2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine is a US DO program in Conroe, TX that takes 2027-entry applications through AACOMAS. Its published class profile lists a median MCAT of 506 (range 498–510), a median GPA of 3.75, a 9.0% acceptance rate and a class of 162. The school holds a traditional interview: September 2026–February 2027.
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Step-by-step: entry requirements, MCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.
Open the guide →Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.
Read the guide →Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU COM) is Texas's public DO medical school. It sits in Conroe, in the Piney Woods region of East Texas, while its parent university is in Huntsville. It opened in 2020 as part of a Texas push to address physician shortages in rural and underserved areas.
It is the first medical school at SHSU, and it uses the Texas-specific TMDSAS application system. Its mission is to train physicians who will serve East Texas and rural Texas communities, which face serious primary care shortages.
TMDSAS application (not AACOMAS) — Texas public schools use TMDSAS, making SHSU COM administratively distinct from most DO programs. Approximately 90% of seats are reserved for Texas residents, making this one of the most in-state-focused DO schools in the country.
SHSU COM is one of the newest DO schools in the US (opened 2020), with a developing clinical infrastructure and a strong East Texas community health mission; its entering class is now approximately 160 students.
Integrated curriculum. 4-year DO curriculum with OMM integrated throughout. As a newer Texas public school, SHSU COM is developing its clinical affiliate network in East Texas. Years 1–2 at the Conroe campus; Years 3–4 rotations at hospitals and community health centers across the East Texas Piney Woods region and broader Texas.
The rural East Texas clinical environment is central to the training experience.
SHSU COM (DO) is strong in these research areas:
Format: Traditional faculty and student interview
SHSU COM's Interview Day includes two face-to-face interviews and a written assessment, held in person or virtually. As a Texas public DO school using TMDSAS, interview questions cover osteopathic philosophy, DO shadowing, commitment to East Texas and underserved rural communities, and the applicant's understanding of Texas's unique healthcare challenges.
Strong in-state preference means interviews are predominantly with Texas residents, and interviewers probe commitment to rural and underserved Texas communities.
Approximately 160–165 students per year.
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine was founded in 2020 and is based in Conroe, TX.
Programmes offered:
These are real recordings of the interviewers you would meet, from a panel of 21 photoreal faces. Speak your answers out loud, get pressed with follow-ups, and receive rubric-scored feedback about two minutes after you finish, with a replay of your answers.
Try the AI interviewer| MCAT / GPA (medians) | 506 · 3.75 (MCAT range 498–510) |
|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 9.0% |
| Class size | 162 |
| In-state matriculants | 90% |
| Interview format | Traditional interview |
| Intake | Approximately 160–165 students per year |
| Admission overview | Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Texas public DO school — applications via TMDSAS (Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service), not AACOMAS. Very strong in-state preference; approximately 90% of seats filled by Texas residents. Healthcare shadowing with a DO physician strongly recommended. Commitment to rural or underserved East Texas communities highly valued. |
|---|---|
| MCAT median | 506 (range 498–510) |
| GPA median | 3.75 overall / 3.45 science (BCPM) |
| Acceptance rate | 9.0% |
| Class size | 162 |
| In-state preference | Strong — primarily in-state |
| In-state matriculants | 90% |
| CASPer | Required |
| Holistic review emphasis | Osteopathic philosophy, rural East Texas commitment, DO shadowing, Texas residency. |
| Notes | Texas public DO school using TMDSAS. Estimates from publicly available SHSU COM data; newer school — verify current cycle figures carefully. |
| Specialities offered | Rural Medicine, Primary Care, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Family Medicine, East Texas Community Health |
MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures are taken from Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine's published admissions data. Class profiles are republished each year — confirm which entering class these numbers describe before you rely on them.
Working towards the MCAT score SHSU COM (DO) expects? Build a week-by-week plan from your test date — free for the first two weeks.
| Format | Traditional faculty and student interview |
|---|---|
| Interview window (2027 entry) | September 2026–February 2027 |
| Decision date (2027 entry) | Rolling admissions |
| Post-interview chances | Approximately 35–50% post-interview for Texas residents (estimated). |
TMDSAS submission is mandatory for Texas public DO schools — out-of-state applicants are very rarely accepted and should not prioritize this school unless they have Texas residency. For Texas residents, the TMDSAS personal statement (which differs from AACOMAS format) requires specific attention. Research East Texas healthcare: the Piney Woods rural community, the I-45 corridor, and the distinct health challenges of East Texas's aging and rural population. Demonstrating prior East Texas or rural Texas healthcare engagement is a strong differentiator.
Two questions from our US bank that match SHSU COM (DO)’s panel format. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
Large parts of rural America are designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, and the US faces a projected shortage of primary care physicians. Why is it so hard to recruit and retain physicians in rural and underserved communities, and what could realistically change that?
Likely follow-up · How do programs like the National Health Service Corps or J-1 visa waivers attempt to address this, and what are their limitations?
Some pre-medical students treat the MCAT's Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section as an add-on with little clinical relevance. How do you view the integration of behavioral and social science into medical education, and what has preparing for that section shown you about health and illness beyond the biomedical model?
Likely follow-up · Can you give a clinical example where social or psychological factors would change the management of a disease with a clear biomedical explanation?
We've helped students into SHSU COM (DO) and other US medicine schools — get tailored support for each stage of the application.
Build an MCAT prep plan that hits the median score profile for SHSU COM (DO).
Learn morePractise the Traditional interview format with students who interviewed at SHSU COM (DO).
Learn moreGet your personal statement reviewed by successful applicants.
Learn moreCompiled from Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine's published admissions material and checked for internal consistency. Not independently re-checked against the school's own website for 2027 entry — confirm the figures with the school before you rely on them.
We've helped students turn their MCAT, personal statement and interview prep into offers from SHSU COM (DO) and other US medicine schools.
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