Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Approved to Enroll Medical Student Applicants

School granted Pre-Accreditation status

For Immediate Release

(Bethesda, MD)- The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) today congratulated the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (Noorda-COM) for being granted Pre-Accreditation status from American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). This paves the way for the college to begin enrolling students for its fall 2021 inaugural class.

“Already over 25 percent of all medical students attend osteopathic medical schools, and the number of applicants continues to grow,” said AACOM President and CEO Robert Cain, DO, FACOI, FAODME. “Noorda-COM will provide more opportunities for those who wish to pursue an osteopathic medical career and will play a vital role in preparing our nation’s future healthcare workforce.”

Noorda-COM Pre-Accreditation Status

Since receiving the status to recruit students in July, Noorda-COM has received nearly 2,000 applications from a diverse group of prospective students. Noorda-COM’s application pool to date is in the top-five most diverse osteopathic colleges in the country. This level of interest also reinforces a trend across the country that the COVID-19 pandemic may be encouraging many people to go into medicine. The fall 2021 inaugural class will include 90 medical students. When all four years are at maximum enrollment, Noorda-COM will have 194 medical students in each class, becoming the Intermountain West’s largest medical school.

"Reaching this important milestone in Noorda-COM’s accreditation process is the result of several years of hard work on the part of many individuals within the Noorda-COM campus community," said Dr. John Dougherty, founding dean and chief academic officer. "Now that we have received Pre-Accreditation, we are excited to move forward in welcoming our inaugural class of students in 2021."

The Pre-Accreditation designation comes after an application process which included two comprehensive self-studies, a virtual site visit, and stringent reviews by the COCA Commissioners. It has been a challenging process, but successful due to the ongoing collaborations of Noorda-COM’s faculty, staff, trustees and clinical partners.

"We couldn’t be more excited to reach this most important step in the accreditation process for Noorda-COM," said Dr. Richard P. Nielsen, Noorda-COM founding president and CEO. "Pre-Accreditation allows Noorda-COM to fully move onward in opening its doors for medical students in the fall of 2021. Pursuant to COCA regulations, Noorda-COM can qualify for full accreditation status once the inaugural class graduates."

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