William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine: An Overview

William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM) is a private institution committed to educating and training osteopathic physicians. Whether you are a student looking for a place to begin your journey or a visitor hoping to discover more about the osteopathic field, we welcome you to browse our pages and learn about the rich tradition of Osteopathic Medicine. Established to address the shortage of physicians, particularly in rural Mississippi, WCUCOM has quickly become a prominent institution in the field of osteopathic medicine.

History and Accreditation

William Carey University, founded in 1892 as Pearl River Boarding School, has a rich history marked by resilience and growth. After several transformations, including a name change to Mississippi Woman's College, it became coeducational in 1953 and adopted the name William Carey University. The university is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Mississippi Baptist Convention.

On October 23, 2007, the board of trustees at William Carey University (WCU) unanimously voted to authorize Tommy King, president, to employ a dean for the College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM). The college was officially established on March 3, 2008. It was awarded provisional accreditation by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation at its meeting September 12-13, 2009. In August 2010, the university welcomed its inaugural class of 110 medical students. The William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine is the 29th osteopathic medical school in the United States. WCUCOM Receives Full Accreditation, Set to Graduate Inaugural Class. William Carey University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, master's, specialist and doctoral degrees.

Mission and Vision

WCUCOM's primary mission is to graduate primary care physicians who will practice in Mississippi, a state historically ranked low for access to care and health-related indices. The college aims to improve the quality of care, increase graduate medical training in the state, and innovate primary care and rural medicine.

WCUCOM is considered one of the top medical schools in the nation for meeting our mission of serving the underserved. News and World Report as second in the nation for placing graduates into rural areas, fifth for placing graduates in to medically underserved areas, Carey placed fourth in overall percentage of our graduates going into primary care (32 nd in overall primary care production).

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Leadership

Dr. Italo Subbarao joined the WCU College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2012, serving as associate professor of clinical sciences and later senior associate dean. Seven years later, having worked as an emergency room physician and disaster fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of Public Health Readiness for the American Medical Association, Dr.

Academic Programs and Special Tracks

WCUCOM offers a comprehensive Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program with several special tracks designed to cater to specific interests and needs. Prior to the fall of 2025, the academic year consisted of three trimesters of ten weeks each. Two summer sessions, a January Term, and a May Term are also offered.

OMM Scholars Program

The OMM Scholars Program is a one-year program after completion of the second year of medical school for osteopathic medical students who have a genuine desire to incorporate OMT into their future practice. The OMM Scholars Program is designed for those seeking additional skill in and understanding of neuromusculoskeletal medicine or those interested in educating the next generation of osteopathic physicians. The scholars program provides a limited number of tuition and stipend awards each year.

Global Health Track

The Global Health Track at WCUCOM aims to train graduates to meet the healthcare needs of a diverse global society. Global health places population health into a global worldwide context. Global health places a priority on reducing health disparities and achieving health equity for people worldwide. Global health also strives to protect populations around the world from global health threats such as infectious diseases, humanitarian crises, and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. In partnership with the Institute for International Medicine (INMED), this track offers students a distinctive opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills in cultural competency, global disease, and international healthcare systems. The goal is to mentor students interested in global health involvement in their future careers.

The Global Health Track requires a four-year commitment from students in good academic and professional standing. The program engages students in a longitudinal curriculum designed to provide them with a strong knowledge of the fundamentals of global health. Global Health Track students will also be given the opportunity to travel abroad to apply their knowledge in a clinical setting where they will experience both the difficulty and reward of caring for individuals in a global arena.

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Students can choose one of the following curricular paths:

Professional Diploma in International Medicine & Public Health (15 credit hours)
Professional Certificate Course in International Medicine & Public Health + International Service Learning Experience
Professional Master's in International Health (32 credit hours)
Professional Certificate Course in International Medicine &Public Health + Professional Certificate Course in Epidemiology + Elective Courses + International Service Learning Experience+ Scholarly Project

Rural Health Track

The Rural Health Track at WCUCOM is designed to educate and train graduates to meet the unique healthcare needs of medically underserved populations. Many rural areas in our state and region face critical physician shortages. Building an adequate healthcare workforce in these rural communities is vital to maintaining quality healthcare access for the medically underserved. In partnership with the Mississippi Rural Health Association (MRHA) and designated rural hospitals, clinics, and GME programs affiliated with the medical school, this track educates students regarding health challenges faced by medically underserved populations in rural areas. The Rural Health Track provides motivated students with a distinctive opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills in the areas of cultural competency, chronic disease, and rural healthcare systems. Under the supervision of designated rural health mentors, students will be given the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a rural clinical setting, where they will experience both the difficulty and reward of caring for individuals in medically underserved areas.

The Rural Health Track requires a four-year commitment from students in good academic and professional standing. The program will engage students in a longitudinal curriculum designed to provide them with a strong knowledge of the fundamentals of rural healthcare. Rural Health Track students will obtain the Mississippi Rural Health Student Fellow (MRHSF) credential established by the MRHA, while simultaneously completing all requirements for the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree.

Impact and Achievements

WCUCOM has made significant strides in fulfilling its promise to Mississippi and the Osteopathic Profession. Over a third of the graduates over the past seven classes have stayed in MS for residency training and practice. Many alumni are now coming back as faculty at WCUCOM and contributing as preceptors for our students. Carey physicians and students have received significant recognition for innovative approaches to primary care and population health. This includes the development of ambulance drones, telemedical systems, and the use of augmented reality and virtual reality for education. This also includes award winning curriculum in the areas of Tobacco Prevention and clinical recognition of Interpersonal violence (Child Abuse, Spousal Abuse). Carey contributes to regional disaster planning and preparedness activities annually including Forrest County and Lamar County exercises.

Carey has contributed to a significant increase in graduate medical education throughout the state; and hospitals in the state who participated have seen a greater quality of healthcare provided to those communities.

Other Programs and Activities at William Carey University

William Carey University operates in accordance with its Baptist affiliation and has many programs for its 4000 students.

Winters School of Music

The Winters School of Music is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music. The music therapy program is accredited by the American Music Therapy Association.

Department of Theatre & Communication

William Carey University's Department of Theatre & Communication began in 1915 by Kate Downs P'Pool. Since 1994, the department has become actively involved in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. In 2001, William Carey's production of And David Danced was selected for presentation at the National Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival in Washington, D.C. In the same year, the department was honored with the Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. The department has also twice taken faculty and students to Nairobi, Kenya to produce the musical Smoke on the Mountain. The department produces three productions per year, normally a drama, a children's theatre piece, and a comedy or musical.

Carey Dinner Theatre

Carey Dinner Theatre began in 1974 as the "Carey Summer Showcase" under the management of Obra Quave. The longest-running dinner theatre in the state of Mississippi (30+ years), CDT brings professional summer theatre to WCU and the surrounding community. Two CDT alumni (Phillip Fortenberry and Keith Thompson) have gone onto professional Broadway music careers.

School of Pharmacy

The School of Pharmacy matriculated its inaugural class starting in July 2018. The inaugural class of 58 students had orientation at the Tradition Campus on July 19-20th of 2018. The three-story, 33,000-square-foot Pharmacy Building has a price tag of $7 million. Carey has an accelerated program that last 2 years and 10 months. Students will be taking classes year-round in four terms of 11 weeks each. The School of Pharmacy is one of only 11 accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy programs in the nation.

Student Life

The Student Government Association hosts Welcome Week, Homecoming Week (along with the Alumni office), and various activities throughout the year. The university is served by a newspaper, The Cobbler, which publishes once a month and alternates between a print and online edition. The name of the yearbook is The Crusader (it was known as The Pine Burr in the MWC days). Three Christian-oriented organizations exist on campus. Gamma Chi is one sorority focused on sisterhood and service. Gamma Chi's colors are red, black, and white and the mascot is a panda. Pi Omega is a social and service sorority.

Athletics

The William Carey athletic teams are called the Crusaders. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC; formerly known as Georgia-Alabama-Carolina Conference (GACC) until after the 2003-04 school year) since the 2010-11 academic year.

Rankings and Recognition

News & World Report America's Best Colleges, William Carey University was ranked No. 2 Best Value among regional universities in the South for the second consecutive year. In 2015, William Carey University was ranked No.

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