D.O. Program Outcomes

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Graduation Rates By Entering Year

Overall graduation rate is the number of students who begin medical school and then graduate at the end of six years. Although 87-95% of Des Moines University Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students graduate within four years, many factors can impact this. Factors may include illness or injury, academic failure, moving to a five-year program of study, suspension, withdrawal or dismissal.

DMU’s D.O. students have a high graduation rate compared to many schools across the country.

2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18
Matriculants
(Excludes transfer students)
220 218 219 220
Students Transferred Into Cohort 0 0 0 0
Graduated in Four Years 193
87.7%
194
89.0%
204
93.2%
192
87.3%
Graduated in Five Years 208
95.4%
213
97.3%
209
95.0%
Graduated in Six Years 214
97.7%
209
95.0%

Last Updated: June 2024

Retention Rates By Entering Year

2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21
Matriculants
(Excludes transfer students)
230 221 221 220
Students Withdrew or Dismissed For Any Reason 1 6 6 5
Students Transferred to New Medical School 1 2 0 0
Retention Rate 99.1% 96.4% 97.3% 97.7%

Last Updated: June 2024

Internship and Residency Match Rates

Finding graduate medical education after medical school is a top priority for our students at DMU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. Not every student decides to pursue a residency right away but for the majority that do, they will be well prepared for what lies ahead on their career path. Competition for GME is solid with the unified Match of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Osteopathic Association, but our goal at DMU is to equip students to be competitive applicants. DMU prides itself on a high placement rate percentage and in the 2022 and 2023 cycles, we had a 100% placement rate.

GME Placement Rates

  DMU Overall Military Match* ACGME
2020 97.1
(206/212)
2.8
(6/212)
94.3
(200/212)
2021 99.5
(203/204)
5.9
(12/204)
93.6
(191/204)
2022 100.0
(222/222)
3.2
(7/222)
96.8
(215/222)
2023 100.0
(201/201)
3.5
(7/201)
96.5
(194/201)
2024 100.0
(213/213)
3.3
(7/213)
96.7
(206/213)

*  Percentage of Class Matching Military

Last Updated: October 2024

For additional GME placement data, including placement by demographic category, contact Shelley Mitchell, student advancement and GME coordinator, at shelley.mitchell@dmu.edu or 515-271-1629.

Board Pass Rates by Graduation Year

DMU pass rates on COMLEX board exams consistently exceed the national average. In 2023, DMU osteopathic medicine students achieved the highest board exam pass rate in the nation.

Board exam results provide an important measure of knowledge for review as part of the graduate medical education (residency) application process. Three-year averages represent the most recent three years of data.

  COMLEX Pass Rate Percentage
Level 1 Level 3
2017 97.7
92.3 NA
96.3
93.2 NA
96.7
92.9 NA
98.4
95.4 NA
2018 95.7
92.7 NA
98.1
92.8 NA
94.6
93.2 NA
98.2
97.5 NA
2019 99.6
96.0 NA
99.1
95.6 NA
95.6
93.2 NA
98.5
97.0 NA
2020 95.8
93.0 NA
98.6
96.8 NA
96.2
92.1 NA
98.2
97.1 NA
2021 97.6
94.3 NA
99.0
96.5 NA
97.4
96.3 NA
2022 97.7
93.7 NA
97.3
95.1 NA
98.4*
NA unavailable
2023 98.6
92.8 NA
98.5
94.5 NA
2024 98.6
90.6 NA
96.7*
NA unavailable
2025 96.2*
93.1 NA
3-Year Avg.** 97.8
92.2 NA
97.5
NA unavailable
95.5
92.8 NA
98.0
NA unavailable

*   Pending final annual school reporting from NBOME
** COMLEX Level 1 (2023-25), COMLEX Level 2-CE (2022-24), COMLEX Level 2-PE (2018-20) and COMLEX Level 3 (2020-22)
“NA” = National Average

Last Updated: July 2024

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