The Chicago School announces its plan to open the proposed Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine (IllinoisCOM) (applicant status-seeking accreditation). The proposed IllinoisCOM hopes to enroll its first class of students in the fall of 2026.
Michele Nealon, Psy.D., president of The Chicago School, sees this expansion of the institution into osteopathic medicine as supporting the university’s ambition to meet the mental and physical health care needs of underserved communities by training and graduating a culturally competent and compassionate workforce. “From its very inception, The Chicago School has demonstrated commitment to high-quality education, training, and curricular innovation,” she says. “The end result is community impact through service.”
Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer John Lucas, DO, also recognizes the synergy between The Chicago School’s approach and the leading tenets of osteopathic medicine. “Osteopathic training emphasizes a holistic, patient-centered approach to care,” he says. “Coupled with The Chicago School’s values of innovation and embracing next-generation methods, our aim is to train exceptional health care providers.”
The proposed IllinoisCOM comes at a time when a national shortage of physicians is growing worse. “The United States has a projected shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034,” Dr. Nealon says. “Nationally, the average wait time for a physician appointment now is 26 days, which is up 24% since 2004. By developing the proposed IllinoisCOM, The Chicago School will truly contribute to providing a sustainable pipeline of qualified physicians for communities in need.”
Dr. Lucas agrees. “An osteopathic program with a mission to increase access to care could recruit and train students from Chicago’s diverse communities to practice in the city and serve local populations,” he says. In the same way, the proposed IllinoisCOM will form strategic partnerships with hospitals in the other metro areas where The Chicago School campuses exist, opening pathways to support increased access to high-quality, culturally competent care on a national scale.
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