Today@Sam Article
SHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Awarded Highest Level Of Accreditation
April 10, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Emily Binetti
Accreditation with Exceptional Outcomes is the highest level of achievement and confers 10 years of academic approval. COCA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accreditor of colleges of osteopathic medicine.
“Accreditation with Exceptional Outcomes is significant because no other newly created osteopathic medical school has ever achieved this distinction. This is an exciting day for our medical school and reflects the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication,” said Thomas Mohr, DO, dean of SHSU-COM.
Founded in 2020, SHSU-COM will eventually have over 600 student doctors enrolled. Osteopathic medical schools are granted initial accreditation during their development but must complete the process of becoming fully accredited prior to graduation of their first class.
SHSU-COM will hold its inaugural commencement ceremonies on May 9, 2024, in Huntsville where the first cohort of 69 new doctors will graduate. In March, SHSU-COM announced that 100% of their Class of 2024 had been placed into a residency program following the National Residency Match Program. In keeping with the mission of the college, 62% of the class will remain in Texas for their residency and 58% are pursuing primary care specialties.
Although SHSU-COM is a relatively new college, it has already distinguished itself in medical education. As a Texas state institution, SHSU-COM has the lowest cost of attendance of any osteopathic medical school in the country. It ranks in the top three colleges of osteopathic medicine for first time pass rate on level one of the national board examination. The college has over 850 physician preceptors across the state that train student doctors in community-based, rural areas.
SHSU-COM is based in Conroe, Texas where first and second-year student doctors train in a state-of-the-art facility with a dedicated team of faculty and staff.
“This has been an enormous team effort from our faculty and staff with incredible support from our university, the system, and our legislative representatives who have worked together to make this happen,” stated Dr. Mohr. “It is also a testament to the hard work and resilience of our student doctors. Ultimately, the success of our college reflects the success of our students who are dedicated to the patients they will serve throughout their careers.”
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