Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program has been approved by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Chancellor Chris Fiorentino.
Approval of the degree program by the Chancellor is part of the process for a university in the Pennsylvania State System to add an academic program to its offerings. IUP’s Council of Trustees approved forwarding the degree proposal to the Chancellor at its December 2025 meeting, following approval by the IUP University-Wide Graduate Committee and Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculty (APSCUF) Representative Council.
“We have seen incredible enthusiasm and excitement throughout the Commonwealth for our proposed college of osteopathic medicine, including from our State System colleagues, legislators, alumni, leaders in health care, members of our community, and IUP faculty and staff,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said.
“I am very pleased to receive this approval from Chancellor Fiorentino, and I thank him for his ongoing support for IUP and for this important project,” he said. “This action continues our strong momentum to move forward in our work to open the first college of osteopathic medicine at a public university in Pennsylvania, reflecting our commitment to address the critical shortage of physicians—especially in rural communities—while creating a national model for rural healthcare,” he said.
IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine currently holds “candidate status” from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, which recognizes that IUP has done the required planning and has the resources necessary to apply for pre-accreditation status within two years. “Candidate status” is the second step in seeking accreditation from COCA.
The IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine is being considered by COCA for the next step in the accreditation process, “pre-accreditation status.” When proposed colleges achieve pre-accreditation status, they are permitted to begin recruiting students.
If pre-accreditation status is given by COCA, IUP anticipates admitting the first class of students for the proposed college of osteopathic medicine in 2027.
Securing clinical training sites for students is part of a successful accreditation process; IUP has secured clinical training partnerships at more than 20 sites across the Commonwealth, more than 270 percent of the required 120 percent of clinical training spots needed for accreditation.
Typically, students in colleges of osteopathic medicine spend the first two years of their education in the classroom; during the third and fourth years, students are based in the community at clinical sites. IUP also has secured a pre-clinical training agreement with the Indiana County Coroner’s Office for future students at IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
IUP’s program is designed to offer “medical education with a rural focus and with an emphasis on evidence-based, inspiring, compassion-focused, holistic, community-centered, affordable education,” IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose said.
“There is a critical shortage of both primary care physicians and mental and behavioral health physicians in Pennsylvania, especially in rural communities,” she said. “IUP’s program and curriculum addresses these issues, understanding that rural primary care physicians are often called upon to provide behavioral and mental health care and advice for their patients.
“One of the foundational elements of IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine is a focus on training that integrates mental health competencies for our students to adequately address mental and behavioral health of their future patients,” she said.
A unique feature of IUP’s curriculum for the doctor of osteopathic medicine degree is its four-year, longitudinal required coursework on mental and behavioral health and rural health. The program requires future students to complete additional clinical rotations in rural primary care and psychiatry, beyond what is required by national accreditation standards, Rose said.
“This coursework is embedded in our curriculum to ensure that our graduates are prepared to serve the unique needs and challenges of rural communities,” she said.
The order and framework of the coursework was created after a thorough review of morbidity and mortality reports from hospitals in rural communities, as well as discussions with IUP’s clinical partners and practicing rural physicians, Rose said.
“The data shows that the number of preventable deaths in rural communities is increasing, as compared to the number of preventable deaths in urban areas,” she said. “We created a curriculum map that stresses early diagnosis of some of these most common health issues, with an emphasis on understanding both family history and lifestyle of the patients.
“In addition to the data, we asked physicians what training they wish they would have had as they prepared for their careers, and we’ve worked to put that training into our curriculum for our future students,” Rose said.
“The first two years of our curriculum are very intentionally broad and include early clinical shadowing experiences with physicians in rural health care so that our future students gain an understanding of the unique needs of rural patients,” proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Association Dean of Pre-Clinical Affairs Luke H. Mortensen said.
“Our curriculum, developed based on research from rural hospitals, also concentrates on the need for preventative care and mindfulness, ongoing monitoring of the health of the patient, early diagnosis of illnesses, and ways to help the patient actively participate in their own health and wellness,” he said.
“Typically, a medical school curriculum has students taking course after course, at a very rapid pace, without going back and revisiting the information they have learned. IUP’s program includes longitudinal courses to purposefully provide our future students with time to revisit what they have learned through a spiral learning philosophy. This approach has students working on developing clinical reasoning skills, not just memorization,” he said.
Students studying for a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree, or DO, complete four years of osteopathic medical school, with an emphasis on preventive medicine and comprehensive patient care. They are trained to recognize the interrelated unity among all systems of the body, each working with the other to promote overall health and wellness. Osteopathic medical schools have a long tradition of serving rural communities. National data shows that physicians who are trained in osteopathic medicine are four times more likely to select primary care specialties and almost twice as likely to practice in rural areas as allopathic (MD) students are. The Association of American Medical Colleges forecasts a shortage of up to 86,000 US physicians by 2036.
National studies also show that graduates from programs of osteopathic medicine are more likely to pursue primary care in rural and underserved areas—57 percent of all doctors of osteopathic medicine practice as general practitioners, and more than 20 percent of DO graduates practice in rural areas. Demand is high for osteopathic medicine training: in 2024, more than 22,000 applicants competed for 9,600 seats at schools of osteopathic medicine; students in osteopathic medicine programs currently make up more than 25 percent of medical students in the US.
IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine and IUP’s commitment to addressing the rural health crisis have resulted in funding from individual donors, foundations, and agencies totaling more than $54 million.
Once fully operational, IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine is expected to generate almost $50 million in annual economic impact for the commonwealth. Long-term, if just 60 percent of IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine graduates remain in Pennsylvania, the annual economic impact for the state is estimated at $1.3 billion.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–26 academic year, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.