In the release, the college says the Board voted during a special meeting May 22 to move forward after the college raised the funds required to submit for Candidate Status with the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. The release says notification of status could come as early as September, which would allow the college to move to the next step in the accreditation process.
College President Stephen Minnis, in the release, called it a moment many people have been waiting for and thanked benefactors, including board members, for making it possible.
Board Chair Mike Kuckelman called the vote historical, comparing it to other major decisions in the school's 168-year history. Kuckelman says Benedictine is stepping forward to address the need for rural health care and to educate physicians to fill the gap in delivering what he describes as faithfully Catholic, high-quality medical care.
The release says the proposed Benedictine College School of Osteopathic Medicine would provide an education rooted in Catholic bioethical teachings and train doctors ready to serve in Catholic hospitals and in rural areas where health care providers are scarce.
The college says the proposed medical school would be the first at any college recommended by the National Catholic Register and the Newman Guide.
