Founded in 1900 as the American College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine is the fourth-oldest medical school currently active in Illinois. Over the years, the university expanded, adding additional degrees and programs; in 1993, the school united these programs under the name Midwestern University. In 1995, the school opened a campus in Glendale, Arizona, becoming the second and largest medical school to teach students in the state. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the medical schools are also accredited by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.
History
Downers Grove, Illinois Campus
The university was founded in 1900 as the American College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery.[4][5] The school was the fourth medical school in the world to grant the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree.[6] Originally located on Washington Boulevard in Chicago, the school moved to Hyde Park in 1918.[7] In 1913, the school changed its name to the Chicago College of Osteopathy, eventually becoming the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine.[4]
In 1986, the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine moved from its prior location in Hyde Park to a new campus in the western suburb of Downers Grove, Illinois.[5] In 1991, the Chicago College of Pharmacy opened.[5][8] The College of Health Sciences began in 1992.[5] In 1993, the board of trustees unanimously approved a single educational mission for the institution, uniting the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Chicago College of Pharmacy, and the Chicago College of Health Sciences into Midwestern University.[5][9][10] In 2009, the College of Dental Medicine-Illinois opened, followed by the Chicago College of Optometry in 2014[11] and the College of Graduate Studies in 2018.[5]
In 1996, the university opened a new campus in Glendale, Arizona. The first college at the Glendale campus was the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, which began its first courses in 1996.[12][13] The college joined the University of Arizona College of Medicine as one of only two medical schools in Arizona at the time, and it remained the only osteopathic medical school in the state until AT Still University opened in Mesa in 2007.[6] In 1997, a physician assistant program was established at the Glendale campus, followed by the College of Pharmacy the next year. In 2006, the College of Dental Medicine-Arizona opened, then the Arizona College of Optometry opened in 2008, and the College of Veterinary Medicine opened in 2012.[5] The College of Health Sciences' podiatric medicine program became the Arizona College of Podiatric Medicine in 2020.[14]
Downers Grove, Illinois CampusGlendale, Arizona Campus
In 2010, the university received a Conservation and Native Landscaping Awards from the Environmental Protection Agency for restoring 9 acres of wetland and oak-hickory woods on the Downers Grove campus.[15][16] In 2012, the Downers Grove Multispecialty Clinic opened in a five-story, 193,000 square foot building.[17][18] Also that year, the College of Veterinary Medicine opened at the Glendale campus,[19][20] with a 109,000-square-foot veterinary teaching hospital, a 36,000-square-foot large animal teaching facility, and a 76,000-square-foot classroom building.[21] The school was the first veterinary medical school in the state of Arizona,[22] and was the 29th veterinary medical school in the United States.[23]
Academics and accreditation
Midwestern University offers multiple academic programs at two campus locations. All programs are graduate-level and focus on the health professions. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.[24]
The university also offers the following degrees:[25][26]
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Master of Biomedical Sciences (M.B.S.)
Master of Medical Sciences (M.M.S.)
Master of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (M.S.)
Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.)
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.)
Master of Speech-Language Pathology (M.S.)
Master of Cardiovascular Science - Perfusion (M.S.)
Research
Midwestern University researches a variety of areas related to health and biomedical science. Areas of research include environmental toxicology (as a part of the One Health Initiative),[27]COVID-19,[28]pharmacology, physiology, and anatomy.[29] As of the 2020-2021 academic year, the university held $1,603,231 in active externally funded research awards. Sources of funding for research include: National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Health Resources & Services Administration, American Heart Association, American Optometric Foundation, HonorHealth, Leakey Foundation, Marfan Foundation, PhRMA Foundation, PetSmart Charities, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, National Assoc. of Chain Drug Stores, Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America Foundation, etc. [30]
The Glendale campus is located on a 156-acre (63.1 ha) site in Glendale, Arizona,[44] a suburban area 15 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix. Facilities on the campus include many buildings with teaching, research, and administrative functions. There is also an Interfaith Chapel.[45]
Patient care
Midwestern University operates several clinics on both its Downers Grove and Glendale campuses. The Downers Grove Multispecialty Clinic opened in 2012 and includes medical, dental, speech-language, physical therapy, and optometry services.[17][18][46] Through five community clinics located on the Glendale campus, the university provides medical, dental, podiatry, optometry, mental health, physical and occupational therapy, and veterinary services.[47] The Companion Animal Clinic is part of the larger Animal Health Institute, which also includes a Large Animal Clinic and a Diagnostic Pathology Center.[48]
Nearly 7,000 students were in attendance at Midwestern University for the 2020-21 academic year (both campuses). There were 2,980 students in attendance at the Downers Grove campus, with 63% female, 37% male, 58% white, 27% Asian, 6% Hispanic or Latino, and 2% Black or African American.[2] At the Glendale campus, there were 3,927 students in attendance, with 57% female, 43% male, 59% white, 17% Asian, 10% Hispanic or Latino, and 3% Black or African American.[3]
Students at Midwestern University participate in numerous clubs on campus and an active student government association. There are several professional fraternities on campus. The behavioral medicine club hosts an improvisation show, which benefits charities.[49] Additional clubs and organizations on campus include:[50]
^Cox, Jim. (2006). Radio Speakers: Narrators, News Junkies, Sports Jockeys, Tattletales, Tipsters, Toastmasters and Coffee Klatch Couples who Verbalized the Jargon of the Aural Ether from the 1920s to the 1980s: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 175. ISBN978-0786427802
Berchtold, Theodore (1975). To Teach, to Heal, to Serve!: The Story of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine: the First 75 Years (1900-1975) (First ed.). p. 239.
