Founding Dean of the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine Miko Rose addresses a room of prospective students during the IUPCOM first student interview day on Sept. 4, 2026.
A total of 27 students from throughout Pennsylvania and from seven states, including California, traveled to IUP for the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine’s inaugural student interview day on September 4.
Held in John J. and Char Kopchick Hall’s Cejka Planetarium, the students were greeted by members of the team, including Founding Dean Miko Rose, Associate Founding Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education Ryan Smith, Associate Founding Dean for Pre-Clinical Affairs Luke Mortensen, Director of Admissions and Student Affairs Jamie Murphy, Director of Assessment and QI Clinton Iadanza, Admissions Recruiting Specialist Joel Bonnaud, Assistant Director of Financial Aid Sandra Riley, and clerical team members Sarah Bradshaw, Rachel Partida and Zipporah Prescott.
Founding Dean Rose welcomed the students to the day-long event, which included an information session, campus tour, financial aid presentation, lunch in the Hadley Union Building, group activities including a writing session, and individual interviews.
“IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine is not just about addressing the need for rural physicians, but about offering opportunities to talented students who want to serve these communities,” she said during her welcome.
Director of Admissions and Student Affairs Jamie Murphy welcomes IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine prospective students during the IUPCOM first student interview day on Sept. 4, 2026.
Founding associate deans Mortensen and Smith also offered welcome remarks during the information session.
“After many meetings and discussions of the application and interview process over the past several months, we were all looking forward to this day,” Murphy said. “It went very well. We were able to meet and interact with exceptional students who have a passion for pursuing osteopathic medical education with a rural focus. The student interaction, from recruitment to application, to acceptance, and then matriculation is the most rewarding part of the job,” he said.
“It was just an outstanding day,” Founding Dean Rose said. “The students were excited to be here, and many of them told us that IUP was their first choice for medical school because our mission truly resonated with them,” she said.
“They were excited about our commitment to rural healthcare and to wellness, including creating an environment where students will thrive and be well. It’s really gratifying to see that our philosophy and our goals are coming through in our admissions processes,” she said.
“We had excellent feedback at the end of the day, and we are seeing positive social media comments from the students who were here,” she said. “Our admissions leaders, Jamie and Joel, did an incredible job organizing the day and connecting with these prospective students, with support from the entire team. We look forward to welcoming our first class in fall 2027.”
A total of 27 students from eight states, including California, attended the first student interview day for the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine.
The interviews with the prospective students were conducted by 30 interviewers, including 25 volunteers outside the IUPCOM team. Five students from the IUP Cook Honors College volunteered to help to facilitate the day.
“In-person interviews are not the traditional format for colleges of medicine, but we also heard from the students that they really appreciated IUP’s approach because it focuses on the individual,” Dean Rose said.
Admissions interview days will continue through the semester on Fridays; all dates are full through December, Murphy said.
A total of 16 physicians, 15 IUP deans and faculty, and more than 90 alumni are trained, or will soon complete training, to serve as interviewers.
IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine holds pre-accreditation status from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation and is actively recruiting and admitting students to its College of Osteopathic Medicine to begin medical instruction within the approved osteopathic medical curriculum. The first class of students is anticipated to enter in fall 2027. IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine has as its mission to serve rural communities, affordability, and clinical opportunities throughout all four years of medical education at IUP. IUP currently has 290 percent of the required clinical training affiliation agreement spots, all at rural healthcare providers, that are required for accreditation.
Members of the IUP College of Osteopathic Medicine team welcomed 27 prospective students to the first student interview day on Sept. 4, 2026.
Prospective students for IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine had a day-long schedule of events, including campus tours, one-on-one meetings with IUPCOM team members, lunch on campus, and individual interview sessions.
There are only three colleges of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania, all at private universities. IUP’s College of Osteopathic Medicine is the only college of osteopathic medicine at a public university.