New medical schools updated October 2023
It is never too early in the application process to start exploring medical schools you might hope to attend. The issue of whether to consider a new medical school always arises. There is some thought that new medical schools might be the easiest medical schools to get into. However, just because new medical schools do not have published statistics, it does not mean admission is any easier -it is still important to consider your mission fit.
Some of the pros and cons of attending a new medical school include:
Pros of Attending a New Medical school:
A special legacy place in the school as an inaugural class
Opportunity to be in an innovative, modern environment and curriculum
You will stand out to residency programs
Opportunity to provide feedback and inform curricular changes
Ability to influence climate and culture
Cons of Attending a New Medical School
Accreditation status - no guarantee of full accreditation until the first class graduates
No data on USMLE scores
Frequently changing curricula and policies, may not be a “smooth” process
No mentors above you
A note on accreditation status -
The purpose of accreditation is to ensure academic quality and standards. The choice to attend a school that is not accredited can impact each student's ability to receive federal financial aid or transfer credit to a new school.
MD schools are accredited by the LCME (Liason Committee on Medical Education). The LCME is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association (AMA). Graduates of LCME-accredited programs are eligible for entry into residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and students/graduates of LCME-accredited programs are eligible to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). For medical schools that have multiple campuses, there is no separate accreditation of the individual campuses. All campuses come under the single accreditation of the “parent” medical school.
A program can begin accepting applicants when in preliminary status. When the first class is midway through the second year there is a visit to grant provisional status, after provisional status a survey visit for full accreditation status happens early in the charter class’ fourth-year curriculum and if successful is granted full accreditation for five years. Programs with any of the following accreditation statuses: full, preliminary, provisional, including on probation will graduate students who are eligible for the NRMP residency match and for the USMLE licensing exams. No MD school has lost its LCME accreditation.
DO schools are accredited by COCA. The Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation signifies that a college of osteopathic medicine has met or exceeded the COCA standards with respect to mission, goals and objectives; governance, administration and finance; facilities, equipment and resources; faculty, student admissions, performance, and evaluation; preclinical and clinical curriculum; and research and scholarly activity. COCA accreditation standards can be found here.
Applicant status is the initial step in seeking accreditation, Candidate Status is the second step and needs to occur within 2 years of applicant status. Pre-accreditation is when schools can first solicit applications and enrolls students. Similar to MD schools, the next visits occur during the first and fourth year of class offerings after which a program can receive Accreditation status. Accreditation status is the highest level of accreditation. An educational program leading to the DO degree, once accredited, remains accredited until the program voluntarily terminates its accreditation status or the COCA terminates the program’s accreditation through a formal accreditation action.
Below I have listed the newest medical schools that have either just graduated their first class in 2022 or have not yet graduated a class.
MD: New Medical Schools by year of enrolling first class
2018:
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine,
Provisional accreditation 2017; accepted its first 46 students in 2018, and graduate first class in May 2022. They have a unique hybrid case- and problem-based MD program focused on leadership and innovation. The goal is full LCME accreditation in 2023 after a fall site visit. Nova Southeastern University is a private research university that includes 14 colleges and is classified as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. It is also the largest private institution in the US that meets the US Department of Education criteria as a Hispanic-serving institution. Interestingly, NSU is the only one of four universities that offer both MD and DO degrees.
California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine, Colton, CA
Preliminary Accreditation since 2018, accepted its first 36 students in its MD program in 2018 and graduated its first class in 2022. They welcomed a cohort of 120 students for the 22-23 school year. Their mission is to advance the art and science of medicine through innovative medical education, research, and compassionate healthcare delivery in an inclusive environment that advocates critical thinking, creativity, integrity, and professionalism.
Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana-Champaign
Provisional accreditation 2017, accepted first students in 2018 and graduated their inaugural class in March 2022. Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the world’s first engineering-based medical school. It is a partnership between the University of Illinois and the Carle Foundation. They will “Empower to care for patients and solve problems in fundamentally different ways, leading to better care for more people at low cost.”
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ
Provisional Accreditation 2018, accepted its first 60 students in 2018, and graduated its first class in 2022. The Hackensack Meridian School of medicine is affiliated with Hackensack Meridian Health, a network of 17 hospitals statewide. It was initially organized as a joint venture with Seton Hall University but has been independently operating since July 2020. The LCME granted preliminary accreditation status in 2018 and Provisional status in 2021. They are expecting full accreditation in February 2023. This past year they admitted a class of 159 students. The cohor is more than half New Jersey residents and 11% New yorkers but represents seventeen other states. Students have the option of a three-year path to residency or an optional fourth year combining a Master's degree, graduate certificate program, clinical immersion, or focused research. The curriculum also includes a longitudinal course pairing students with people in the community.
2019:
NYU Long Island (3-year medical school)
Provisional Accreditation 2019, enrolled first class in 2019; they graduated their first class this year in May 2022, three years after opening their doors to the accelerated MD program for primary care physicians. They have 24 students matriculated in the class of 2025. NYU Long Island’s mission is to educate exemplary physicians and academic leaders in primary care and offers a three-year route to postgraduate training in more than 20 specialties. NYU long island offers full-tuition scholarships to all students regardless of need or merit. They graduated 20 students who will practice in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, along with general surgery.
Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU
Provisional accreditation 2018, enrolled first class in 2019; first graduating class 2023
Renamed after a 25 million endowment from Anne Marion through the Burnett foundation.
2020:
The University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine
Provisional LCME accreditation 2020 and admitted first class in July 2020; first graduating class 2024. The school grew out of the University of Houston’s desire to play a greater role in improving health and healthcare resources. They enrolled their first class of 30 students in 2020. Their mission is to be accountable to society for improivng the overall health and health care of the population of Greater Houston, Texas, and beyond” They are aiming for a class size of 60 students for 2023. The school has a primary care focus.
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena, CA
Preliminary LCME accreditation 2019, matriculated its first class in 2020 and will graduate its inaugural class in 2024 with 48 students. It is a medical school partnered with an integrated healthcare system, as opposed to a university. Their mission is to provide world-class education and aim to ignite a passion for lifelong learning, a desire to serve patients, and an unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of communities.
2023:
The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine
Preliminary Accreditation 2022, first-class planned for 2023
This is the seventh medical school in the UT system and the first in Northeast Texas. There will be a strong focus on family practice, rural family medicine, and population health. The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine aims to train future healthcare professionals to embrace responsibility for the unique needs of rural and hard-to-reach communities and populations, particularly those in East Texas. Students will have the unique opportunity to improve health challenges across East Texas and beyond. They have received a $5 million give that will cover the full tuition scholarship for the second class to enroll, this followed a gift from the Fair Foundation which will cover the full tuition for the first class enrolling in fall 2023.
The University of California, Merced (MD), First class planned for 2023
The medical school will have the capacity to train 200 students with the goal of the first cohort of 50 students in 2023. The Medical Education Program is a joint effort between UC Merced, UC San Francisco, and UC San Francisco-Fresno. The goal is to graduate students serving the Central Valley in California. The mission statement is, “To educate and train—through innovative curriculum and pedagogy, research, and community engagement—future medical professionals and leaders who are committed to excellence in health care and improving the health of the diverse communities and peoples of the San Joaquin Valley.”
2024:
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, LA, California: (MD) (HBCU) Preliminary Accreditation 2022, First class planned for 2024. They plan to open applications for their first-year medical school class by the first week of November 2022, with a goal of 60 students entering summer 2024. The only other historically Black colleges and universities to have a medical program are Morehouse College in Atlanta, Meharry Medical College in Nashville, and Howard University in Washington, D.C. Charles R. Drew University currently has a partnership with UCLA in which 28 students enroll in a four-year medical education program and work with both schools to get training to become doctors. Students currently complete two years with UCLA and two years with Charles Drew University and the university will continue to offer this option. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, M.D., Dean and Professor of Medicine, at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science says the goal of the program is to train doctors and “leaders who understand the need for system change and equity in healthcare, who understand the social determinants of health and not only work to provide care to individuals but see the community as part of its responsibility as well.”
Wake Forest University School of Medicine - new Charlotte Campus, First class planned for 2024. This is the second campus opening for Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The school of medicine has already been sending some students to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical center since March 2022 as part of its clerkship rotations. The two campuses of the school of medicine will build on the clinical and academic excellence of Atrium Health and the educational research distinction of Wake Forest Baptist to create a next-generation, academic learning health system.
2025:
Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University, TN, Nashville, (MD) Provisional accreditation, inaugural class 2025
Belmont University is the largest ecumenical Christian university in the United States. Belmont welcomes students of any, all, or no faith traditions. Belmont University is currently seeking programmatic accreditation through the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the next step is a site visit and then preliminary accreditation. After preliminary accreditation, the college can begin accepting applications. The web page indicates that they are committed to educating physicians who “will consider the whole patient with a deep and nuanced understanding of one’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs and the socioeconomic and systems factors that affect health care.” Belmont University currently has a nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, and pharmacy program.
Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, Arkansas, Bentonville (MD), LCME applicant, in planning stages, expected inaugural class 2025. The school was founded in 2021 by philanthropist Alice Walton (the American heiress to the Walmart fortune as the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton) and the 19th richest person in the world and second richest woman in the world and will be a 4-year medical degree-granting program integrating conventional medicine with holistic principles and self-care practices. According to the website, the school will be ”a national, state-of-the-art medical facility located in Bentonville, Arkansas with the goal of welcoming its inaugural class in 2025”
Xavier University, Louisiana (MD) (HBCU), No LCME application, in the planning stages, expected inaugural class in 2025. Xavier University announced a partnership with Ochsner Health to create a joint college of medicine. Xavier would be the fifth HBCU medical school joining the other HBCUs to open medical schools including Meharry, Howard, Morehouse, and Charles R. Drew. The planning process will take at least 3 years. Xavier’s pre-med program has sent more Black students to medical school than nearly any other college. Xavier’s medical school would join four others in Louisiana: Tulane, LSU New Orleans, LSU Shreveport, and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. Ochsner Health also has a partnership with the University of Queensland in Australia in which students complete their first two years in Australia followed by clinical rotations at Ochsner in Louisiana.
Proposed with unclear timeline:
University of Nebraska Medical Center Rural Health Complex; (MD) No LCME status yet.
in planning stages, expected completion in 2025. The University of Nebraska at Kearney has plans to build a rural medical school campus. The expected date of completion is 2025. The goal is for the UNMC College of Medicine to educate physicians in rural Nebraska.
American University of Health Sciences School of Medicine, California, Signal Hill (MD) (Christian medical school) LCME applicant; Unclear timeline. AUHS is a Christian-based, minority-serving university where the values of faith in God, love of humankind, and respect for all persons, irrespective of differences are embraced. The University is also a minority-serving organization dedicated to providing high-quality education to prepare underrepresented groups and others as competent and compassionate healthcare professionals and researchers. Through this outreach, the University harnesses the talents and abilities of persons currently underrepresented in healthcare and research while improving the dissemination of culturally appropriate care
KGI (Keck Graduate Institute) School of Medicine; timeline unclear
KGI received a $5 million grant in 2020 to establish a medical school from LA Care health plan, and in 2018 announced it would establish a medical school, “to meet the increasing demand for primary care physicians in Southern California”. It is unclear what stage of development the medical school is in at this point. It sought to raise $50 million and in 2019 announced it was 25% toward that goal.
The University of the Virgin Islands S. Donald Sussman School of Medicine, (HBCU) St. Thomas, LCME applicant; timeline unclear.
The university has struggled for years to open a medical school. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education rejected UVI’s first application in October 2015 and identified several weaknesses with the application, including a lack of scholarship funding to reduce the debt burden on graduates. Facilities will include a simulation training center on St. Croix; a classroom building that contains an anatomy lab, 100-seat lecture hall and a clinical skills lab, and a biomedical laboratory facility on St. Thomas. In addition to studying at UVI, once the medical students are in their third year, they will start going into local medical facilities on St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas to get hands-on experience. Once completed, the UVI S. Donald Sussman School of Medicine would be the first new Historically Black College and University ( HBCU) medical school since 1975 and the only public HBCU medical school in the nation. “Students from the Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands who normally have to pursue their medical school dream in the mainland, can now be trained and inspired in the Virgin Islands. We are confident that this fact, along with scholarship support, will ensure that more of them will end up practicing medicine in the Virgin Islands or the broader Caribbean,” said Dr. Benjamin Sachs, planning dean of the developing medical school.
Marist College Medical School; announced for 2022 and put on hold.
Nuvance Health and Marist college announced a partnership in 2018 to be the first MD-granting school between Westchester and Albany. However, with the pandemic, and multiple leadership changes this plan is currently on hold. The first class of 60 students was expected to start in July 2022 but was put on hold during the pandemic.
The University of Minnesota (New Medical Campus): They are collaborating with CentraCare to open a new campus for 20-24 students in St. Cloud and expanding residency programs with a focus on rural healthcare.
Northern Arizona University College of Medicine: Announced 2024, no clear timeline; NAU’s College of Medicine will be intentionally designed with accelerated pathways and affordable options for Arizona residents seeking an MD to practice in the state. The curriculum will emphasize cultural competence and behavioral health perspectives. The focus will be on educating resilient, Arizona-serving primary care practitioners who are committed to serving diverse communities and eradicating health disparities throughout the state.
Arizona State University School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering (Pheonix): will integrate biomedical science and engineering. Clinical partnerships will include the existing alliance between ASU and Mayo Clinic, will support both research and academic programs. The ASU School of Medicine will produce a new kind of doctor who is technologically enhanced by every tool imaginable and able to work across entire communities.
DO: New Medical Schools by year of enrolling first class
2018
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine; Accreditation, enrolled its first class 2018; graduated first class 2022. The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) is a private medical school affiliated with Idaho State University. The mission of ICOM is to train osteopathic physicians prepared to care for persons in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and beyond. The College graduated its inaugural class on May 13, 2022.
2019
Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Knoxville, TN additional location; Accreditation with Heightened Monitoring. Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) was established on August 1, 2007, on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. With the beautiful Cumberland Gap mountains serving as the backdrop, LMU-DCOM is one of the most prominent buildings on campus. LMU-DCOM currently offers programs in two locations: Harrogate, TN, and Knoxville, TN. Quality educational programs are delivered through experienced faculty utilizing innovative teaching methods and state-of-the-art technology. LMU-DCOM is fully committed to meeting the healthcare needs of the community and beyond with excellence in teaching, patient care, and services.
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, additional location in Clearwater, Fl, accreditation,
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia, Moultrie, Georgia (PCOM-Georgia), Accreditation with exceptional outcome; first-class 2019; first graduates 2023; PCOM Georgia is a branch campus of PCOM; A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the building was held on Aug. 6, 2019. PCOM South Georgia welcomed its inaugural class of doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) students on Aug. 12, 2019.
2020
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (Erie, PA) - additional campus in Elmira, NY, accreditation with heightened monitoring, The Lake Erie college of osteopathic medicine welcomed the class of 2024 to its campus in 2020. The inaugural class consisted of 120 osteopathic medical students. LECOM had been sending its third and fourth-year students to Arnot Health and other Southern Tier hospitals for clinical education since 2012. They now have a separate four-year campus at Elmira College.
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pre-accreditation, graduates first class in 2024. The vision of the SHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine is to provide medical education and service to the eastern region of Texas and be recognized as a leader in improving primary care access and workforce needs in the state. The SHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine is the eighth college of the university and only the third college of osteopathic medicine in the state. The state-of-the-art college 108,000 square-foot facility is housed in a five-story, 216,000 square-foot building on 7.3 acres, located in Conroe.
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Clovis, CA. Enrolled first class 2020, first class graduates in 2024. On April 9th, they received a seven year accreditation from COCA after graduating their first class.
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - VCOM Louisiana campus, accreditation with heightened monitoring, this is a branch campus of VCOM-Virginia Welcoming its first class in 2020, VCOM's Louisiana campus is a partnership between VCOM and the University of Louisiana Monroe. Located next to ULM's athletic grounds and along the Bayou DeSiard, the recent construction represents some of the most modern medical teaching facilities available. Features include a 4,100-square-foot anatomy lab, high-tech simulation center, and a 3,300-square-foot lab for osteopathic manipulative medicine training.ULM has the state's only public school of pharmacy and schools of nursing, kinesiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other health sciences, offering many opportunities for research and educational collaborations.
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine, at Cherokee Nation additional location Tahlequah, OK, accreditation Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and the Cherokee Nation have partnered together to establish the nation’s only tribally affiliated medical school. The medical school is located in the capital of the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, OK.
2021
NoordaCOM, Provo, UT; Pre-accreditation, first-class enrolled 2021, first graduation 2025.
They have established affiliation partners with 16 Utah Hospitals to provide clerkships for up to 1,000 students.
Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (Fort Smith, AR)
Granted initial accreditation with heightened monitoring, 2021
University of the incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, San Antonio, TX
Granted initial accreditation 2021
2022
KansasCOM, Wichita, KS; Granted Pre accreditation in December 2021; currently recruiting students for the 2022 academic year, first class will graduate 2026. It is the first osteopathic medical school in the state of Kansas and anticipates an inaugural class of 85 students and classes up to 170 when fully operational.
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tahlequah, OK campus, established 2020,
Rowan University School of Medicine, New campus in Sewell, NJ, accreditation with exceptional outcome, enrolled first class 2022. In 2022, Rowan opened a new campus of the Virtua Health College of Health Medicine and Health Sciences of Rowan University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine. They welcomed the first class of 72 medical students to the new campus in July 2022. The osteopathic school has two campuses in Stratford and Sewell and admitted 272 students in 2022, the largest entering class of any New Jersey Medical School. The school has the highest level of accreditation from COCA for both campuses. Established in 2021, the Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences of Rowan University is a historic new academic health partnership between Rowan University and Virtua Health, South Jersey’s largest health care system. Rowan school of osteopathic medicine was established in 1976.
2023
Rocky Vista University -Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine, Accreditation; This s a branch campus of Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Touro College of Medicine granted approval for an additional location in Great Falls, MT, accreditation; (12/21); The new campus in Montana plans to enroll 125 students to start in July 2023. The school officially opened 8/11/23. They will start their inaugural class in Fall of 2023. From Touro, “TouroCOM is committed to training osteopathic physicians, with a particular emphasis on practicing medicine in underserved communities, and to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in medicine. We chose Montana as our newest location to help address significant health disparities and to help build a physician workforce that can positively impact Montana communities. Additionally, TouroCOM-Montana has partnered with the McLaughlin Research Institute (MRI), in Great Falls, which focuses on translational science in medicine including neurogenetics on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other degenerative nerve diseases. MRI will serve as a training ground for future physicians and scientists. TouroCOM-Montana will offer a Medical Scientist Training Program for selected students who wish to pursue a D.O. career in research.
TouroCOM-Montana is located in Great Falls, which is in the central part of Montana. Conveniently located between Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, Great Falls is a wonderful place to call home, as you pursue your medical journey and begin to explore the healthcare needs of the region. Great Falls offers the amenities of urban living, but with friendly, small-town Montana hospitality. The newly constructed TouroCOM-Montana Campus is devoted to state-of-the-art medical education, where students will learn to treat the patient as a whole: mind, body, and spirit. The new facility was designed for students of the future, while considering the unique community and learning atmosphere of Great Falls.
TouroCOM-Montana is modeled after TouroCOM-New York. As such, Montana students will enjoy the benefits of a "flipped classroom" and “tried and true” curriculum that has been very successful in our New York campuses. We are confident that TouroCOM-Montana will have the same positive outcomes for board pass and residency match rates as our current campuses.
2024
Proposed or in Planning
Duquesne University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, plans to enroll in 2024
COCA candidate status October 2021; candidate status is granted to COMs that demonstrate the planning and resources necessary to be expected to be able to proceed to the Pre-Accreditation Status within two (2) years.
Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine at Morgan State University, (HBCU) plans to enroll in 2024
The Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine (proposed) at Morgan State Univeristy is in the applicant state of accreditation. They are hoping to enroll their first class of 125 students students in August of 2024 and eventually expand to 600 students., This will be two years of didactic training on campus at Morgan State University in Montebello before two years of clinical training programs at BMS helath cneters and local hospitals. Baltimore Medical System, the largest federally qualified health center system in Maryland reached an agreement with the proposed school of Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine at Morgan State University to serve as the school’s community health clinical teaching arm. This would include rotations at eight community health centers and eight school-based health sites across Baltimore, as part of their clinical training. The founding dean is John W. Sealey, DO and it will be a privately funded school.
The St. Padre Pio Institute for the Relief of Suffering, School of Osteopathic Medicine, plans to enroll in 2026
Benedictine College, a private Catholic institution in Atchison, Kansas recently announced plans to house a new, independent Catholic medical school on its campus. Part of the goal is to train physicians in an environment steeped in Catholic values related to contraception, abortion, and end-of-life issues. It is a partnership with Catholic Healthcare International, an organization that aims, “to be the model of Christian healthcare delivery.” The school will be independently run and financed. The hope is for the medical school to gain accreditation and open its doors by 2026 and enroll 180 students. They are considering offering a master’s degree in Catholic bioethics. The school will have a majority Catholic faculty, Catholic lay leaders, and a Catholic board of directors. Instructors will be required to sign a pledge of loyalty to Catholic principles,” which includes “life issues,” such as continuing to give nutrition and fluids to terminal patients as part of palliative care not performing abortions. Here is a video from Dr. George Mychaskiw about the development of the school. Of note, he is one of the founding deans of Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, a for-profit osteopathic medical school that opened in New Mexico in 2016. In 2008 and 2009 he published several letters to the editors espousing the danger of for profit schools, but quickly shifted his tune in a JAMA letter to the editor in 2017 after establishing a for-profit school.
Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine, Winter Garden, FL,
COCA candidate status September 2022
The Florida Institute of Technology Osteopathic Medical School, proposed
The undertaking is an expansion of the partnership between the Melbourne-based university and Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in Las Cruces, N.M. In 2020, the two partners established a medical student partnership alongside Steward Health Care. It allowed Burrell College medical students to use Florida Tech off-campus housing while conducting clinical rotations at Rockledge Regional Medical Center, Melbourne Regional Medical Center and Steward Medical Group clinics in Brevard County.That spirit of teaching will now expand to classes of 100 students, each starting in the summer 2024 with the newly announced medical school.
UNC College of Osteopathic Medicine
This program would be a collaboration between the University of Northern Colorado and Banner Medical Group. This would become the third medical college in Colorado. UNC has long had strong programs in the sciences and health sciences, including nursing, public health, behavioral sciences, biology, chemistry, audiology, speech-language pathology, and other fields. It is anticipated that the first class of students would begin instruction as early as fall 2025. With 40 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States – only six of which are at public colleges and universities – UNC-COM would be joining a select group of D.O. colleges that would attract students from not just Colorado and the region, but across the country.The university announced the hiring of Dr. Beth Longenecker as the Founding Dean of UNC-COM on April 12, 2022.
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Jacksonville: plans to enroll 2026; The first four-year medical school in Jacksonville will welcome its first class in 2026. The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, in partnership with Jacksonville University, will open LECOM at JU. The school applied for accreditation in October 2022. The first class is expected to have approximately 75 students, with total enrollment growing to 150 students per year within five years. This is LECOM’s fifth medical school campus. They secured clinical agreements with some of the region’s largest healthcare providers, including Jacksonville Fla. Baptist Health and St. Augustine Fla-based Flagler Health, which will train third and fourth-year students in their facilities.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, is weighing whether to create a school of osteopathic medicine. If they move ahead they plan to submit an application to COCA in the next six months but it would likely be three to five years before a class would even enroll.
Xavier University College of Osteopathic Medicine: this will be the nation’s first Jesuit College of Osteopathic Medicine and is slated to open in 2027. It will host 75 inaugural students and gradually increase to 150 students per class in Cincinatti, OH.
