Facts at a Glance 2011-2012

We create primary care physicians for Ohio

A study published in the April, 2010, issue of American Medicine ranked OU-HCOM as one of the top U.S. medical schools for producing graduates who practice in rural areas. OU-HCOM took first place in Ohio and tied for 11^th place among all medical schools in the country. At OU-HCOM, clinical experience begins in the first two months of medical school, with an emphasis on primary care medicine. About 52 percent of our practicing graduates serve as primary care providers in general/family practice, general internal medicine or general pediatrics, according to a January 2010 survey. Sixty percent of graduates practice in Ohio, with 14 percent practicing in Applachian Ohio. Approximately 47 percent practice in communities with populations of less than 50,000.

Our medical research seeks solutions to some of the most pressing health issues facing Appalachia and the United States

Our diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease research efforts are advancing treatment solutions. In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Ohio University fourth in the nation for research return on investment, and in 2009, the Association of University Technology Managers ranked OU-HCOM first in the state among public universities for research-generated licensing revenue. Most of this royalty income stems from an OU-HCOM researcher’s development of Somavert^®, the first drug to effectively treat the growth hormone disorder acromegaly.

The Osteopathic Heritage Foundations and Charles R. and Marilyn Y. Stuckey Academic & Research Center (ARC), a $34.5 million, 89,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility designed to promote the development of new diagnostics, therapeutics and treatments, opened in January, 2010. The ARC will encourage cross-disciplinary research and enhance collaboration among individuals from OU-HCOM, the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, and other partners. The facility is funded primarily from two major benefactors, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations and Charles and Marilyn Stuckey, with considerable contributions from other private donations.

During 2008-2009, grant revenue totaled $3,379,048, which included 38 active external research grants totaling $6,838,459, with 2008-2009 funding of $1,820,951, and 48 active external program grants totaling $3,696,062, with 2008-2009 funding of $1,558,097.

Osteopathic physicians are the future of medicine

Each year, one out of five American medical students enrolls at an osteopathic medical school, joining one of the nation’s fastest growing health care professions. The osteopathic medical focus on health promotion, disease prevention and primary care is setting the standard for the future of medical education and practice.

Collaborative, clinical curricula

OU-HCOM trains a holistic approach to medicine. The college emphasizes a strong foundation in patient-centered primary care medicine, while training physicians and surgeons in every field.

Years one and two

First- and second-year students enroll in one of two distinct curricula: the Clinical Presentation Continuum (CPC) or the Patient-Centered Continuum (PCC). Both curricula incorporate small-group case studies and clinical experiences within the first two weeks.

·         The CPC offers a more structured, faculty-directed learning environment. Students master fundamentals of common disease processes through lectures, panel discussions, problem sets, clinical and biomedical labs, and small-group case analysis.

·         In the PCC, students set their own learning objectives based on patient-centered case studies designed by faculty. The PCC emphasizes case analysis, small-group collaboration.

All students participate in the August Osteopathic Clinical Anatomy Orientation. During this month-long immersion, students alternate between our state-of-the-art gross anatomy and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) labs. This integrated study lays a foundation for clinical problem-solving and evidence-based medicine.

During the summer after their second year, all students participate in a second month-long immersion, the Osteopathic Clinical Rotation Orientation. This curriculum provides an intensive clinical primer in everything from sterile technique to suturing to advanced cardiac life support.

Years three and four

Third- and fourth-year students begin clinical rotations at hospitals in OU-HCOM’s statewide Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE) system. CORE is one of the nation’s largest, most advanced and best supported medical education consortiums, with 26 member hospitals.

CORE became the nation’s first accredited Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institution (OPTI) in 1997 and established a model for the osteopathic medicine profession. The network offers predoctoral clinical rotations, residency programs that accommodate more than 600 postdoctoral trainees, and continuing medical education. All CORE partners are linked via a real-time videoconferencing, distance learning technology and COREnet, an interactive, global online system that facilitates collaboration on case studies and access to lab work.