St. Bonaventure University has added another dual-degree program to its suite of Franciscan Health Care Professions programs.

SBU has developed two pathways for students to earn a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree with the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine:

• A 3+4 pathway for students to spend three years at St. Bonaventure before moving on to NYIT with reserved seats. Students will complete their SBU degree at NYIT and finish their doctorate in four years. Students will need to major in biology while at SBU.
• An Early Admissions Program that allows students after their sophomore year at SBU to declare their interest in applying to NYIT-COM and gain entry to the admissions process with early interviews and review. Interested students then apply to NYIT-COM at the end of their junior year. Students must have at least a cumulative 3.5 GPA to apply.

“This new partnership brings SBU into collaboration with a highly respected and well known medical school and we’re thrilled to be able to provide pathways for our students who plan on going on to NYIT,” said Dr. David Hilmey, dean of SBU’s School of Arts & Sciences.

“St. Bonaventure has a strong track record of producing pre-med students who are academically qualified with strong social and emotionally maturity and become successful physicians,” Hilmey added. “Our overlapping missions and approaches to education will make for smooth transitions for our students, and our biology program is ideal for preparing them for the rigors of med school.”

Students admitted to the 3+4 program pathway must satisfy the following minimum qualifications to enroll at St. Bonaventure:

• A combined SAT score of at least 1310 (or ACT composite score of at least 28).
• A high school grade point average of at least 90%.

To be considered for admission to NYIT-COM’s doctor of osteopathic medicine program, a 3+4 student must:

• Earn an overall science grade point average of 3.5 each semester with a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
• Declare their intention to apply for admission at NYIT-COM by the end of their second year.
• Obtain an MCAT score (on the MCAT taken between August and January of the third undergraduate year) at least equal to the mean MCAT score of the applicable NYIT-COM campus first-year class of the year the student began undergraduate study.
• Complete a minimum of 8 hours of biology (course/lab), 8 hours each of inorganic and organic chemistry (course/lab), 8 hours of physics (course/lab), and 6 hours of English, with no grade below C in any of these courses or labs. Students are encouraged to enroll in additional courses such as calculus, anatomy, genetics, physical chemistry, biochemistry, behavioral sciences and neurosciences.
• Obtain a favorable recommendation by SBU’s FHCP Committee.
• Pass a personal interview conducted by NYIT-COM faculty.

For the Early Admissions Program, high school scores are not considered but students must maintain a cumulative 3.5 GPA while at SBU to be eligible to apply to NYIT-COM. All other requirements of the 3+4 students must also be attained by Early Admissions Program candidates.

Enrollment in either pathway is not a guarantee of admission to the D.O. program.

The New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYIT-COM) is a private, nonprofit medical school for osteopathic medicine located on two campuses: Old Westbury on Long Island and Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Founded in 1977, NYIT-COM is an academic division of the New York Institute of Technology.  Formerly known as the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, it is one of the largest medical schools in the United States.

For more information, contact Monica S. Thomas, Ph.D., faculty director of the Franciscan Health Care Professions program, at mthomas@sbu.edu.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. In 2020, St. Bonaventure was named the #2 regional university value in New York and #3 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.