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 have launched 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."

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 Medicine Receives $500K Grant for Simulation Center
Oct 19, 2026

Meritus School of Medicine Receives $500K Grant for Simulation Center

State funding will expand advanced simulation technology and hands-on medical training for students, residents and healthcare professionals The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine (MSOM) has received a $500,000 state grant through the Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program. The funding will help pay for new simulation equipment and technology for MSOM’s 40,000-square-foot simulation center, one of the largest medical simulation learning centers in the country. "Great healthcare starts with great education,” said Dr. Brian Kessler, D.O., dean of MSOM. “We are honored to receive this state investment, which strengthens our ability to provide innovative, simulation-based learning opportunities across the continuum of medical education. Students taking their first clinical steps, residents refining advanced skills and practicing clinicians committed to lifelong learning all will benefit from this award.” The simulation center features 20 exam rooms designed to mimic real patient visits, four hospital and operating rooms, a virtual reality lab, more than 2,000 square feet of hands-on training space and a 50-table lab for osteopathic manipulative medicine. "Meritus is serious about training our students with the latest technology,” said Dave Lehr, Meritus Health chief administrative officer and chief innovation officer. “This project will establish a state-of-the-art, hi-fi simulation that provides unique, hands-on learning opportunities. So before they provide direct patient care, our students will be highly skilled and uniquely practiced in clinical decision-making, teamwork and patient safety. This contributes to our goal of providing a world-class training environment." In addition to medical students, the center is used by residents in the Meritus Graduate Medical Education Program and other Meritus medical staff for training and skill development. The grant is part of the Maryland Department of Labor’s Rural Incentives for Strengthening Employment (RISE) in Healthcare program. RISE helps support and retain healthcare professionals in rural Maryland while also creating learning opportunities for future healthcare workers. “By helping us prepare healthcare professionals at every stage of their careers, this grant advances the Meritus mission to improve the health of the communities we serve and helps ensure exceptional care remains close to home," Dr. Kessler said. To learn more about the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, visit msom.org. ### The Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award to the Maryland Department of Health totaling $168,180,837.61 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents of this meeting are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

MSOM NEWS:Surveys Show Meritus Medical School’s Free MCAT Boot Camp was Big Help to Aspiring Doctors
Sep 28, 2026

Surveys Show Meritus Medical School’s Free MCAT Boot Camp was Big Help to Aspiring Doctors

Participants gave program thumbs up, much appreciated meaningful support on pathway to medical school New survey data from the inaugural MCAT Boot Camp hosted this summer by the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine demonstrates the program's success in helping aspiring physicians prepare for one of the most important exams on their journey to medical school. The free, virtual boot camp, held July 13-17, attracted 205 students from 142 undergraduate institutions across the country, providing high-quality Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparation and admissions guidance at no cost to participants. Newly compiled feedback from attendees shows overwhelming satisfaction with the program and highlights the growing need for accessible pathways into medical education. "The response to our first MCAT Boot Camp exceeded expectations," said Dr. Shawn White, PhD, the boot camp’s co-director. "These results reinforce that talented students are looking for meaningful support as they prepare for careers in medicine. By removing financial barriers and connecting students with experienced educators, we are helping build the next generation of physicians." White and fellow boot camp co-director Dr. Sam Kadavakollu, PhD, MSc, developed the program to expand access to MCAT preparation and help aspiring physicians navigate the medical school admissions process. The five-day program was designed to address the challenge of affordability for MCAT preparation resources. Commercial preparation courses can cost hundreds of dollars, creating barriers for many students pursuing careers in healthcare. The Meritus boot camp offered an alternative, bringing together medical educators and subject matter experts to provide intensive instruction in key exam topics. Participants attended 27 educational sessions covering topics such as biology, organic chemistry, anatomy and physiology, genetics, behavioral sciences and critical analysis skills, among others. Students also received guidance on medical school admissions, application strategies and interview preparation, while engaging directly with current medical students during question-and-answer sessions. Program participants submitted more than 1,100 session evaluations, resulting in 1,107 ratings identifying sessions as beneficial and only 15 ratings indicating content was irrelevant. In addition, 46 of 47 survey respondents said they would recommend the program to other students preparing for the MCAT. The boot camp attracted students actively preparing for upcoming MCAT administrations. Of the 205 registrants, 64 planned to take the exam during the summer. For Meritus leaders, the results underscore the school's broader mission to expand educational opportunities and strengthen the future physician workforce. As a community-focused medical school, the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine aims to support students at every stage of their journey into medicine while helping address physician shortages in Maryland and beyond.

MSOM NEWS:MSOM Advocates for Rural Healthcare on Capitol Hill During AACOM Advocacy Day
Sep 23, 2026

MSOM Advocates for Rural Healthcare on Capitol Hill During AACOM Advocacy Day

On Sept. 17, Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine (MSOM) second-year students Caleb Bean, Adam Mowery, and Isaiah Stevens joined Dr. Sam Kadavakollu, PhD, MSc, associate dean of academic affairs, for AACOM Advocacy Day 2026. They met with members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to discuss policies affecting osteopathic medical students and the communities they will serve. The group advocated for the Fair Access In Residency (FAIR) Act, which would require Medicare-funded residency programs to consider osteopathic applicants and their COMLEX-USA scores. They also discussed the Community TEAMS Act, which would support clinical rotations through partnerships between medical schools and healthcare facilities in rural and medically underserved communities. For MSOM, both issues connect directly to its mission. Fair access to residency helps students continue their path to becoming physicians, while community-based clinical training prepares them to serve areas like Western Maryland. By bringing these priorities to Capitol Hill, MSOM students demonstrated their commitment to improving access to care for the patients and communities they will serve.

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.