MSOM
Meritus Health
MSOM

Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine

Community is the MSOM Difference

Western Maryland's largest healthcare provider, with a 120-year legacy of providing community-based care, is proud to be launching the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine to train physicians who will be socially responsible, professionally accomplished, and community oriented. 

Becoming a community oriented physician

Our goal is to educate great doctors who have experience engaging in the community. Click below to learn more about some of the ways Meritus cares for its community. Medical students will have volunteer and research opportunities to participate in these initiatives and more. 

Preceptor Opportunities

Consider a preceptor opportunity to offer your guidance, mentorship and dedication to medical students and to medical education.

Addressing community health needs.

Meritus Health has been doing community-based care for over 120 years. To us, this means living our mission every single day by engaging with the community to serve all of their health needs whatever it may take. For example, here are just some of the community-based initiatives we're doing today:

  • Giving free groceries to our neediest patients at our practice locations
  • Weekly conversations with patients who indicate they lack social companionship
  • Employing a fleet of vans and drivers so nobody misses an appointment due to lack of transportation 
  • Providing over $65M in community benefit including over $12M in free medical care

MSOM is taking that tradition of caring for the community and incorporating it into our curriculum. 

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"Our mission is to improve health in the region," explained Meritus Health President and CEO Maulik Joshi. "As an anchor organization for this community, it is our privilege and obligation to positively impact the lives of over 200,000 people in our region. The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine will do that. It will change the game for the health, education and economy for everyone."

Prepare future generations of physicians who are professionally accomplished, socially responsible, and community oriented.

To be a leader in community-based medical education.

Please see our Strategic Plan.

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The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine 

supports a growing need

There is a growing shortage of physicians, and there are not enough new physicians being produced. Maryland is graduating fewer physicians, relative to population, than any other state.

124K

PHYSICIANS

National projected shortage of physicians by 2030

52

PHYSICIANS

Current Shortage in Washington County, Maryland

1 in 3

PHYSICIANS

is over the age of 60

Keep Up With Us

News & Updates

MSOM NEWS:Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine receives OK for first class
Sep 18, 2024

Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine receives OK for first class

MSOM will be the first new medical school in Maryland in over 100 years After 1,000 days of continuous planning, enrollment is now open for the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine for the fall 2025 semester. The school received conditional approval to operate in Maryland as an in-state degree-granting institution from the Maryland Higher Education Commission and pre-accreditation from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. “We started on this path to fill the critical shortage of physicians in our community, the state and the nation,” said Maulik Joshi, Dr.P.H., Meritus president and CEO. “Now, we’ve taken the steps that will create generational change.” There are not enough physicians in the United States to meet the needs of our population. By the year 2030, there is a projected shortage of 124,000 physicians, and in Washington County alone, studies indicate a current shortage of 52 physicians. Additionally, in Maryland, one out of three physicians are over the age of 60. The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine will be the first medical school opened in Maryland in more than 100 years. “We are fortunate to have outstanding medical schools in Maryland with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Maryland School of Medicine and we are honored to contribute to the growth of undergraduate medical education in our state,” said Dr. Paula Gregory, founding Dean of the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. “Our MSOM mission is to train socially responsible, professionally accomplished and community-oriented physicians.” What will the first students find on campus? The first class, the class of 2029, will include 90 medical students and future classes will be at 180 students. The D.M. Bowman Academic Hall, which will be the school’s main building, has been under construction for about two years on the Meritus Medical Center campus off Robinwood Drive near Hagerstown. The academic hall is slated to be completed by December 2024. The 200,000-square-foot, five-story building will house a state-of-the-art simulation center, simulation labs, classrooms and a conference center that can host up to 1,000 people. The adjacent Meritus Commons will provide student housing through 340 one- and two-bedroom apartments. The complex will also include a club house, commons area and dog park. The first 90 units will be completed in time for the first class. What is the projected economic impact of the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine? An independent economic impact study performed by Tripp Umbach shows the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine will bring considerable benefits to the region. Capital impacts from 2023-2026 are estimated at $268 million dollars, with 1,595 jobs created and estimated tax revenue of $6.2 million dollars. Once the school welcomes its first class, an estimated $500 million of economic impact is expected between 2025 and 2030, with more than $120 million per year to the Maryland GDP every year beyond 2030. How can I learn more about the new medical school? For more information about the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, including details on academics, tuition and fees and how to apply, visit www.msom.org.

MSOM NEWS:Meritus celebrates groundbreaking of student housing complex
May 17, 2024

Meritus celebrates groundbreaking of student housing complex

Community leaders and supporters were joined by elected officials and community members Thursday evening to celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony for the student housing complex for the proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. The complex, Meritus Commons, will include 340 one- and two-bedroom student apartments, a club house, commons area and dog park. The first 90 units will be completed in time for the proposed medical school’s first class to move in before the fall 2025 semester. The complex is just a quarter mile from the school’s flagship building, the D.M. Bowman Academic Hall, adjacent to the Meritus Medical Center campus, and will be accessible by a walking trail. “As we discussed our vision for the school, it was so clear that we wanted to provide a full campus experience for our students. It is essential that the students live here in Washington County,” said Dr. Paula Gregory, Dean of the proposed medical school. “By planting firm roots in our community, our hope and vision is that students will stay and practice medicine here and will love this community as much as we do.” Dave Lehr, Chief Operating Officer for the proposed medical school, told attendees the celebration was truly a celebration of Meritus’ investment in the community’s future, where there are ample physicians to provide essential services, one where the economy is bolstered and thriving, and one where higher education is accessible and poignant. “This is a critically important part of developing a world-class medical school in our community,” he said. “We aim to attract the best medical students in the country to our program. Part of attending medical school is living on campus, becoming part of the community and having access to all of the support that’s needed to thrive through such an arduous program.” Proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine The school’s flagship academic medical building, D.M. Bowman Academic Hall, remains on schedule for construction completion at the end of this year. The 200,000-square-foot, five-story building will house a state-of-the-art simulation center, simulation labs and a conference center that can host more than 600 people. Economic impact An independent economic impact study performed by Tripp Umbach shows the proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine will bring considerable benefits to the region. Capital impacts from 2023-2026 are estimated at $268 million dollars, with 1,595 jobs created and estimated tax revenue of $6.2 million dollars. Once the school welcomes its first class, an estimated $500 million of economic impact is expected between 2025 and 2030, with more than $120 million per year to the Maryland GDP every year beyond 2030. “We know that health, education and the economy are all connected. Improving the economy of our region also enhances the health and wellness of our neighbors,” said Maulik Joshi, Meritus Health President and CEO. “We are thrilled to have a project that will improve and enhance so many important factors related to the quality of life in Washington County.”

MSOM NEWS:Proposed Medical School Construction Milestone Celebrated at Beam Signing Event
Oct 24, 2023

Proposed Medical School Construction Milestone Celebrated at Beam Signing Event

Just one year and a day after breaking ground on the D.M. Bowman Academic Hall, the future flagship building of the proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, one hundred community leaders, elected officials and community organizations celebrated another milestone in the building’s construction by signing a steel beam. “Steel is a core ingredient for this building – a strong foundation of support, which truly is symbolic of those who are signing it to celebrate this milestone,” said Meritus Health President and CEO, Maulik Joshi, Dr.P.H. “The support for this project has been incredible – our community is absolutely playing a significant role in the proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine’s progress.” The Beam Signing event was attended by community leaders, local organizations, elected officials and donors who are supporting the capital costs of the new building, who have pledged a combined $11 Million dollars towards the project. The building, now framed in steel, will be 200,000 square feet and house classrooms, learning and technology labs and a conference center. Construction is expected to be finished next December, roughly eight months before medical students would use the facility. The proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine is expected to welcome its first class of students in the fall of 2025. “Every day we are building this medical school,” said Joshi. “We are building the curriculum, we are building community relationships, we are building our faculty and team, and of course we are building this building.” Joshi said an inaugural dean, Dr. Paula Gregory, and four associate deans have been hired and are supporting the licensure and accreditation process. As they continue to reach milestones, additional faculty and staff will be hired.

Help Us Reach Our Goal

We Need Your Support

By supporting the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, you are directly impacting the health of our region. We are thrilled to develop a customized giving plan to support what matters most to you.