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. 

Become a community-oriented physician.

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

Shape your medical future.

Benefit from hands-on learning and an expanding residency program at Meritus Health, preparing you for a successful medical career. 

 

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 offers 15 scholarships to incoming students
Jun 3, 2025

Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine offers 15 scholarships to incoming students

Financial awards for inaugural class total more than $1.6 million. HAGERSTOWN, Md. — The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine (MSOM) will offer more than $1.6 million in scholarships to 15 students in its first class over the next four years. That includes one full scholarship; the remainder are partial scholarships. The inaugural class of 90 students is due to fill the D.M. Bowman Academic Hall in July. Funding for the scholarships comes from Meritus Health, its leaders and physicians, and its volunteers, as well as the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. “We are extraordinarily proud of our health system and business community for stepping up to help our students,” said MSOM President Maulik Joshi, Dr.P.H. “This group of bright and dedicated young people will be able to focus less on finances and more on training to become physicians who will be socially responsible, professionally accomplished and community oriented.” Some of the scholarships are standard grants awarded annually based on merit and/or financial need and contingent upon students maintaining high performance. However, many are structured as forgivable loans, requiring students to work for the health system for a period of time after graduation. The Meritus Medical Center Auxiliary established the first scholarship in MSOM’s history, the Meritus Auxiliary Regional Scholars Program. The scholarship covers full tuition over four years totaling $220,000 for one student. Auxiliary President Gerry Philp said the school’s mission to educate more physicians and keep them in this region aligned with the Auxiliary’s mission of supporting the activities of Meritus Medical Center. “We thought this was a very good cause,” he said. “We had given money to the school in the capital campaign, and we wanted to see it successful, so we thought it would be good to do a full scholarship versus a partial, and we had the funds available to commit.” Other scholarships and donors include: Meritus Health Scholars Program Four scholarships of $25,000 for each of four years for a total of $100,000 per recipient. Donor: This scholarship was established by Meritus Health, which wants to ensure that the community thrives by bringing the best and brightest future physicians to our region. Meritus President's Scholarship Awarded to one student in the inaugural MSOM class. The scholarship award will be $25,000 a year for four years for a total of $100,000. Donor: This scholarship was funded by the MSOM president. Meritus Leaders Scholarship Awarded to one student in the inaugural MSOM class. The scholarship award will be $25,000 per year for four years for a total of $100,000 Donor: This scholarship was funded by donations from Meritus senior leaders. Meritus Physicians' Scholarship Awarded to two students in the inaugural MSOM class. The scholarship award will be $25,000 per year for four years for a total of $100,000 each. Donor: This scholarship was funded by donations from Meritus physicians. Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Six scholarships of $26,000 for each of four years for a total of $104,000 over four years. Donor: These scholarships were made possible by the generosity of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce which received a grant from Maryland Physicians Care to establish the program. ### Meritus Health, Western Maryland’s largest health care provider, is located at the crossroads of Western Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The mission of Meritus Health is to improve the health of the region by providing the best healthcare, health services and medical education. As an anchor organization for the community, Meritus has 4,000 employees and serves more than 200,000 residents of the tristate region through Meritus Medical Center, Brook Lane Health Services, Meritus Medical Group, Meritus Home Health, Meritus Equipped for Life, and the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. More information can be found at www.MeritusHealth.com or visit our Facebook page or LinkedIn page.

MSOM NEWS:MSOM Faculty Publish Breakthrough Research on Alzheimer’s Disease in Biomolecules Journal
May 30, 2025

MSOM Faculty Publish Breakthrough Research on Alzheimer’s Disease in Biomolecules Journal

The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine (MSOM) proudly announces that Dr. Venkata Atluri and Dr. Samuel Kadavakollu have published a significant research article in the peer-reviewed journal Biomolecules. The article, titled "Inflammasome-Mediated Neuroinflammation: A Key Driver in Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis," explores the critical role of inflammasomes in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Their study sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms behind neuroinflammation and its contribution to Alzheimer’s, potentially paving the way for targeted therapies aimed at mitigating disease progression. The publication reflects the growing recognition of MSOM faculty for their impactful contributions to neurodegenerative disease research. Read the complete article by visiting: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/5/676

MSOM NEWS:Brian Kessler, D.O., named new dean of Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine
May 15, 2025

Brian Kessler, D.O., named new dean of Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Kessler will start on July 1 HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Meritus Health is pleased to announce that, following a national search, Brian A. Kessler, D.O., D.H.A., FACOFP dist., has been selected as the new dean of the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. He will officially assume his role on July 1. “We are thrilled to have Dr. Kessler join us as we start this new journey in providing world-class education to our medical students,” said Meritus President and CEO Maulik Joshi, Dr.P.H. “He brings the right knowledge and skill to train physicians who will be socially responsible, professionally accomplished and community oriented.” Dr. Kessler brings to MSOM more than two decades of leadership experience in academic medicine, clinical education and institutional advancement. He currently serves as dean and professor of family medicine at Campbell University's Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine in Buies Creek, N.C. Before that, he held key leadership positions, including dean at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., and director of medical education at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital in Ohio. Dr. Kessler earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Doctor of Healthcare Administration from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pennsylvania. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) and the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), where he contributes to developing national policies and accreditation standards in osteopathic medical education. "I am honored to join Meritus at this pivotal moment," Dr. Kessler said. "This is more than the founding of a medical school; it represents a profound investment in the future of health care for Maryland and the surrounding region. I look forward to working with the Meritus Health team, our community partners, and local leaders to prepare physicians who will serve with excellence, compassion and a deep commitment to the communities they call home." MSOM was created by Meritus Health’s forward-thinking Board of Directors and leadership to help solve the problem of fewer physicians in the profession across the region and the nation. “The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine represents a bold commitment to improving healthcare in Western Maryland and the surrounding region,” Dr. Kessler said. “I look forward to working alongside the Meritus Health team to build an academic model that responds directly to the needs of the communities we serve.” MSOM is the first medical school to open its doors in Maryland in more than 100 years. The first class, the class of 2029, will have 90 students and will be on campus in July. Future classes will be 180 students. “Welcoming the inaugural class is a once-in-a-career opportunity,” Dr. Kessler said. “These students will help define our identity, culture and future. I am excited to support their growth as physicians who will lead with skill, compassion and purpose.” To learn more about the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, visit msom.org. ### Meritus Health, Western Maryland’s largest health care provider, is located at the crossroads of Western Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The mission of Meritus Health is to improve the health of the region by providing the best healthcare, health services and medical education. As an anchor organization for the community, Meritus has 4,000 employees and serves more than 200,000 residents of the tristate region through Meritus Medical Center, Brook Lane Health Services, Meritus Medical Group, Meritus Home Health, Meritus Equipped for Life, and the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. More information can be found at www.MeritusHealth.com or visit our Facebook page or LinkedIn page.

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.