Xavier University’s board of trustees has voted to establish the nation’s first Jesuit College of Osteopathic Medicine on the university’s campus, addressing the need to train more primary care doctors while bolstering Xavier’s status as a mission-driven, health sciences education.
The 75-member inaugural class will begin in 2027 and graduate in 2031. Plans call for class sizes to increase to 150 students.
The medical college’s focus on osteopathy — a holistic, patient-centered approach to medicine that primarily focuses on preventive health care — aligns with Xavier’s identity and its Jesuit Catholic mission, said Xavier University President Colleen Hanycz, Ph.D. One of the core commitments of a Jesuit education is cura personalis, an emphasis on “care for the entire person” with an all-encompassing focus on mind, body and spirit.
“Xavier’s mission is deeply tied to our culture of care, making our campus a perfect fit for a College of Osteopathic Medicine,” said Hanycz. “(The) announcement comes at a pivotal time, as our university faces a rapidly changing landscape in higher education and our communities throughout the state and multi-state region stare down a serious need for additional primary care physicians. Establishing a medical college puts us at the forefront of addressing this need, particularly in underserved communities throughout our region.
Xavier doctors of osteopathy Xavier can make an immediate impact in Ohio, which must add nearly 700 primary-care physicians to its work force by 2030 to meet demand, according to forecasts from the Robert Graham Center, a Washington-based organization that conducts policy research in family medicine and primary care.
Xavier plans to construct a new medical and sciences complex on its main campus to house the college.