The New Frontier of Medical Education: A Look at America’s Newest MD and DO Programs
Medical education is expanding at an unprecedented rate. In the early 1960s, the U.S. had just over 80 MD schools and only a handful of DO schools. Since then, the number has nearly doubled. Since 2004, the number of accredited medical schools has jumped by more than 25%, with several more on the horizon. Likewise, the number of enrolled medical students has increased by more than 40%.
This growth brings both new opportunities and new challenges. Much of the recent expansion has come from osteopathic schools, often established in underserved regions to help address workforce shortages.
The number of medical schools determines how many physicians can be trained each year. Although school expansion has boosted enrollment, the number of residency positions has not always kept pace. That mismatch creates a bottleneck between medical school graduation and residency placement—an essential step in physician training.
In the most recent cycle, MD programs received over 56,000 applications, with about 22,000 students matriculating, for an acceptance rate of roughly 40%. DO programs received more than 34,000 applications, admitting nearly 9,000 students. In other words: despite steady growth in the number of schools, competition for seats remains high.
Why So Many New Schools?
Several forces are driving this wave of new MD and DO programs:
Physician shortages, especially in primary care and rural or underserved regions
State and regional workforce initiatives that explicitly tie new schools to local health needs
Health-system partnerships, where large hospital systems co-create schools to build their own pipelines
Philanthropy and mission-driven models, including HBCU programs, faith-based institutions, and schools focused on health equity or engineering-driven innovation
For applicants, this means more options but also more complexity when it comes to evaluating programs.
Should You Attend a New Medical School?
Being part of a founding or early class can be exciting and uniquely rewarding. It can also come with uncertainty.
Pros of Attending a New Medical School
Legacy status: You’ll always be part of the inaugural years that helped shape the school.
Modern curriculum and facilities: New schools tend to build with simulation, team-based learning, and technology in mind from day one.
Visibility in residency applications: You may stand out as part of a small, closely watched charter class.
Real influence: Early students often provide feedback that directly shapes curriculum, policies, and culture.
Culture-building: You have a hand in setting norms around professionalism, wellness, diversity, and advocacy.
Cons of Attending a New Medical School
Accreditation uncertainty: Full LCME or COCA accreditation isn’t granted until the first class is close to graduation.
Financial aid limitations: Federal loans typically require a certain level of accreditation; this can affect early cohorts.
No historical data: There’s little to no information on USMLE/COMLEX performance or Match outcomes.
Growing pains: Policies, schedules, and curricula may change frequently and not always smoothly.
Limited vertical mentorship: There may be few or no students a year or two ahead of you to show you the ropes.
The key is mission fit plus risk tolerance. If a school’s mission, location, and curriculum are exactly what you want, a newer program can be an excellent choice, as long as you understand the trade-offs.
New Allopathic (MD) Schools Since 2018
Below is a consolidated look at the newest LCME-accredited or LCME-seeking MD programs and regional campuses, organized roughly by the year they enrolled (or plan to enroll) their first class.
2018–2020: The Wave Begins
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Hybrid case- and problem-based curriculum with a focus on leadership and innovation; one of the few universities offering both MD and DO degrees.
California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine (CUSM) – Colton, CA
Mission-driven focus on innovative education, research, and compassionate care in an inclusive environment.
Carle Illinois College of Medicine – Urbana–Champaign, IL
The world’s first engineering-based medical school, created as a partnership between the University of Illinois and Carle Health.
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine – Nutley, NJ
Health-system-based school with a three-year pathway to residency option and community-based longitudinal learning.
NYU Long Island School of Medicine – Mineola, NY
A three-year, tuition-free MD program focused on primary care and other frontline specialties.
Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU – Fort Worth, TX
Emphasizes communication, leadership, and innovation; first class graduated in 2023.
Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, University of Houston – Houston, TX (2020)
Primary-care-centered mission to improve health in Greater Houston and beyond.
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine – Pasadena, CA
Integrated with a large health system, with strong emphasis on population health and community engagement.
2023–2024: Expansion into Underserved Regions
University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine – Tyler, TX (first class 2023)
A strong rural and population-health focus; early classes receive full-tuition scholarships.
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science – Los Angeles, CA (first MD class 2024)
A new HBCU medical school centering health equity, social determinants of health, and system-level change.
Thomas F. Frist Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University – Nashville, TN (first class 2024)
Faith-friendly, whole-person-care model on a campus that already houses nursing, PT, OT, pharmacy, and social work programs.
Medical College of Georgia – Savannah Campus – Savannah, GA
New regional campus at Georgia Southern University, building on longstanding clinical rotations in the region and a primary-care-focused curriculum.
UMass Chan–Lahey Regional Medical School Campus – Burlington, MA
A new regional campus at Lahey Hospital with a LEAD@Lahey track emphasizing leadership, health systems science, and interprofessional experiences.
2025–2026 and Beyond: The Next Generation
These schools and campuses are at various accreditation stages but are planning to welcome students in roughly the next five years:
Alice L. Walton School of Medicine – Bentonville, AR
Philanthropy-backed, MD program integrating conventional medicine with holistic and self-care practices; aiming for an inaugural class around 2025.
Xavier University College of Medicine (MD, HBCU) – New Orleans, LA
In planning; would join Howard, Meharry, Morehouse, and Charles R. Drew as HBCU-based medical schools.
University of Georgia School of Medicine – Athens, GA
Approved as the state’s second public medical school, transitioning from the existing AU/UGA partnership; designed to address rural physician shortages.
Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine – Fayetteville, NC
Groundbreaking in 2024, aiming to welcome its first class in 2026 with a mission centered on health equity and community engagement.
New University of Minnesota – CentraCare Campus (St. Cloud) – St. Cloud, MN
Rural-focused regional campus expected to enroll its first cohort of students in 2025.
Roseman University College of Medicine – Nevada
New MD program in the accreditation pipeline, with applications opening and early cohorts anticipated in the mid-2020s.
UC Bakersfield Medical School (Grow Our Own Bill) – Kern County, CA
Newly mandated UC medical school for Kern County once endowment funding thresholds are met.
UC Santa Cruz Medical School – Santa Cruz, CA
In development as another UC-based expansion of public medical education.
University of Nebraska Medical Center Rural Health Complex (UNK campus) – Kearney, NE
Planned rural campus aimed at training physicians for underserved Nebraska communities.
American University of Health Sciences School of Medicine – Signal Hill, CA
Christian, minority-serving institution with LCME applicant status and a mission of culturally competent care.
University of California, Merced– Merced, CA
Joint effort with UCSF and UCSF-Fresno aimed at training physicians for California’s Central Valley.
Several additional proposals—at institutions such as BYU, the University of Rhode Island, and potential Delaware and Maine public medical schools—are in feasibility or very early planning stages.
Osteopathic (DO) Growth: New Schools and Campuses
Parallel to MD expansion, osteopathic medical education has grown rapidly, particularly in regions with acute physician shortages.
Recent and upcoming highlights include:
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) – First class 2018; serves the Mountain West.
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Clovis, CA; first class 2020.
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Conroe, TX; first class 2020.
Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine – Provo, UT; first class 2021.
KansasCOM – Wichita, KS; first class 2022, first DO school in the state.
Rocky Vista University – Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine – New campus in Montana (2023).
Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Memphis, TN; first class 2024.
Duquesne University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Pittsburgh, PA; enrolling 2024.
Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine – Maryland; in the early-to-mid-2020s cohort.
Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine at Morgan State University (HBCU) – Targeting mid-decade enrollment.
UNC College of Osteopathic Medicine (University of Northern Colorado) – Groundbreaking completed; aims to enroll students as early as 2025–2026.
LECOM Jacksonville – A new four-year campus in partnership with Jacksonville University, with a first class planned for 2026.
Xavier University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Cincinnati, OH; the nation’s first Jesuit COM, slated to open in 2027.
How Applicants Can Use This Information
For premeds and advisors, this evolving landscape raises three practical questions:
Is the school at least preliminarily accredited?
Only consider programs that have reached a stage where students are eligible for federal aid, licensure exams, and the Match.Does the mission align with your goals?
Many newer schools have very explicit missions—rural practice, primary care, health equity, faith-based ethics, or engineering and innovation. Your story will land better if it matches theirs.What are the downstream opportunities?
Ask about affiliated hospitals, residency pipelines, community partnerships, and support for research or specific specialties you care about.
New medical schools are not a shortcut into the profession—but they are reshaping where and how future physicians are trained. For the right applicant, at the right school, being part of a new program can be an extraordinary opportunity to help build the future of medicine.
