“To provide learner-centered education, both nationally and internationally, for osteopathic medical students, postgraduate trainees, physicians, and other professionals. Through its interprofessional programs, the college prepares competent and compassionate lifelong learners; supports research, scholarly activity, and community service; and advocates for the health and welfare of diverse populations, including the medically underserved.”
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM) is a private, nonprofit college for the study of osteopathic medicine. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, it encompasses six prestigious centers and institutes that provide vital training and community support. The programs and services offered at NSU-KPCOM are designed to provide the very best in quality education and professional training.
NSU-KPCOM offers the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) program, which is dedicated to student-centered osteopathic medical education that produces exemplary osteopathic physicians known for competent and compassionate care. With the vision of providing the overarching framework for laying future plans, it has set itself apart as a distinguished leader in teaching, research, and service through excellence and innovation.
Specially Designed Osteopathic Curriculum
The NSU-KPCOM Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) program requires four years of professional study. It also includes a dual-degree program, in collaboration with NSU’s College of Dental Medicine. Working collaboratively, both colleges have structured a curriculum that provides students with an opportunity to receive a D.O. and a D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree. Graduates of this program will be prepared to use a completely holistic approach to health care that will address osteopathic medicine and general dentistry, as well as access-to-care issues, and meet the needs of rural and underserved populations.
Its innovative curriculum is designed to fulfill the college’s mission. The curriculum design is based on successful academic models that are carefully developed and integrated. The unique curriculum provides robust academic and clinical training that prepares students for the real world of medicine.
“To be at the forefront of this wave of perpetual transformation, NSU-KPCOM consistently evaluates and revises its curriculum to ensure that its students receive a multifaceted education that will allow them to maximize their potential and provide them with the tools to become first-rate physicians,” said the college’s dean, Elaine M. Wallace, D.O., M.S., M.S., M.S.
College Accreditation
NSU-KPCOM has been granted accreditation by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) of the American Osteopathic Association. This body is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting agency for colleges educating osteopathic physicians.
About the Dean
Elaine M. Wallace, D.O., M.S., M.S., M.S., is the dean of the NSU Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is a seasoned professional with more than 38 years of diverse experience, principally in osteopathic medicine and family practice. Due to her multifaceted expertise, she is helping NSU-KPCOM students chase their dreams. Wallace, who has served in various capacities at the college during the past 18 years, is an active scholar and researcher with a distinguished publication record. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her mentorship, teaching excellence, and student engagement, including NSU’s Faculty Award for Community Service in 2012.
“There is a culture that exists at this institution that exudes very positive feelings. We’re not here just as employees of the college or university, whether we be faculty, staff, or administration. We’re here because we share a passion for what we do, which is to ultimately produce high-quality physicians who are committed to being caring and compassionate patient advocates, wherever and whatever they may practice.” –Elaine M. Wallace
NSU-KPCOM Faculty Excellence
The outstanding and experienced NSU-KPCOM faculty member have taken a leadership role in ensuring that they offer students a comprehensive and stimulating course of study in osteopathic medicine. NSU-KPCOM’s faculty and staff members and administrators embrace and project certain noble qualities, such as compassion, confidence without arrogance, and a high predilection for service to the medically underserved. This, in turn, encourages and guides the students on how to emulate and replicate those qualities. The proficient faculty members at NSU-KPCOM are providing future generations of osteopathic physicians an opportunity to gain a significant amount of scientific information and medical knowledge, while also imparting the equally important and often-ignored skill of learning how to teach oneself over multiple decades in a rapidly changing world.
Promoting Research and Innovations
Through the efforts of its faculty and staff members, the college has incorporated an increasingly strong research component. In 2017, NSU-KPCOM submitted 28 grant proposals and received $11,033,376 million in research funding and $22,342,102 million in teaching/training support. In today’s world, where scientific and technological advances seem to occur at warp speed, NSU-KPCOM places itself on the cusp of medical educational innovation and prepares its students for a medical landscape brimming with challenge and change.
