BUIES CREEK — Campbell University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM) has been approved to begin recruiting students for its inaugural class which will begin in August 2013. The Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) decided at its April 21, 2012 meeting to award CUSOM Provisional accreditation status* effective July 1, 2012.
“This is an exciting moment for Campbell University, the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Harnett County and all of North Carolina,” said Dr. Jerry Wallace, president of Campbell University. “This medical school will train primary care physicians to address a critical shortage of healthcare professionals throughout our state.”
Dr. John Kauffman, founding Dean, said the School of Osteopathic Medicine will begin accepting student applications June 1, 2012.
“We have assembled an outstanding team of medical educators, and I look forward to meeting and working with potential students to ensure that we identify and recruit the highest quality applicants for CUSOM,” said Kauffman.
Campbell’s medical school will eventually graduate 150 physicians each year, many of whom will practice in rural and underserved regions of the state. Students will spend their first two years training in the new medical school at Campbell University. Construction on the 96,500-square-foot facility on Highway 421 began last December and is expected to be completed by May 2013.
According to Dean Kauffman, third and fourth year medical students will train in community hospitals across the state, where he expects many will live and become active members in their communities.
“We believe the School of Osteopathic Medicine is a natural extension of the University’s mission and is a positive step forward in meeting the critical need for physicians, especially primary care physicians,” said Benjamin Thompson, chairman of Campbell University’s Board of Trustees. “We are grateful for the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation’s affirmation of the University’s ability to move this ambitious educational endeavor forward.”
*Provisional accreditation status, as outlined by the COCA, means the school would be eligible to actively recruit students, matriculate new students and offer a program of medical instruction with an approved osteopathic curriculum. Provisional status can last for no more than five years and can extend until the year in which CUSOM intends to graduate its first class in May 2017. Until July 1, CUSOM’s status will be listed as “Pre-accreditation with permission to recruit, but not to admit students or offer instruction.”
Photo Copy: The architectural rendering of the new Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, located on Hwy 421 near the main Buies Creek campus.