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Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM)
IUP chose to explore a proposed college of osteopathic medicine based on several factors, including the critical need for rural health care: there are not enough trained physicians to provide care to Pennsylvania’s citizens: the ratio of patients to available primary care physicians is 1,367 to 1, according to the United Health Foundation.
There are only three colleges of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania, all at private universities; IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine would be the only college of osteopathic medicine at a public university.
National studies 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 2021, 22,708 applicants competed for 8,280 seats at schools of osteopathic medicine.
IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine continues to draw support from individual donors, foundations, and legislators:
• Rich Caruso '83, a 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient former, president of the Foundation for IUP Board of Directors, and current board member, announced a pledge of $1 million for the project.
• IUP graduates Nick Jacobs '69, M'72 and Mary Ann Hoysan Jacobs '68, M'93 donated $40,000 to advance the project. Nick Jacobs is a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient; and
• Jeffrey Bobich '93, pledged $50,000;
• Senator Joe Pittman announced that as part of the 2023–24 state budget, $2 million was set aside for IUP’s new college of osteopathic medicine. These new dollars are an investment above and beyond what IUP receives in the budget and will be used largely to support the operations at the start of the medical school;
• IUP’s Alumni Association Board of Directors authorized a donation of $500,000;
• The Board of Governors allocated $500,000 for a facilities feasibility study for academic facilities for IUP’s health sciences cluster and proposed college of osteopathic medicine;
• IUP received a $150,000 allocation for the project in the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which was sponsored by Congressman Reschenthaler and Senator Fetterman and signed into law by President Joe Biden;
• Senator John Fetterman included $2 million for IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine project on his list to advance in the FY25 Community Project Funding process;
• Congressman Guy Reschenthaler included $2 million for IUP’s project among his FY25 requested community projects;
• The Foundation for IUP has committed $20 million toward the project;
• IUP graduates Tim Cejka '73 and Debra Phillips Cejka '73 gifted $2 million.
The hiring of a founding dean was one of the first steps in establishing the college. In November 2023, Miko Rose was hired as the founding dean of the proposed college of osteopathic medicine. Ryan Smith joined the team in July 2024 as the founding associate dean of clinical affairs, responsible for overseeing the clinical curricular areas of the doctor of osteopathic medicine program, including developing clinical training agreements.
Luke H. Mortensen was hired in August 2024 as associate dean of preclinical affairs, responsible for overseeing the pre-clinical curricular areas of the program.
Securing clinical training sites for students is part of the successful accreditation process. 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 signed its first clinical training affiliation agreement with Punxsutawney Area Hospital in June and signed a clinical training affiliation agreement with Indiana Regional Medical Center (IRMC) in September. At the third annual IUP-Indiana Regional Medical Center Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference in November, four additional agreements with health providers were signed: Broad Top Area Medical Center, Hyndman Area Health Centers, Nulton Diagnostics and Treatment Center, and Primary Health Network. In December, IUP and Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center formalized a clinical training affiliation agreement.
