The Liaison Committee on Medical Education has granted preliminary accreditation to two new medical schools, one in New Orleans and one in Provo, Utah. Both can now recruit their first classes, which will start in summer 2027.
Here is where each school stands:
Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (New Orleans)
Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine received preliminary accreditation, and applications will open through the American Medical College Application Service in the coming weeks.
Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health formed the college in 2024. It is the only medical school at a historically Black college or university in the Gulf South.
“We are not simply opening the doors of a new medical school; we are expanding who will have the opportunity to become a physician,” Reynold Verret, PhD, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, said in an Oct. 14 news release.
The Health Resources and Services Administration projects a national shortage of more than 141,000 physicians by 2038. Louisiana is among the hardest-hit states, with 60 of its 64 parishes federally designated as health professional shortage areas. HBCU medical schools could help close that gap: They train nearly 70% of the nation’s Black physicians, and their graduates are more likely to practice in communities with the greatest need, according to the release.
By 2040, the medical school is projected to generate $152.5 million in economic impact across Louisiana, including $122 million in New Orleans, and to support more than 1,185 jobs statewide. Physicians trained at the medical school are projected to contribute an additional $2.9 billion to the U.S. economy by 2040.
BYU School of Medicine (Provo, Utah)
The BYU School of Medicine also received preliminary accreditation and will begin accepting applications in the coming weeks.
The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the school in July 2024. Its primary clinical affiliate is Intermountain Health’s Utah Valley Hospital in Provo.
“The BYU School of Medicine will offer a distinctive approach to medical education rooted in faith, rigorous academic preparation, and service,” BYU President C. Shane Reese said in an Oct. 14 news release. “Receiving preliminary accreditation is a major milestone and allows us to fulfill a prophetic vision of preparing physicians who will bless individuals, families, and communities throughout the world.”
The BYU Board of Trustees also approved plans for a 275,000-square-foot medical school building on BYU’s West Campus, just east of Utah Valley Hospital. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. Until the building is finished, students will train in a renovated space that was part of the former Provo High School.
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