FDU partners with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) to offer an eight-year program (or 4 plus 4 years): BS Biochemistry or Biology from the FDU Olsen College of Engineering and Science, and DO Osteopathic Medicine from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

This combined degree program provides qualified students the opportunity to complete a baccalaureate degree and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree in eight years.

The bachelor’s degree (BS in Biochemistry) is awarded by Fairleigh Dickinson University and the doctoral degree (DO) by Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). Through these Early Acceptance Programs, Fairleigh Dickinson University undergraduate students are enrolled jointly by FDU and by LECOM. Once recommended by FDU, LECOM will interview the students prior to their enrollment at Fairleigh Dickinson University or within the first two years of being properly enrolled in the program. Students must schedule the interview via the LECOM Portal (generally by April 1 of the year of FDU matriculation).

Students interviewing successfully will be offered a provisional acceptance to LECOM’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program. To receive the official Provisional Letter of Acceptance, students must request the Letter by e-mailing LECOM from their FDU e-mail address within 12 months of their interview date.

The 4 Plus 4 track is composed of two phases. Phase I consists of four years of undergraduate education at Fairleigh Dickinson University and completion of the B.S. in Biochemistry or Biology degree. Phase II consists of four years of medical school education at LECOM and its associated clinical training sites.

Each academic year, a combined total of maximum five students will be accepted by LECOM into Phase II of the Early Acceptance Program from each campus of FDU. Provisionally accepted students may not apply to any other medical school. Application to another medical school will result in the loss of the student’s provisional acceptance.

Application Process

  1. Students must submit two different applications: an application to Fairleigh Dickinson University and an application to LECOM Early Acceptance Program.
  2. Students will first fill out an inquiry to the LECOM Early Acceptance Program via the LECOM portal. After completing this inquiry students will be contacted by LECOM with a username and password to complete an application.
  3. If the student meets the admission requirements, LECOM will offer the student a list of Early Acceptance Program interview dates to self-schedule an interview.
  4. Following a successful interview, LECOM will notify the student via email that they have been pre-approved for a provisional letter of acceptance to LECOM. A copy of this pre-approval confirmation email must be submitted to myapp@fdu.edu.
  5. The Fairleigh Dickinson University application will be reviewed upon receipt of the LECOM pre-approval confirmation email.

Admission Requirements

All applicants for admission to the combined degree program must satisfy secondary school preparation in English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The high school GPA and rank in class, along with letters of recommendation from high school teachers, will be of primary importance in evaluating applicants’ credentials. High school seniors meeting the following minimum criteria may apply for admission to the combined degree program:

Medical 4 Plus 4 Admission Criteria, Phase I

  • High school unweighted GPA: 3.5
  • Academic Index Score: 117

Full-time students currently enrolled at FDU who seek admission to the combined degree programs must apply to the Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Physics on the Metropolitan or Florham Campuses by February 1 of their sophomore year for the 4 Plus 4 program.

Admission to Phase II

While enrolled in Phase I at FDU, students are required to follow a curriculum in Biology or Biochemistry for the 4+4 track. Completion of all FDU curriculum requirements, including general education requirements, degree program requirements for the major, and all prerequisite courses, is required prior to beginning Phase II at LECOM. Students must complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better, and must achieve the minimum cumulative overall grade point average (GPA) and cumulative science GPA as indicated below. Qualified students enrolled in the combined degree programs must meet the following criteria as part of the application process for Phase II:

Medical 4 Plus 4 Admission Criteria, Phase II

  • Cumulative Overall GPA: 3.4
  • Cumulative Science GPA: 3.2
  • Academic Index Score: 115
  • MCAT: Students matriculating to LECOM will be exempt from the MCAT requirement provided that the minimum Academic Index Score requirement has been met and that the student has earned a grade of C or better in Biochemistry and Genetics.

Additional admission requirements include:

  • Timely submission of a completed AACOMAS application, secondary LECOM application, letters of recommendation (including one letter from an osteopathic physician), and MCAT score (if applicable);
  • Advanced Placement (AP) credits may not be used to satisfy any of the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Calculus course requirements. LECOM will only accept AP credits for the English and Behavioral Science courses and only if the student scores a four (4) or five (5) on the AP exam. A replacement course of equal or greater credit hours applicable to the field of medicine or a course of similar academic rigor, if approved by the Phase I advisor, must be taken at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
  • No reduced course load will be accepted. No summer courses will be accepted, except in the case of scheduling conflicts;

Premedical Curricula

Students enrolled in the 4 Plus 4 years Early Acceptance Program will follow the curricula for the BS in Biology or BS in Biochemistry.

Degree Plan

NOTE: All students are required to complete the General Education Requirements in fulfillment of their bachelor’s degree requirements.

  • Students are required to take SPCH 1155 Public Speaking or COMM 2099 Professional Communications.
  • Florham students are required to take PHIL1440 Bio-Medical Ethics while Metro students are required to take BIOL4405 Ethics in Science as part of their general education requirements.
  • During semesters 4 and 5 the Florham students will take Molecular Cell Biology before Genetics and during semesters 3 and 4 Metro students will take Genetics before Molecular Cell Biology] 
  • Students take MATH 2202 Calculus II or Florham campus students take Applied Statistics (MATH 1133) and Metropolitan campus students take Experimental Design (BIOL 2300)
  • Students take University Physics I and II as cognate requirements.
  • Students take CHEM 4233 Instrumental Analysis to satisfy their Information and Technological Literacy general education requirement.
  • Accelerated and combined degree programs for pharmacy may have different degree requirements.  Please see those webpages for more details.

Semesters 1 and 2

Semester 3 and 4

Semesters 5 and 6 or 7 and 8

Semesters 7 and 8 or 5 and 6

  • CHEM2221 / CHEM2223 Analytical Chemistry Lecture / Laboratory (Metro)
  • CHEM4401 or BIOL4950 Seminar
  • Major Elective II: See recommended courses for Science Electives below
  • Major Elective III: See recommended courses for Science Electives below

Cognate Requirements

Semesters 1 and 2

Semesters 3 and 4

Ethical Reasoning General Education Requirement

Information and Technological Literacy General Education Requirement

Major Requirements

Free Electives

May be chosen from any courses offered at the University after consultation with an advisor. Students may not take for free electives any course that is listed above as a requirement for the major.

Science Electives

Any upper-level undergraduate or graduate science course or Independent Study.

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation. Students must also take 220 hours of chemistry laboratory and 350 hours of laboratory in total above the introductory laboratory experiences to graduate.

Recommended Courses for Major Elective: