Administration

Joseph R. Johnson, D.O., FACOOG (Dist)
Dean
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Randy Litman, D.O., M.B.A., FACOFP, HPF, FAAO, FACOI
Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and GME
Designated Institutional Official of the ONMM Residency Program

Melanie Hicks, M.B.A., D.B.A.
Associate Dean of Accreditation and Business Operations

Jeffrey Jasperse, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Medical Education and Curriculum
Professor of Integrative Physiology

Chris Kennedy, J.D.
Vice Provost Health Affairs

Michael Neville, Pharm. D., FASHP
Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Life
Professor of Pharmacology

Vacant
Senior Associate Dean of Academic Operations

Joseph Gigliotti, Ph.D.
LUCOM Director for Institutional Research and Scholarship
Associate Professor of Physiology

Accreditation

Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) is accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), operating under authority granted to it by the U.S. Department of Education, to offer an academic program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. The degree is conferred by the Board of Trustees of the College on those candidates successfully completing the course of study and recommended by the College’s faculty.

Purpose

The purpose of the Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) is to educate osteopathic physicians who embody Christian values and excel in holistic patient care.

Goals

1. To recruit and graduate osteopathic medical students who have a servant’s heart and are committed to providing care to underserved and underrepresented patients in Virginia, Southeastern United States, across the United States of America and the globe.
   1. To recruit a diverse student body that has a desire to serve disadvantaged urban and rural underserved populations.
   2. To place an emphasis on recruitment of students from Virginia and the Southeastern United States who share our mission, vision and values and are likely to practice in the region and help advance its health and economic status.
2. To honor and preserve the history and philosophy along with the art and science of osteopathic medicine through the teaching of historical principles and practices and the incorporation of up to date scientific knowledge, research, clinical and biomedical sciences.
3. To provide an osteopathic medical education that is holistic, evidence based, community focused, and patient-centered with excellence as its expected standard.
4. To teach students by design, example and mentorship the treatment of the patient as an integrated whole; incorporating the mind, body and spirit.
5. To develop graduates who are qualified to enter any medical discipline upon graduation yet dominantly enter primary care, preventive and community based practices in our service area. This will be accomplished through the design of the curriculum, the type and location of the clinical educational opportunities provided and the leadership of the faculty role models that are provided by the COM.
6. To advance the careers, knowledge, skills and personal lives of the faculty and staff of the COM through support for scholarly activity, research, faculty development, a positive environment and respect.
7. To contribute to the advancement of medical knowledge and advance the quality of health care for society through educational, scientific and clinical research, promotion of effective health policy and other scholarly activity.
8. To be a contributing member of the greater Liberty University, Lynchburg, and Virginia communities by contributions to educational, professional, societal affairs and through works of service.
9. To support and advance osteopathic and other professional medical associations through leadership, support, contributions of service, development of policies, expansion of knowledge, and collaborative efforts.
10. To develop clinical education opportunities in rural and underserved areas of Virginia, local as well as distant regions of the United States and globally, to provide quality clinical educational opportunities for LUCOM students and residents.
11. To develop clinical opportunities in rural and underserved areas of Virginia that will provide expanded access for patients’ healthcare through the efforts of LUCOM faculty, students and residents.
12. To develop and maintain national and international medical outreach and mission programs to train clinicians to serve in underserved areas of Virginia, the United States and the developing world.
13. To collaborate with our affiliated hospitals and clinical partners to develop graduate medical education programs for osteopathic and other health professions graduates, provide educational opportunities for health care professionals at the same time the programs provide healthcare and educational services to our region.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program, students will be able to demonstrate achievement of the AACOM core competencies:

• Osteopathic Principles and Practice/Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: The student will understand and apply osteopathic principles to patient care.
• Medical Knowledge: The student will demonstrate knowledge of established biomedical, epidemiological, social, and behavioral sciences and their application to patient care.
• Patient Care: The student will have the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to provide compassionate, appropriate, and effective patient care.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills: The student will demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective interactions with patients, families, and colleagues.
• Professionalism: The student will demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities in an ethical and sensitive manner.
• Practice-based Learning and Improvement: The student will demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate patient care practices using scientific evidence and apply these to patient care.
• Systems-based Practice: The student will demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and systems of health care, to provide care of optimal value.
• Spiritual Care: The student will demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the spiritual needs of patients, families, and colleagues.

Additional Information

To learn more, please visit the College of Osteopathic Medicine Catalog.

• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine