTAL	$76,981	$76,955	$88,878	$81,248

Scholarships

MU-COM Endowed Scholarships

- Parkview Physicians Group Endowed Scholarship
- Indiana State Medical Association Endowed Scholarship
- Healthcare Initiatives Primary Care Endowed Scholarship
- Westview Hospital Annual MU-COM Student Assistance Award
- Clay Smith Endowed Scholarship

Service-Related Scholarships

- The National Health Services Corporation (NHSC) Scholarship Program
- Armed Forces Health Care Scholarship Programs (AFHPSP)
- Indian Health Service (Health Professions Scholarship)
- Primary Care Shortage Area Scholarship

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

American College of Osteopathic Physicians
American Medical Association Foundation Scholarships
American Osteopathic Foundation Scholarship programs
Chinese American Physicians Society
Colorado Springs Osteopathic Foundation
Motyka Dannin Foundation Scholarship (Indiana Osteopathic Association’s educational foundation)
National Medical Fellowship Scholarship Program
Northwest Osteopathic Foundation
Oklahoma Osteopathic Association
Osteopathic Medical Foundation of Michiana
Sherry R Arnstein Minority Scholarship
Student Osteopathic Medicine Association Scholarship programs
Sun Coast Osteopathic Foundation
Tylenol Future Care Scholarship

Student Organizations

Alpha Delta Gamma National Fraternity (ADG)
Animal Care and Education Club
Asian Student Association
Be the Match on Campus
Best Buddies
Business Club
Campus Activities Board (CAB)
Catholic Relief Services Ambassadors (CRS)
Circle K
College Mentors for Kids
Crafting Club
Custodians of Beauty
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
Fiat- Women’s Discernment Community
Freshman Class
Honors Academy of Marian University
International Club
Japan and Anime Culture Club
Kappa Delta Pi
Knights for Life
Letters Between Bars
Marian Alliance
Marian Maniacs
College Republicans
National Association for Music Education Chapter
Prayer Reaches Every Single Situation
Pre-Student Osteopathic Medical Association
Psychology Club
Sigma Zeta
Sophia Club
Sophomore Class
Student Government Association of Marian University (SGA)
Student Nurses Association
Student Organization of Latinos (SOL)
The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)
Theta Phi Alpha
Turning Point USA at Marian University Chapter
Union for Black Identity (UBI)

Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine Facilities

FITNESS CENTER

The fitness center is located in the lower level wing of the Physical Education Center. It features more than 9,000 square feet stocked with equipment including power racks, power plates, hand weights, treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, spin bikes, and stair climbers. All cardio equipment has a monitor that connects to Netflix, Hulu, and other popular apps.

Timing

Monday through Friday: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday: Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday: Noon to 10 p.m.

MEDICAL LIBRARY

MU-COM uses an online medical library, providing access to over 1,000 biomedical journals, hundreds of e-books and many specialty databases. There is also a medical librarian to provide guidance to our students, faculty, and staff. Although there is no physical medical library located on campus, the university is home to the Mother Theresa Hackelmeier Memorial Library offering a number of hard copy journals and biomedical publications.

How to get successful in a Medical School?

Resistance is an evil thing that encourages us to procrastinate and stops us from doing our work. Different studies show that our brain is not good at multi-tasking because it is designed to work on tasks serially, not in parallel. Moreover, there are so many distractions these days that we’ve trained our brain to not be able to focus properly. But one needs to overcome these distractions to get successful in a medical school because medical school demands hard work consisting of sleepless nights and a lot of hardships. If getting into a medical school was easy, everyone would have been in a medical school today. Yes, getting into a medical school is difficult but surviving in a medical school requires a lot of hard work. So how you focus on your education when there are so many other equally important tasks that demand your attention? Here are a few tips that’ll help you succeed in a medical school if you’ll follow them.

Pick a few topics the night before:

At the end of every day, ask yourself a question before going to sleep, “If I could only get a few topics done tomorrow, what would it be?” Now, make sure that you focus on those particular topics that you have in your mind in the morning and complete that task. Make sure to complete that ask and take help from someone if you don’t understand anything. In this way, you won’t leave everything on the last day. However, you’ll have a hard time to keep up with your school if you keep your focus on only a few topics every day, but the idea behind this is to:

- Just get started on something.
- Build momentum so that you do something every day instead of doing nothing.

Make a Weekly Plan:

If you develop this habit, it will not only help you get organized but also calm your anxious brain. At the start of every week i.e. Monday, take at least 30-40 minutes to map out what your week is going to look like in a diary and then at the end of every day, quickly plan out the tasks you have to do the next day. The main perk of making a weekly plan is that if you’ll have everything you need to do on time, it will help you focus on the assignments that’ll be in front of you. You won’t be worrying about the other stuff you have to do because you would have allocated a specific time for that task.

Defend your Rest:

Let’s get one thing straight, that sleeping for at least 8 hours every night or taking time off for yourself is not considered as laziness. In fact, by giving yourself time to relax and freshen up your mind, you’re doing good to yourself. So if you find yourself scrolling on Facebook and watching a video when you’re supposed to work on an assignment, don’t beat yourself up over that. Push away all the books, take a deep breath, and build the courage to close all the books, call it a day, and TRY AGAIN TOMORROW.

Help everyone and pick your friends wisely:

This step is very important and should be kept in mind from day one. Be very careful and very picky about people. No, it doesn’t mean that don’t talk to anyone but choose your friends wisely. Help every person who asks for help from you and avoid getting into any conflict with anyone. If you end up getting into one, try to resolve that as soon as possible, so that you don’t get distracted from your studies because of that. Carefully observe the people around you and make friends very carefully because friends can help you spend the rest of your time in college nicely or they can ruin it. Making more allies than enemies is a good option, help people a lot because they’ll help you out too when you’ll need it. Try to be a little sharp-minded and keep yourself from getting exploited. Help out others because this way, you can make more allies than enemies and they could end up helping you in your time of need.

Najeeb’s Lectures:

Surviving in a medical school and keeping with your schoolwork every day will be very difficult for you at the start. You might think of finding online resources available for you but perhaps you don’t have the experience of studying online at all. However, taking online classes instead of face-to-face classes has its advantages and perks as it gives you more flexibility and you can fit your study schedule according to your routine. If you’re studying online, you don’t have to log in to a class at a specific time and interact with your classmates and teacher at your own pace. Are you searching for an online platform that is a solution to all your problems and provides all the study materials in one place? If yes, Dr. Najeeb Lectures are at your disposal. These lectures accommodate students with different learning styles, by addressing a diverse set of students with different capabilities. Thus, these lectures are understood widely by every student all over the world, and they’re likely to be your best option. These topics cover a wide canvas encompassing Neuro-anatomy, Embryology, Histology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology. These lectures cover almost all the topics currently in the medical curriculum of almost all the medical institutes. Thus, with so many strong aspects of these lectures, these lectures should be your go-to, making your life easy without any constraints and barriers therein. In the end, all we can do is that we can struggle against resistance to complete the most important task of the day. When we do this, we put on more tick on our side to beat resistance. However, as we build resistance, every day becomes easier and easier! The goal of these tricks was to help you organize your life when you get into a medical school so that you can beat resistance day after day. When you’ll start to string together your days of productive work, this is when you’ll see the magic happening. Good Luck! For more information, please visit the official website of the university.