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US Medicine · 2027 Entry

WesternU Heatherington COM

2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences (formerly COMP-Northwest) is a US DO program in Lebanon, OR that takes 2027-entry applications through AACOMAS. Its published class profile lists a median MCAT of 505 (range 499–511), a median GPA of 3.56, a 4.0% acceptance rate and a class of 112. The school holds multiple mini interviews (MMI): September 2026–February 2027.

Location
Lebanon, OR, United States
Established
2011
Interviews (2027 entry)
September 2026–February 2027
Decisions (2027 entry)
Rolling admissions
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WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) — Western University in Lebanon

Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0 · cropped

Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0 · Photo: 46percent · Public domain · Photo: Rytyho usa · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Full guide

How to get into WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) medicine

Step-by-step: entry requirements, MCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.

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Interview guide

Prepare for the WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) interview

Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.

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Overview

About WesternU Heatherington COM (DO)

Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific - Northwest (COMP-Northwest) sits in Lebanon, Oregon. It is the Northwest branch campus of WesternU's College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, one of the largest osteopathic health sciences universities in the country. It was established in 2011.

COM-NW trains DO physicians with an emphasis on rural Pacific Northwest medicine, interprofessional education, and primary care. Lebanon sits in the mid-Willamette Valley, which gives students access to Oregon's diverse rural, agricultural, and coastal communities.

What makes WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) different

AACOMAS application with CASPer is not required. WesternU COM-NW is one of only two osteopathic medical schools in Oregon and offers unique access to the Pacific Northwest's rural, coastal, and agricultural health settings. WesternU's broader health sciences system provides interprofessional training opportunities across pharmacy, PA, optometry, and veterinary medicine.

WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) course & teaching

Integrated curriculum. 4-year DO curriculum with OMM integrated throughout. Pre-clinical years in Lebanon; clinical rotations across Oregon, Washington, and affiliated Pacific Northwest sites including rural hospitals, FQHCs, tribal health facilities, and agricultural community clinics.

WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) research strengths

WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) is strong in these research areas:

  • Rural Pacific Northwest health
  • Agricultural and environmental medicine
  • Primary care workforce
  • Osteopathic manipulative medicine
  • Interprofessional education

How the WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) interview runs

Format: Online only (Zoom): a 30-minute panel interview with two or three interviewers plus two MMIs

WesternU COM-NW interviews online only, over Zoom, in a session of about four hours: a traditional 30-minute panel interview with two or three interviewers, plus two multiple mini interviews (MMIs) and a student Q&A. Interviewers explore motivation for osteopathic medicine, commitment to Pacific Northwest rural healthcare, and interprofessional values consistent with WesternU's health sciences culture.

Lebanon, the campus town, is a small agricultural city in the Willamette Valley, and interviewers probe readiness for a rural Oregon clinical training environment. Casper is not currently required — verify on the official admissions page each cycle.

WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) intake

Approximately 100–125 students per year.

Where WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) is

Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences (formerly COMP-Northwest) was founded in 2011 and is based in Lebanon, OR.

Programmes offered:

  • Primary Care
  • Rural Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
  • Agricultural and Environmental Health
Practise

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Entry requirements

What you need to apply to WesternU Heatherington COM (DO)

WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) at a glance

Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences (formerly COMP-Northwest) Medicine — 2027 entry at a glance
MCAT / GPA (medians)505 · 3.56 (MCAT range 499–511)
Acceptance rate4.0%
Class size112
In-state preferenceNo stated in-state preference
Interview formatMultiple mini interviews (MMI)
IntakeApproximately 100–125 students per year
Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences (formerly COMP-Northwest) Medicine admissions profile — 2027 entry
Admission overviewBachelor's degree and MCAT required. AACOMAS application. CASPer is not required. Interest in rural Pacific Northwest healthcare valued. DO shadowing expected. Interprofessional experience noted favorably.
MCAT median505 (range 499–511)
GPA median3.56 overall / 3.49 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate4.0%
Class size112
In-state preferenceNone
CASPerNot required
Holistic review emphasisPacific Northwest rural health commitment, DO shadowing, interprofessional experience, primary care orientation.
NotesEstimates from publicly available WesternU COM-NW and AACOMAS data; verify current cycle. Interview format checked 2026-10-07 against https://www.westernu.edu/osteopathic/programs/doctor-of-osteopathic-medicine/interview-or/.
Specialities offeredPrimary Care, Rural Medicine, Family Medicine, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Agricultural and Environmental Health

MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures are taken from Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences (formerly COMP-Northwest)'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 WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) expects? Build a week-by-week plan from your test date — free for the first two weeks.

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Interview

How WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) interviews applicants

Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences (formerly COMP-Northwest) Medicine interview — 2027 entry
FormatOnline only (Zoom): a 30-minute panel interview with two or three interviewers plus two MMIs
Interview window (2027 entry)September 2026–February 2027
Decision date (2027 entry)Rolling admissions
Post-interview chancesApproximately 25–35% post-interview (estimated).
Tutor insight
WesternU COM-NW interviewers value Pacific Northwest rural medicine commitment and interprofessional awareness. Research Oregon's specific health challenges: agricultural worker health, rural access gaps, Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid expansion), and coastal and tribal health. CASPer is not required, so focus your preparation on the interview itself. The Lebanon campus is rural — show you are genuinely comfortable with small-town Oregon, not just tolerating it.
Practice

Practise for your WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to WesternU Heatherington COM (DO)

Two questions from our US bank that match WesternU Heatherington COM (DO)’s MMI format. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.

HardMMIQ1

Discharging an Unhoused Patient With a Foot Ulcer

You are on a hospital internal medicine rotation. A 52-year-old man with poorly controlled diabetes, peripheral artery disease, and a recent foot ulcer is medically stable and ready for discharge. His case manager informs you that he is currently unhoused and will return to a shelter. The attending wants to discharge him today because his acute issue has resolved.

You have concerns about whether discharge is safe given his living situation. How do you advocate for this patient, and how do you balance that advocacy with the reality of hospital capacity pressures?

Likely follow-up · What specific discharge risks does housing instability create for a patient with a diabetic foot ulcer?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
HardMMIQ2

Uninsured Patient in the Coverage Gap

A 42-year-old uninsured construction worker presents to a community health clinic with poorly controlled hypertension and early-stage chronic kidney disease. He lives in a state that has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, earns too little to qualify for marketplace subsidies and too much for his state's existing Medicaid program, placing him squarely in the coverage gap.

He cannot afford the nephrology referral or the blood-pressure medications you have recommended. As his physician, how do you approach his immediate care, and how do you think about the systemic forces that created his situation?

Likely follow-up · What resources — local, state, or federal — might exist to help a patient in the coverage gap access medications and specialist care?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
Open Prometheus for WesternU Heatherington COM (DO)Free medicine interview question bank for WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) applicants →
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MCAT Strategy

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Interview preparation

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Sources

Where WesternU Heatherington COM (DO)'s figures come from

Compiled from Heatherington College of Osteopathic Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences (formerly COMP-Northwest)'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.

WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) — official course page →Entry requirements, interview format and deadlines published by the school itself. The primary source for everything on this page.
FAQ

WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) — frequently asked questions

WesternU Heatherington COM (DO) matriculants have a median MCAT of 505. The middle range of matriculants is 499–511. US schools publish medians rather than cut-offs, and committees review holistically — the MCAT is weighed alongside GPA, clinical and research experience, letters of recommendation and secondary essays.

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