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Phoenix, AZ, USEst. 2023

Valley COM (DO) Medical School - 2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

The Valley College of Osteopathic Medicine (Valley COM), located in Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the newest osteopathic medical schools in the United States, holding COCA pre-accreditation status with its inaugural class scheduled to begin in July 2026 (an inaugural class of approximately 90 students). Established to address Arizona's persistent physician shortage and serve the diverse population of the Phoenix metropolitan area, Valley COM trains DO physicians with an emphasis on community health, health equity, and service to underserved populations across the Southwest. The Phoenix setting provides access to highly diverse patient populations and a growing healthcare ecosystem.

Entry Requirements

What you need to apply to Valley COM (DO).

Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. AACOMAS application. Commitment to underserved and diverse community health valued. DO shadowing expected. CASPer requirement status should be confirmed with admissions.
MCAT median
503 (range 498–508)
GPA median
3.48 overall / 3.42 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
10.0%
Class size
90
In-state preference
None
CASPer
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
Health equity, diverse community service, DO shadowing, underserved medicine commitment.
Notes
Pre-accreditation programme; inaugural class begins July 2026 and no matriculant statistics are published yet. MCAT/GPA/acceptanceRate are projections from comparable new DO programmes, not reported data. Sourced to thevalleycom.org (valleycom.edu does not resolve).
Specialities offered
Primary Care, Community Health, Family Medicine, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Hispanic and Latino Health

Interview Format

How Valley COM (DO) interviews applicants.

Format
Traditional interview with faculty
Interview window
October–March
Decision date
Rolling admissions
Post-interview chances
Approximately 35–50% post-interview (estimated; new programme).

What to expect at a Valley COM (DO) interview

Valley COM, as one of the newest osteopathic medical schools in the country, conducts traditional faculty interviews exploring motivation for DO medicine, commitment to Arizona's diverse and underserved communities, and readiness for a newer programme. Interviewers assess osteopathic philosophy, interpersonal communication, and understanding of Phoenix's unique population health context including large Hispanic/Latino, Native American, and agricultural worker communities. Interview format details should be confirmed directly with admissions as the programme is newly established.

What makes Valley COM (DO) different

AACOMAS application. Valley COM is the newest DO programme in Arizona, focused on Phoenix's large, diverse population including the largest Hispanic/Latino metropolitan population in the US outside of California and Texas. Proximity to tribal nations and the Indian Health Service provides unique clinical training opportunities.

Tutor insight

Valley COM is mission-driven toward health equity and diverse community service. Research Phoenix's population health: Hispanic/Latino health disparities, Native American health, heat-related illness, and Arizona's agricultural worker communities. Being a newer programme means less historical match data, but also means you can help shape the school's culture. Apply early given a small class.
Prometheus
595 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to Valley COM (DO)

Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for Valley COM (DO)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.

HardMMI · PanelQ1

US Healthcare Ethics: Dobbs Decision and Physician Obligations

Following the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, abortion is now regulated at the state level. Some states have enacted near-total bans with limited medical exceptions; others have codified broad access. You are a medical student on OB-GYN rotation in a state with a near-total ban. Your attending physician identifies a 14-week pregnancy with a confirmed lethal fetal anomaly. The patient wants to terminate. The attending says the law's exception requires documentation of 'medical necessity' reviewed by a hospital committee, which may take two weeks. How do you think about your obligations in this situation?

Likely follow-up · What are the professional medical organisations' positions on physician obligations when law and clinical best practice conflict?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
MediumPanelQ2

Service Orientation: Narrative Medicine and Patient Story-Listening

During your pre-medical years you participated in a narrative medicine programme at a hospice, where your primary role was to sit with dying patients and listen to their life stories — not provide any clinical care. You have been asked how this experience contributed to your readiness for medical school. How do you answer?

Likely follow-up · What is narrative medicine, and how does the Columbia University programme define its role in medical education?

3 expert tips in Prometheus

Ready to practise Valley COM (DO)?

Book a school-specific mock interview with Valley COM (DO) preselected.

Book a Valley COM (DO) mock

Valley COM (DO) - Frequently asked questions

Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. AACOMAS application. Commitment to underserved and diverse community health valued. DO shadowing expected. CASPer requirement status should be confirmed with admissions.

Traditional interview with faculty. Valley COM, as one of the newest osteopathic medical schools in the country, conducts traditional faculty interviews exploring motivation for DO medicine, commitment to Arizona's diverse and underserved communities, and readiness for a newer programme. Interviewers assess osteopathic philosophy, interpersonal communication, and understanding of Phoenix's unique population health context including large Hispanic/Latino, Native American, and agricultural worker communities. Interview format details should be confirmed directly with admissions as the programme is newly established.

Valley COM (DO) typically interviews in October–March.

Decisions are released Rolling admissions.

AACOMAS application. Valley COM is the newest DO programme in Arizona, focused on Phoenix's large, diverse population including the largest Hispanic/Latino metropolitan population in the US outside of California and Texas. Proximity to tribal nations and the Indian Health Service provides unique clinical training opportunities.
Reviewed by Isaac Butler-King, medical student at the University of Glasgow. Last reviewed: 6 June 2026 · NextGen MedPrep editorial team
Valley COM (DO) | MCAT median 503, GPA & DO Interview Format | NGMP