One of those mechanisms is the MCAT examination. However, the colleges of osteopathic medicine have not sought out those students who only have the best test score, nor does a lower MCAT score mean that it is easier to get into a college of osteopathic medicine. Prospective osteopathic medical students must exhibit a genuine concern for people and test scores do not provide evidence that that person will make a caring, competent osteopathic physician. Further, the rankings of the schools by U.S. World and News Report is strongly biased in favor of older, established schools. Neither of these rankings address the quality of the graduate.
Reputation is largely a result of the age of the institution.
Harvard Medical School, at the top of the list, was established in 1782. Wake Forest, at the bottom of the top 50 list, was established in 1902. This places osteopathic schools at a distinct disadvantage since three-quarters of osteopathic schools are less than 30 years old. Fourteen of our19 osteopathic schools were started after 1970. In fact, except for Mayo Medical School, none of the 13 allopathic medical schools established in the 1970s were on the list of the top fifty schools.