Michigan State University

College of Osteopathic Medicine

Onboarding Timeline & Checklist

Welcome to the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM)!

This guide outlines the steps you must complete before matriculation — the period between accepting your seat and beginning Orientation and classes. Your matriculation date is the first day of class, and it can be found on the Academic Calendar specific to your class year

 

 

 

October – April: Initial Steps

Accept Your Seat

Once you’ve been offered admission, secure your place in the class by submitting your deposit. This officially begins your onboarding process.

Become an MSU Student

After your deposit is processed, MSU will create your:

  • NetID (used to access MSU systems)
  • Spartan Mail (your official MSU email)
  • PID & PAN (personal identifiers used for university records)

This process may take time depending on your acceptance date. Once your NetID is active, you’ll gain access to the Student Information System (SIS) and your assigned onboarding. To locate your checklists, log in to SIS and navigate to: 

  • ​​Tasks tile → To Do Lists → Select the checklist titled OMED Prematriculation Checklist #1–4.

Complete SIS OMED Checklist #1 & #2

These checklists are automatically assigned based on your admission status and must be completed as soon as possible.

  • Checklist #1 includes administrative tasks such as:
    • Emergency contact updates
    • Local address
    • Medical supply ordering
    • Financial aid setup
    • Health insurance information
    • MSU student ID card request
  • Checklist #2 includes policy attestations:
    • You’ll review and agree to MSUCOM policies and procedures.
    • These attestations reflect the professional standards expected of osteopathic medical students.

Resolve Outstanding Admission Requirements

If you had any incomplete prerequisites or documentation during the admissions process, use this time to finalize and submit them – outstanding requirements information.  Unresolved items may result in a HOLD on your account, which must be cleared before enrollment can be processed.

Begin Health Compliance

  • Start collecting your vaccination history.

 

May: Enrollment Begins & Compliance Continues

Clear HOLDS

All HOLDS must be resolved before mid-May to allow enrollment. HOLDS may be placed due to:

  • Incomplete prerequisites
  • Unresolved billing statements
  • Missing documentation

Enrollment Processed

  • The COM Registrar Team will handle your enrollment for each semester.
  • Do not attempt to enroll or drop courses on your own.
  • Enrollment triggers your billing statement, which will be available in SIS under the Student Accounts tile.

Continue Health Compliance

  • Finish collecting your vaccination history and schedule any necessary antibody titer tests.
  • Some vaccines, such as Hepatitis B, require both a completed series and a positive surface antibody titer.
  • If your initial titer is negative, you’ll need a booster dose followed by a repeat titer (drawn at least 28 days later).
  • Delaying this process until Orientation may result in non-compliance and added stress during your first weeks of medical school.

 

May – June: Final Compliance Steps

Complete SIS OMED Checklist #3

This checklist includes:

  • Criminal background check
  • Urine drug screen

These screenings confirm your eligibility to matriculate and must be completed with final reports submitted during May and June.

Complete SIS OMED Checklist #4

This checklist walks you through each immunization and screening requirement.

It includes:

  • Detailed instructions for each vaccine and titer
  • Guidance on organizing and uploading documentation
  • Support from the COM Compliance Team, including live and recorded webinars

You’ll receive instructions closer to Orientation on how to register with the third-party immunization tracker used by MSUCOM.

Attend to Financial Aid & Billing

  • Accept your financial aid package in SIS
  • Review and resolve monthly billing statements to avoid late fees and enrollment HOLDS

Enrollment is required for medical liability insurance and participation in MSUCOM courses and rotations.
Compliance is ongoing and must be maintained throughout your time at MSUCOM.

 

Additional Resources

What Does “Compliance” Mean at MSUCOM?

All MSUCOM students are expected to remain in full compliance with university, college, and career-related requirements throughout their time in the program. This section provides a high-level overview of those expectations and serves as a companion to the SIS OMED Prematriculation Checklists, which will be assigned to you once your admission is officially processed.

Understanding these requirements early will help you prepare for your transition into medical school and reduce stress during onboarding. This information is especially useful for:

  • Admitted students preparing to access their SIS OMED Checklists
  • Waitlisted students who want to proactively gather documentation and begin compliance steps in advance

Being proactive can significantly streamline your onboarding process, especially if you're admitted later in the cycle.

 

Compliance Requirements Overview 

Compliance encompasses multiple areas that reflect your responsibilities as a healthcare professional student. These include:

  • Health & Medical Requirements
  • College Degree Requirements
  • University Requirements
  • Career Requirements

 

How to Stay on Track

Your SIS OMED Checklists will guide you through each compliance step. These checklists are designed to help you:

  • Understand each requirement
  • Organize and submit documentation
  • Track your progress toward full compliance

The COM Compliance Team will support you through:

  • Live and recorded webinars
  • Instructional materials
  • Step-by-step guidance for uploading documentation to the third-party compliance system, as needed

 

Additional Compliance Resources

 

Definitions & Guidance

  • Admission – is the process of a medical school selecting and accepting applicants to its program.  After you accept your seat in the class, it is also the term the University uses to describe the process of entering an applicant’s information into the University’s system, thus making them an official MSU student.  There are also several Admissions Offices that help students matriculate into the program.
    • COM Admissions – the College’s Admission Team which reviewed your applications, conducted interviews, final selections, and provide offers to students.
    • GRAD Admissions – the Graduate School at MSU has its own Admissions Team which helps facilitate COM student admission between COM Admissions and Central Admissions.
    • MSU/Central Admissions – this is the main Admissions Team for the entire University, they help to first make incoming students MSU students before they can be designated as COM students.
  • Booster – A booster dose refers to a single adult dose of a vaccine administered to enhance or restore protection.
  • Compliance Policy – MSUCOM’s policy that all students attest to following upon matriculating into the program. a Temp Compliance Policy doc to link for the AG – where to place it on the page?
  • Convocation – For incoming medical students, convocation is an official welcome that marks the beginning of their journey into the profession of medicine.  At MSUCOM this includes your White Coat Ceremony and recitation of the Osteopathic oath.
    • Osteopathic Oath – This is the oath that you will recite with your MSUCOM classmates during your Convocation & White Coat Ceremony.  This oath is your pledge to the profession and can also be found in the MSUCOM Student Professionalism Policy you attest to, or attested to, during matriculation.
    • White Coat Ceremony – This is a common and emotionally significant type of convocation for first-year medical students.  They are presented with their first white coat as a symbol of their entry into the medical community.
  • Matriculation – The formal process of being admitted to a degree-granting program, while enrollment is the process of registering to take specific courses. You must be matriculated to be enrolled in courses. Enrollment can be a temporary status, such as for non-degree courses, whereas matriculation implies a commitment to a full academic program.
  • MSU NetID – this is one of the unique identifiers that the University will utilize to identify you in various systems and applications.  Your NetID is the portion of your Spartan Mail address before the @msu.edu.
  • MSUCOM sites at 3 locations – Learn about our three sites here.
    • East Lansing (EL)
    • Detroit Medical Center (DMC)
    • Macomb University Center (MUC)
  • Onboarding – is a term often used in medical programs to describe the process of becoming a part of the community or system, medical students will onboard into their medical school program and then they will continue to onboard into different medical systems based on their chosen career path, e.g. hospital onboarding, practice onboarding, residency onboarding etc.
  • Orientation – a mandatory program for new students that serves as a multi-faceted introduction to the institution, the curriculum, and the medical profession itself.  It helps incoming students transition from their prior academic backgrounds into the demanding and culturally specific environment of medical education.  The process typically consists of three main components:  practical, social, and cultural.
  • PAN – this is a number that will be sent to you upon admission to assist you with activating your NetID and Spartan Mail. 
  • PID – this is a unique, 9-digit personal identification number that is assigned to a student upon entering the MSU University system.  Previous MSU students will maintain the same PID.
  • Rolling Admission – An application process where a college accepts applications in a large window until the class is full; MSUCOM’s window is October – June.
  • SIS OMED Checklists – these are the checklists that are assigned to students upon admission to the College.  The checklists should be completed as soon as possible upon being assigned to the student.  There are four separate checklists that are separated by topic and by the due date, items include:  Administrative Requirements, Agreements & Attestations, Compliance Requirements, and Health & Medical Requirements.
  • Spartan Mail – your Spartan Mail is your unique email address used by the College and University to send official communications.  All students should regularly check their Spartan Mail and take appropriate actions.  It is not recommended to forward your Spartan Mail to another service provider because some official messages may be missed – students who choose to forward their email to another service are expected to ensure they are receiving all messages, and any missed messages are not to be excused.
  • Student Information System (SIS) – this is system the University utilizes to maintain your official student academic record.  Students will use this system to update their personal information and verify their enrollment each semester.
  • TB Blood Test – An alternative to the skin test (e.g., QuantiFERON Gold), especially recommended for students who received the BCG vaccine, which may cause false positives in TB skin tests.  If TB blood testing is chosen, a single TB blood test is required upon matriculation, followed by annual single-step testing.
  • TB Skin Test (PPD) – A diagnostic test for tuberculosis where a small amount of purified protein derivative (PPD) is injected under the skin. The site is checked 48–72 hours later for a reaction.  If TB skin testing is chosen upon matriculation, a two-step test is required.
    • 1-Step TB Skin Test – A single administration of the TB skin test, followed by a reading within 48–72 hours. Used for annual screening after initial baseline is established.
    • 2-Step TB Skin Test – A two-part process used to establish a baseline. The first test is administered and read; if negative, a second test is given 7-21 days later and read. This helps detect a boosted immune response from past exposure.
    • BCG Vaccine – A vaccine for tuberculosis commonly administered outside the U.S. It may cause false positives in TB skin tests.
  • Titer – A blood test that measures the presence and quantity of antibodies.  – link to the toolkit
    • Must be a surface antibody titer to meet compliance requirements.
    • Interpretation Guidance – If your titer result is negative or equivocal, boosters are not required if you have documentation of a properly spaced vaccine series, except for Hepatitis B, which requires a positive surface antibody titer. You may consult your healthcare provider regarding boosters of other vaccine series to determine what is best for you based on your history and career goals.
  • Vaccination History – If you are unsure where to locate your records, contact your primary care provider, previous schools, or state immunization registry. – link to the toolkit
  • Vaccine – A biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease.