Lincoln Memorial University breaks ground on DeBusk Osteopathic College

Lincoln Memorial University broke ground Friday on a new College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine will be a $25 million facility located on LMU's campus in Harrogate.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and namesake of the DCOM, O.V. "Pete" DeBusk joined University President Nancy B. Moody and other LMU officials to celebrate the groundbreaking.

"This is a very historic day for Lincoln Memorial University and the people of the Appalachian region," DeBusk said. "This building and the College of Osteopathic Medicine it will house is destined to be a landmark in this community."

The University announced plans to pursue accreditations for the DCOM on January 18 after it was granted pre-accreditation status by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA COCA) in mid-December.

The new program represents LMU's first Level V (doctoral/professional) degree program and requires approval from both the Commission on Colleges (COC) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and AOA COCA.

Recruitment of students will begin following the approval of both accrediting agencies. A targeted goal for the beginning of classes is the fall semester, 2007.

The state-of-the-art DCOM building is estimated at 105,000 square feet with four floors and will house lecture halls, faculty and administrative offices, laboratories, research space, examination rooms and classroom space.

The completion date for the new DCOM building is set for July 2007.