Marking another step toward its fall 2024 launch, Duquesne University's proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) has received "candidate status" from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).
The move to candidate status marks a significant step, as it demonstrates the college has the planning and resources necessary to proceed to pre-accreditation status within two years. The new status also means the University will begin significant additional funding for the college.
"We are excited to receive candidate status from COCA," said Dr. John Kauffman, dean of the proposed college. "Gaining accreditation is a very involved process. This signifies that we are reaching our goals and our planning work is paying off."
Duquesne has submitted draft plans for the medical school's curriculum, new building and where students will study in the program. The first two years will be at the University's new medical school, which will begin construction this March.
The final two years of training will take place at the school's partner hospitals. Duquesne has agreements with several hospitals in western and northwestern Pennsylvania. These health care partners will offer clinical placements for third-year and fourth-year medical students.
"We will be recruiting students from our region with the goal of keeping them here," Kauffman said. "With a state-of-the-art medical school featuring Pittsburgh as its backdrop, we are excited about the future."
The launch of the college comes at an important time, as the region and nation are facing a growing shortage of primary care doctors, especially in underserved urban and rural areas. The COM exemplifies Duquesne's legacy and commitment to promoting health equity in the region.
Kauffman said the next steps for the COM would be assembling a senior leadership team and creating more detailed plans around the curriculum and the building.
Duquesne University
Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities
for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of nearly
8,000 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them
work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic
programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh
region have earned national acclaim.
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