Ahead of last Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Xavier University released detailed renderings of its proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine, showcasing the modern design of the 130,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility.
The architectural drawings provide a glimpse into the exterior and interior plans, highlighting various learning and community-building spaces.
Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, a national architecture firm, and Cincinnati-based MSA Design, the new building will feature a simulation hospital with 16 exam rooms and five flexible simulation rooms, a nearly 200-seat lecture hall, and a 5,600-square-foot meeting hall.
The renderings also reveal plans for a teaching kitchen, where students can learn to prepare nutritious meals, a key feature that will benefit both students and their future patients.
On Friday, Xavier will hold a ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on the medical school, constructed by Messer Construction Co., a Cincinnati-based construction manager and general contractor. The building will be completed in 2026.
“In a few short years, this premier facility will serve as a destination program for aspiring physicians seeking a holistic and patient-centered education, unique wrap-around services and world-class care,” said Xavier University President Colleen Hanycz.
Educating Ohio’s next generation of doctors
In her remarks, Hanycz noted that Xavier will offer medical students a “unique experience as they grow into incredible osteopathic physicians who will serve their communities, all in alignment with our university’s Jesuit Catholic mission and identity to instill hope and inspire action.”
When established, the college will be the world’s first Jesuit osteopathic medical school and Ohio’s first new medical school in nearly 50 years. University officials view the school as a way to address health care needs across the state.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services predicts a shortage of 1,200 physicians in Ohio by 2025, while the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates a national shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Xavier’s new medical school would benefit the state’s economy and support Ohio residents’ well-being.
“You’re really answering our need to increase the state’s health care workforce and to keep Ohio being the best place to live, work and raise a family,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a recorded video played at the ceremony. “Training more D.O.s in Ohio will improve access to health care and promote better community health outcomes. That’s great for our state and great for all Ohioans.”
Xavier is in the process of earning accreditation. The school said it’s on pace to welcome its first class in fall 2027. The college’s inaugural class of Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine will graduate in 2031, coinciding with Xavier’s bicentennial anniversary that year.
“In a short two years, we will be sitting in the most beautiful and functional medical school facility ever, bar none,” said Dr. Steven J. Halm, the college’s founding dean. “More importantly, we will build a unique culture centered on both the Jesuit Catholic education mission and osteopathic principles, and a community that will seek excellence by creating more for our students, more for their patients and more for our communities.”
Details about Xavier’s medical school
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