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Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Domain: Equitable Expansion of the Health Workforce

Students at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine have the opportunity to specialize their medical education through distinctive track options that address critical healthcare needs in underserved communities. The urban underserved medical track prepares future physicians to work in metropolitan areas where low-income populations face significant barriers to healthcare access, focusing on the unique challenges of providing care in city environments with limited resources, diverse patient populations, and complex social determinants of health. Meanwhile, the rural medical track trains students to serve in remote and sparsely populated areas of Oklahoma, where physician shortages are acute and doctors must often be generalists capable of treating a wide range of conditions with limited access to specialists and advanced medical facilities. Both tracks emphasize community-based care, cultural competency, and the development of skills necessary to provide comprehensive medical services to populations that have historically been medically underserved.

The medical school demonstrates exceptional commitment to diversity and Native American healthcare through several pioneering programs and partnerships. An admissions pathway program specifically supports economically or environmentally disadvantaged students, as well as those interested in pursuing primary care or rural medicine in Oklahoma, ensuring that students from challenging backgrounds have opportunities to become physicians who will serve their communities. Notably, the College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation campus stands as the only medical school located on a Native American reservation in the United States, with its inaugural class achieving the historic milestone of graduating in 2024. This campus offers a tribal medicine track that integrates traditional Native healing practices with contemporary medical science, teaching students about the specific health challenges facing Indigenous communities, including higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and the intergenerational trauma affecting Native populations. Students can also participate in a summer tribal externship that provides hands-on clinical experience in tribal health facilities, allowing them to work directly with Native American patients and healthcare providers. Additionally, Oklahoma State has established formal agreements with specific Oklahoma universities that guarantee admissions interviews to qualified applicants from these partner institutions, creating clear educational pathways into medical school for students across the state.

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