Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine

Request to Deferment

Eligibility for Deferral: Only students who have been admitted, received an official acceptance letter from RVU, and have fully deposited may request a deferral.  Deferral requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, reviewed by the appropriate dean or program director. Some cases may necessitate additional documentation require students to provide supporting documentation.

Deferral Request Procedure: Students who wish to request a deferral must submit a written request, via email, to the Program Admissions Leadership. The request must include the following:

• Student’s full name and contact information, including current phone number, address, and email.
• The reason for the deferral request, along with relevant supporting documentation (e.g., medical documentation, official military orders, etc.).
• Written commitment to the start date for the next enrolled class start date.
• All deferral requests will be reviewed by the Program Admissions Leadership; if eligibility is determined, requests may be presented to the appropriate Dean or Program Director for a final decision. A decision will be communicated to the student in writing within 30 days of the request submission.
• Requests may not be considered if received less than 30 days prior to the program’s start.
• Exceptions to requests may be approved by Program Deans or Directors.

Deferral Duration: Deferral may be granted for a maximum of one academic year, per program. If approved, the student’s enrollment will be automatically deferred to the approved start date. If deferral is granted for medical reasons, students may need to provide proof of medical clearance by a medical professional before the deferred start date.  Proof of medical clearance shall be determined by the Dean or Program Director.

Requirements to Confirm Deferral: 

• Already submitted the full deposit amount. The deposit, as specified on the student’s matriculation agreement, will be applied to tuition.
• Submit a $500 nonrefundable administrative fee.
• Complete all requirements as specified in the student’s matriculation agreement. Date sensitive materials should be completed in the spring prior to matriculation. (Students may be required to do another background check or drug screen prior to matriculating.  Additionally, students must finish all required health records and immunizations to comply.)
• Students will not have to submit another application or re-interview.

Applicants’ academic qualifications will be pre-screened by the RVU-MCOM Office of Admissions and interviews will be offered to competitive applicants. Applicant interviews will be conducted virtually, and an official campus visit day will be offered to accepted students. The virtual interviews will be approximately 30 minutes in length and conducted by a two-person panel of the RVU-MCOM team. Interviewers will have access to the applicant’s personal statement, supplemental application, and letters of recommendation. However, the interviewers will be blinded to the applicants’ grades and MCAT scores. All interviewers’ recommendations will be evaluated post-interview by the RVU-MCOM Admissions Committee with the final decision made by the Dean.

The Admissions Committee meets at least once a month to make a recommendation to the Dean relative to each applicant’s status.  The recommendation can be to offer an acceptance, to place the applicant on the alternate list, or to deny admission. The final decision will be made by the Dean.

All acceptance offers are provisional pending the successful completion of all conditions set forth in the matriculation agreement including:

• Completion of all prerequisite coursework and documentation that a minimum of a bachelor’s degree has been earned from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university.
• Payment of two non-refundable deposits totaling $2,000 on or prior to the date designated in the matriculation agreement. RVU follows the guidelines set forth by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) relative to deposit due dates. Deposits will be applied to tuition.
• Successful passage of a drug screen and background check. Both services are to be scheduled and managed through PreCheck and are to be completed by the dates specified on the matriculation agreement. An applicant who has a deficiency or abnormality discovered on either screening will be referred to a sub-committee for further investigation.
• Completion of required medical and immunization documents are to be scheduled and managed through SentryMD (the medical record division of PreCheck)  and to be completed by the dates specified on the matriculation agreement.
• Submission of a waiver demonstrating proof of medical insurance coverage or enrollment in the plan provided by the University.
• Submission of transcripts from all colleges and universities attended where a degree was earned. MCOM will accept transcripts submitted as part of the AACOMAS application. In the event of an earned degree isn’t posted prior to matriculation, a letter will be required from the university registrar confirming that the requirements for graduation have been met and indicating when the degree will be posted on the transcript. Official transcripts must be sent to RVU-MCOM as soon as the degree is posted.
• In the event of course work completed at foreign institutions, official detailed course by course evaluations completed by an approved agency must be submitted. Official evaluations must be included with the AACOMAS application and, in the case of a degree earned, the evaluation must reflect that the degree is equivalent to a degree earned at a regionally accredited US college or university.Please see website or AACOMAS site for a list of acceptable agencies. These agencies include:
  • World Education Services, Inc. 
    (212) 966-6311
  • AACRAO
    (202) 296-3359
  • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. 
    (414) 289-3400
  • Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. 
    (305) 273-1616
• Official evaluations must be included with the AACOMAS application and, in the case of a degree earned, the evaluation must reflect that the degree is equivalent to a degree earned at a regionally accredited US college or university.
• Any other requirements set forth in the matriculation agreement.

RVU-MCOM plans to matriculate a class of 120 students in 2024, and 160 every year after that.

As a new medical school, MCOM will not accept transfer requests at this time.