OCOM opens new facility to public during ribbon-cutting

Officials cut the ribbon at the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine Sunday, March 10, in honor of the state-of-the-art medical school’s grand opening.

The event, located onsite at 7011 Kiran Patel Drive in Winter Garden, commenced with

an invocation by Dr. Pallavi Patel, followed by remarks by Dr. Kiran Patel, philanthropist and benefactor; Dr. Robert Hasty, DO, dean and chief academic officer; Dr. Daniel J. Newhaller, DO, board of trustee president; and Skylar Bentley, a student from the school’s inaugural class.

A statue of Dr. Kiran Patel by artist and sculptor, John Hair, who will be in attendance, also was unveiled. Following the programming, guests were invited to tour the facility.

The college is more than an investment of $200 million into the community. Leaders expect it to have more than a $1.7 billion economic impact by 2045.

OCOM broke ground in July 2022 at its campus located off the Schofield Road exit of State Road 429.

In August, the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine in Horizon West will welcome its inaugural class of the next generation of professional health care leaders. The first class at OCOM will have 90 students. At full enrollment, the school expects 180 students.

The mission of the school is to train caring and competent osteopathic physicians who will have an impact on the Central Florida community, the nation and the global community.

OCOM benefactor Dr. Kiran C. Patel said the school is going to change health care for the region for generations to come.

The building has an Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine lab, virtual anatomy lab, research lab and a simulation lab, as well as multiple classrooms and a library. The three-story building spans 144,000 square feet and is built with a modernist-style architecture.

OCOM is an exclusive medical school partner with the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Institute for Graduate Medical Education. The organization has a vision to create 1,000 newly developed residency positions over the next 10 years.

Recently, OCOM also has partnered with AdventHealth University.

Established in 1992, the university offers dozens of health care degrees and certificates, including two pre-med tracks: a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences.

The project cost about $75 million, not including the 360 multi-family apartments adjacent to the campus. The first 180 apartments in phase one will be completed in June. Phase two, estimated for an August completion, will encompass 180 additional apartments.