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It has been three years since President Andy Feinstein — with the support of the local health care community and other leaders — launched his ambitious vision to open a medical college on the University of Northern Colorado’s (UNC) campus.

Those efforts address the critical shortage and growing demand for doctors, particularly in rural areas, which is negatively impacting people’s ability to access health care in Colorado.

Now, the logistics of creating UNC’s proposed College of Osteopathic xxxÖ±²¥ (COM) are falling into place, thanks to the tremendous efforts of university leadership, donors and supporters. The feasibility and economic impact studies are complete, state legislation has been passed, funding has been secured, a dean and two associate deans have been hired and now another significant milestone — the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) advanced UNC’s proposed College of Osteopathic xxxÖ±²¥ from Applicant to Candidate Status in August.

Candidate status is the second of three stages the university must go through prior to reaching full accreditation. According to Beth Longenecker, D.O., M.S., FACOEP, FACEP, and founding dean of the UNC COM, the advancement in the accreditation process means the college is officially recognized by the COCA and will be publicly listed on their website. It also means the college is on track to begin recruiting its first class in 2025 and welcoming them to campus as early as fall 2026.

As those foundational elements have come together, Longenecker has been working to create relationships, developing the tenets of a student-centered program and orchestrating the vision that will make Colorado’s third medical school stand out from the rest. 

Read the Full Fall 2024 Magazine Story