Orlando schools collaborate to develop physicians

Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine, AdventHealth University
create a formal pathway for pre-med students.

AdventHealth University and the soon-to-open Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine announce a partnership that will keep more physicians in our community.

OCOM is being built at 7011 Kiran Patel Drive in Winter Garden, in the Horizon West neighborhood. The first class of 90 students is expected to matriculate in August 2024. AdventHealth University, established in 1992, offers dozens of healthcare degrees and certificates, including two pre-med tracks: a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences.

Through this new relationship, AdventHealth University students and alumni in one of these two degree programs will be guaranteed interviews for admission into the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine. In addition, OCOM students will rotate through various specialties at AdventHealth hospitals, beginning in 2026. Several AdventHealth physicians also serve as OCOM faculty.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine,” said C. Josef Ghosn, Ed.D, FACHE, president and CEO of AdventHealth University. “This partnership creates valuable pathways for our graduates to grow and succeed in the field of medicine.”

At full enrollment, OCOM plans to have 180 students, providing a viable workforce pipeline for the national and local physician labor shortage.

"OCOM is going to change healthcare for the region for generations to come," stated Dr. Robert Hasty, founding dean and chief academic officer of OCOM. "With an innovative medical school curriculum meticulously crafted by our esteemed faculty, our institution stands at the forefront of modern medical education. The educational journey that awaits our future medical students promises to be transformative. They will enter from esteemed schools like AdventHealth University and emerge as highly proficient and caring physicians, expected to fulfill the physician shortage within the Central Florida community.”

Students can apply to OCOM here. Learn more about AHU’s Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences.