Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine 2025-2026

Mission and Vision of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

Mission

We pride ourselves on our strong focus on our mission: training osteopathic primary care physicians to serve Ohio.

Our medical school educates physicians committed to practice in Ohio, emphasizes primary care, engages in focused research, and embraces both Appalachian and urban communities. Integral to this mission, our college community commits itself to: provide a clinically integrated, learning-centered, osteopathic medical education continuum for students, interns, residents, and primary care associates; embrace diversity and public service; and improve the health and well-being of underserved populations.

Vision

A healthier Ohio, empowered by compassionate osteopathic physicians.

With our graduates and partners, we advance care and knowledge to improve the health of our communities. Our culture is built upon resiliency, courage and compassion. Our physicians humanize each patient encounter, bridging the gap between therapeutics, medical technologies, health systems, care delivery and disparity.

Mission and Vision of the Ohio University

The OHIO Mission

To hold the door open to higher education so that all those eager to solve humanity’s most urgent challenges might enter to learn, connecting them with experiences and discovery that will help them think critically, care deeply, lead boldly, and ultimately depart to serve. 

The OHIO Vision

To deliver the most valuable university education in Ohio, and lead as one of the most valued public universities in the nation.

• For students, we will connect each student with personalized experiences that ensure their lifelong success while maximizing opportunities for an affordable education.
• For communities and partners, we will be eager collaborators in addressing challenges and advancing opportunities.
• For our state, we will remain committed to serving students in and recruiting students to Ohio and be actively responsive to evolving workforce and educational needs.
• For all, we will invest in research and creativity that translates to solutions, delivering value far beyond Ohio’s borders.

To learn more about the mission and vision of Ohio University please visit: https://www.ohio.edu/mission-vision

Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine

The American Osteopathic Association’s House of Delegates approved the Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine as policy which follows the underlying philosophy of osteopathic medicine.

     1. Each person is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind and spirit.

     2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.

     3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.

     4. Rational treatment of patients is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and    function.

The Profession

Men and women holding the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree can be found in such medical disciplines as neurosurgery, psychiatry, endocrinology, and anesthesiology. The majority of D.O.s, though, choose to practice family medicine and the related primary care disciplines of family medicine, general pediatrics, and general internal medicine.

The osteopathic profession was established in the late 19th century by Andrew Taylor Still. In 1874 Still laid the cornerstone of osteopathic medicine by describing the principles and philosophy on which the profession was to be based. This philosophy viewed the human body as a single organism in which each part interacts with and influences every other part. D.O.s, therefore, are taught to treat each patient as a whole person, rather than focusing just on the area that is causing the immediate medical problem.

In addition to other medical modalities, osteopathic physicians are trained to use osteopathic manipulative medicine. By manually examining the patient, osteopathic doctors can detect changes in the body’s joints, bones, muscles, and nerves. By using direct or indirect pressure to move the muscles and bones, doctors often improve circulation and nerve response, helping the body heal itself.

The osteopathic approach leads to a personal, “people-oriented” style of practice that today’s medical students find very rewarding. It is not surprising that with this focus, the majority of D.O.s become family doctors who provide the “grass roots” general health care so much in demand in the United States today.

Statement of Commitment

As required by the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, Ohio University declares: that it will educate students by means of free, open and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth; that its duty is to equip students with the opportunity to develop the intellectual skills they need to reach their own, informed conclusions; that it is committed to not requiring, favoring, disfavoring or prohibiting speech or lawful assembly; that it will create a community dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects the autonomy of each member, supports individual capacities for growth, and tolerates the differences in opinion that naturally occur in a public higher education community; and that its duty is to treat all faculty, staff, and students as individuals, to hold them to equal standards, and to provide them equality of opportunity, with regard to those individuals’ race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Admissions: 800.345.1560 | www.ohio.edu/medicine

This catalog, published online in July 2025, will serve as the catalog of entry in effect for all matriculating Heritage College students until such time as a new catalog is published.

Please note that web site addresses are provided throughout the catalog. The content of these sites is updated frequently. In all cases, a paper copy of the information published at any of these sites can be obtained by contacting the Heritage College at 740.593.2500 or by e-mailing ou-hcom@ohio.edu. For a detailed listing of all student information Web addresses, log on to www.ohio.edu/medicine/about/offices/student-affairs/. Web site addresses are subject to change.