SBU - Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Students accepted into this competitive program have a reserved seat waiting for them at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) upon graduation from St. Bonaventure University. Up to 10 students are accepted each year.

The student receives a provisional letter of acceptance to LECOM upon entering the program at SBU, and a seat is reserved in the medical school class that begins four years after. The acceptance is provisional only in the sense that program requirements must be maintained.

These requirements include both academic and comportment standards, as well as continued service work and clinical exposure. The MCAT test requirement is waived.

Applicants must submit a complete application to SBU. Applications that are complete by Dec. 10 receive priority. Required application materials that do not fit into online applications should be mailed to the Office of Admissions (see address at bottom of page). Transfer students are not eligible for this program.

A brief online LECOM application must be completed before the LECOM interview can be scheduled. Go there now.

Qualified applicants will be interviewed at SBU by invitation in January and February. A second interview is conducted at LECOM. Decisions on acceptance are made after the LECOM interview.

SBU students who qualify can enter this program up to Feb. 1 of their sophomore year at SBU. LECOM offers a choice of two campuses for medical school: Erie, Pa., and Bradenton, Fla.

Application Requirements

• 1240 (ERW+M) SAT or ACT composite 26.
• High school average of 90 or higher as calculated by the St. Bonaventure Admissions Office
• Community service is evaluated and taken into consideration
• At least two letters of recommendation, at least one of which should be from a science teacher.
• Two essays:
  • One essay (Personal Statement) that will be included with your Common App.
  • An additional essay titled “Applying to Medical School,” which details your interest in working in the profession of medicine and why you are interested in starting that process at SBU and then continuing at LECOM. 
• A resume that organizes all of your extracurricular activities in one place (church, clubs, sports, hobbies, volunteering, clinical exposure, employment, etc.).

Maintenance Standards of Phase I of the Program

• Must be a full-time student
• Minimum overall grade point average of 3.4 (A = 4.0)
• Minimum GPA of 3.2 or better in all science courses
• Grade of C or better in all courses
• Complete LECOM prerequisites
• Maintain character/comportment requirements
• LECOM restricts summer course work and taking courses away from SBU
• The MCAT test requirement is waived.