University of North Texas Health Science Center

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM), the first degree-granting graduate school at UNT Health Science Center, was founded in 1970. It is a public medical school and the first osteopathic medical school in Texas. As a primary care-oriented school, TCOM trains and graduates a large number of U.S. medical students entering general practice fields (e.g. family medicine, internal medicine, or pediatrics), and from 2018 to 2020, fifty-two percent of its graduates matriculated into these fields.[22] At $13,079 for Texas residents, TCOM boasted the lowest annual tuition cost during the 2021–22 school year relative to tuition fees at all other osteopathic medical schools in the United States. Annual tuition was also the cheapest for in-state medical students in comparison to annual fees at the 15 other allopathic or osteopathic medical schools in Texas.[23]

In September 2018, TCOM was granted a 10-year Accreditation with Exceptional Outcome, the highest level of accreditation given by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). Four other Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine have achieved the same accreditation level in the time since.[24]

TCOM's medical curriculum consists of two years of pre-clinical studies and two years of clinical rotations. The first year consists of introductory basic science (e.g. anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, and immunology) integrated with physiologic processes structured by body system (cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, musculoskeletal, renal, neurologic, and endocrine). During this time, students also learn physical examination, doctor-patient interactions, and the principles of osteopathic, palpatory diagnosis and manipulative therapy. After learning the physiologic foundations during the first year, the second-year curriculum shifts focus to disease processes and pathology, which are also organized by body system.[25] TCOM's systems-based, two-pass preclinical curriculum, piloted by Bruce Dubin, DO, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, has remained the same since conception in 2010 and is now widely replicated at sister osteopathic medical schools (e.g. RVUCOM, KCUMB-COM, etc.).

After the first two years, medical students are assigned a third year base site for third year clinical rotations in family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, psychiatry, and pediatrics. While most students elect to rotate through TCOM's primary teaching hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, students may instead choose to relocate to Corpus Christi, Longview, Conroe, or Weatherford, where they spend the year clerking at satellite teaching sites.[26]

TCOM medical students achieved the highest exam score average, relative to students from all other U.S. osteopathic medical schools, on their COMLEX-USA ("Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States") Level 1 Exam in 2019, 2020, and 2022. Level 1, the osteopathic counterpart to NBME's USMLE Step 1, is the first of three exams required for board certification of osteopathic physicians from U.S. medical schools granting the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.[27] Annual tuition fees since 2020 have covered a 6-month subscription to USMLE World ("UWorld") and TrueLearn ("COMBANK") test bank questions.

• JPS Health Network in Fort Worth – The primary teaching institution of Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM). Anchored by a 578-bed acute care hospital, the network includes more than 25 community-based clinics. John Peter Smith Hospital is home to Tarrant County's first and only Level I Trauma Center and its only psychiatric emergency services site, which is also the second-busiest psychiatric ER in the country.
• Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth – The primary pediatric teaching institution for TCOM, this hospital is licensed for 430 beds and is one of the largest freestanding pediatric medical centers in the U.S. The hospital also has an ACS verified level II pediatric trauma center.
• Texas Health Resources (THR) Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth – Awarded the highest advanced certification by The Joint Commission as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, the 726-bed hospital is also the first in the country to earn the prestigious designation as a Joint Commission Primary Heart Attack Center. Texas Health Resources is the largest faith-based, nonprofit health system in North Texas in terms of inpatients and outpatients served.
• Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Dallas – Home to one of Dallas County's 3 Level 1 Trauma Centers and to a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Methodist Dallas is licensed for 556 beds. Awarded a Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission, the hospital serves more than 175,000 patients per year.
• Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi – Driscoll Children's Hospital is a 191-bed pediatric tertiary care center with more than 30 medical and surgical specialties offering care throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley, Victoria, and Laredo. The hospital remains the only free-standing children's hospital in South Texas. In 2020, Driscoll had almost 122,000 patient visits, including almost 28,000 patients seen at South Texas’ first emergency room created exclusively for children.
• Medical City Fort Worth and Medical City Dallas – Medical City Fort Worth and Medical City Dallas are 2 of 10 Medical City Healthcare Hospitals to be recognized with an "A" Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade in 2021. The former is licensed for 348 beds; the latter, 668 beds. Part of the Texas Stroke Institute's Stroke Care Network, the hospitals are designated Comprehensive Stroke Centers and Joint Commission-certified chest pain centers.

• Medical City Weatherford (Weatherford, TX)
• CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi - Shoreline and Corpus Christi Medical Center (Corpus Christi, TX)
• HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe (Conroe, TX)
• Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center - Longview (Longview, TX)

• Daeyang Luke Hospital, Malawi
• School of Medicine, Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand
• Institute of Medicine, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand

The admissions process is streamlined through Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS), whereby applicants are ranked by schools at which they interview and then "matched" for final placement to a single Texas medical school of their highest preference.[28] Thirteen other medical schools in Texas participate in TMDSAS, including UT Southwestern Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine.

Malawi's 300-bed Daeyung Luke Hospital is serviced year-round by HSC physicians.

TCOM's Rural Osteopathic Medical Education ("ROME") Rural Scholars Program is an innovative educational program designed to prepare medical students for clinical practice in the rural, underserved setting. In addition to completing regular courses in preclinical medicine during their first two years of school, ROME Scholars have additional course requirements pertinent to their curricular focus in rural or international medicine. Core clinical rotations during third year are designed to provide focused training in the rural setting through assignments at designated rural-based training sites located throughout Texas or at affiliated hospitals in Malawi and Thailand.[29]

TCOM also offers the following dual degree programs: B.A./D.O.,[30] D.O./M.P.H., D.O./M.S., and D.O./Ph.D.[31][32]

Through the HSC Scholars in Cancer Research Program, DO/PhD students are able to pursue in-depth, mentored biomedical research training in oncological studies. Scholars enrolled in this program are supported with a stipend (up to $28,000 per year) and travel support (up to $1,000 per year) for up to 3 years. Tuition for medical school is fully covered as well.[33]

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine was continuously ranked in the top 50 for primary care from 2002 through 2014. In its 2023 Rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked the school #36 for primary care, which is the highest ranking for an osteopathic medical school in the category, and #95 for research.[34] Additionally, TCOM was ranked #11 amongst 124 medical schools for producing the most graduates practicing in primary care fields.

In an annual report by George W. Bush Institute (2020), TCOM was ranked #1 amongst U.S. medical schools for innovation impact productivity, a measure of how well an institution converts research inputs (e.g. research spending) into patents, licenses, startups, widely cited papers, and graduates.[35] The institute ranked UNTHSC-TCOM as the most productive U.S. medical school in impacting its local economy and society through innovation.[36]

TCOM offers many residency training programs and fellowship training programs at affiliated training institutions, including John Peter Smith Hospital and Driscoll Children's Hospital.[37] In partnership with UNTHSC Texas Center for Performing Arts Health, the medical school also offers the nation's first fellowship training program in Performing Arts Medicine.[38]

The School of Biomedical Sciences, founded in 1993, offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Sciences, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in several disciplines, such as: biochemistry and cancer biology; biotechnology; cell biology, immunology, and microbiology; clinical research management; forensic genetics; integrative physiology; medical science; genetics; pharmacology and neuroscience; pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacotherapy; structural anatomy and rehabilitation sciences; visual sciences. Academic departments include: Physiology & Anatomy; Microbiology, Immunology, & Genetics; and Pharmacy & Neuroscience.

Post-baccalaureate students may join the Medical Sciences ("Med Sci") Program to improve their credentials for admission to medical, veterinary, or dental school. Students in this 1-year program receive a Masters of Science in Medical Sciences.

The TechFW Acceleration Lab opened in 2008 to provide laboratory space for TechFW clients needing wet labs in addition to their offices. The partnership between HSC and TechFW has granted clients of TechFW access to six wet labs and other resources at the university to leverage their development of new medical devices, novel discovery tools for health and pharmaceutical research, and other life science innovations.

The School of Public Health, founded in 1999, confers a doctoral professional degree in Public Health Sciences and master's degrees in Public Health, Health Administration, and Public Health Sciences. The school also has graduate certification programs in Public Health and Healthcare Management.

The School of Health Professions, founded in 2004, confers a doctoral professional degree in Physical Therapy (DPT) and master's degrees in Physician Assistant Studies and Lifestyle Health Sciences & Coaching. The school also has a graduate certification program in Genetics and Genomics.

In 2022, HSC received $4.8 million in funding from Tarrant County and City of Fort Worth to start a physical therapy-focused accelerator program with Techstars, a global investment business firm. Fort Worth and Tarrant County are both allocating $2.4 million for the project. Equity investments into the startup companies will be made by HSC and Goff Capital to total nearly $10 million for the project over three years.[39]

Ten early startup companies focused on driving innovation in human movement are participating in the Accelerator's 3-month program. The companies are matched with mentors and undergo a rigorous program that prepare them for Demo Day, where startups present their newly curated pitches to venture capitalists, angel investors, foundations and family offices.

The Interdisciplinary Research and Education Building (IREB) houses the UNT System College of Pharmacy, TCU School of Medicine, and several research labs.

Founded in 2011, UNT System College of Pharmacy (HSCCP) is a four-year program that leads to the degree of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). Emphasis is placed upon training students to enter any area of pharmacy practice or pharmacy residency. During the first and second years of the curriculum, a heavy emphasis is placed on foundational courses in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. During the second and third years, integrated pharmacotherapy is taught with an organ system approach.

In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked UNT System College of Pharmacy #90 amongst the 134 pharmacy schools participating in its annual rankings.

Clinical case discussions in the first year focus on health promotion and communication skills, and in the second and third years, these discussions align with the pharmacotherapy blocks. Pharmacy Practice Skills Laboratories in Years 1 and 2 focus on medication preparation, patient interviewing and assessment, and professional communication skills. Students participate in Pharmacy Practice courses in Semesters 1 - 6, in which they study a broad range of areas, including biostatistics, health care delivery systems, pharmacoeconomics, law, ethics, history of pharmacy, communications, and more.

During Years 1 - 3, students engage in Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE's) in which they work with pharmacists or fourth year pharmacy students in community and institutional pharmacies, participate in health promotion projects in the community, take Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support classes, and perform simulations on high fidelity manikins. IPPE's emphasize interprofessional collaboration with other health professions students at HSC. In the fourth year, students engage in Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE's), in which they provide patient assessment and care through medication management, provide drug information to patients, providers, and other health care professionals, engage in disease management and prevention, and engage in medication distribution through filling of prescriptions and medication orders, all under the direction of a licensed pharmacist preceptor.

Dual degree programs offered include PharmD/MS, PharmD/PhD, and PharmD/MPH. Students are alternatively able to pursue special curricular emphases, such as Emphasis in Pharmacometrics or Emphasis in Pharmacy Compounding, and/or certifications in Applied Health Outcomes Research, Pharmacometrics, and Drug Discovery & Development.

The Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium (TCMHCC) was funded by the 86th State Legislature of Texas (2019) to expand access to care for children and adolescents in Texas. Mental health initiatives such as Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN), Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT), and Community Psychiatry Workforce Expansion (CPWE) are funded by the State of Texas through TCMHCC and offered through 13 health institutions, including UNT Health Science Center and JPS Health Network.[41]

Through TCMHCC, HSC child psychiatrists provide assessment and behavioral telehealth visits to at-risk children and adolescents and telehealth-based consultation and training to pediatricians and primary care providers requiring clinical assistance to identify and treat mental health issues in their patients.[42]

In June 2022, HSC unveils its Immersive Regional Simulation Center, which will be located on the first floor of the Gibson D. Lewis Library. As a collaborative training hub for residency program trainees, clinical staff, emergency medical service providers, nursing home staffers, and HSC students, the $6.75 million facility will enable clinical programs within the region to incorporate virtual reality into their health care curriculum.[46]

The HSC Regional Simulation Center will house 14 clinic exam rooms; a large, changeable procedural skills suite; an “activities of daily living” suite resembling the inside of a home; several multipurpose “teams” rooms; and several learning lounges, where students can study. Many of the rooms will be capable of being resized, remodeled, and adapted based on the needs of students and veteran health care workers.

Research centers and institutes at UNTHSC include:[51]