About OSU Center for Health Sciences

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) educates and trains osteopathic physicians, research scientists and other health care professionals, with an emphasis on providing health care for rural and underserved Oklahoma.  The College of Medicine was legislatively founded in 1972 and merged with Oklahoma State University in 1988. 

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences offers programs in osteopathic medicine, biomedical and forensic sciences. Since its beginning, OSU CHS has grown to offer eight graduate degrees. The Biomedical Sciences program offers advanced degrees in anatomy, biochemistry, cell biology, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology and physiology.  Additionally, OSU CHS offers a Master’s of Science in Natural and Applied Sciences – Health Care Administration and a combined DO/MBA program, which allows students to earn an MBA in their first year then continue with four years of uninterrupted medical education. The Forensic Sciences program is one of only eight in the nation accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

OSU College of Osteopathic Medcine

U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked OSU-CHS among the best medical allopathic and osteopathic schools in the country.  In 2007, the weekly news magazine ranked the college 20th in the nation in rural medicine and 45th in primary care. U.S. News also reported that the Center for Health Sciences ranked third nationwide for financial aid given to its students.  OSU medical students’ pass rate consistently ranks top in the nation on the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. The College Osteopathic Medicine (COM) faculty frequently receives national recognition for outstanding work, including the recent Distinguished Osteopathic Surgeon Award from the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons.

The College of Osteopathic Medicine has a class size of approximately 115 students per year, with a current total student enrollment of 374, and 86 percent of the students are from Oklahoma.  To date, the College has graduated more than 2,250 physicians.  Two-thirds of the graduates practice in primary care (family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology) and one-third practice in specialty areas such as dermatology, neurology, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, ophthalmology, psychiatry, anesthesiology and gastroenterology.   The College of Medicine partners closely with the OSU Medical Center, which serves as the largest osteopathic teaching center in the United States, training 151 resident physicians in primary and sub-specialty care each year.

Biomedical Research

OSU CHS biomedical research involves projects by faculty and investigative teams of scientists who seek to translate molecular research into new medical therapies, as well as commercialization and technology transfer capabilities.  The major research foci are applied and integrative neuroscience, cardiovascular and pulmonary, forensic science, and interdisciplinary programs.  Approximately 200 individuals are involved in research activities, including 40 of the 80 full-time faculty members, several graduate and medical students, numerous residents, interns and research staff. 

Over the last decade, a major mission of OSU CHS is to become a significant research institution in the northeast region of Oklahoma. OSU involved in the Tulsa Research Partners group, which is an independent research consortium created to impact multidisciplinary collaborations and to award research grants to support technology development projects in software, IT cyber-security, advanced materials, telecom, bio-life and alternative energy sciences.  The Research Partners are part of the Oklahoma Innovation Institute, which is a non-profit corporation committed to building an innovative economy in the Tulsa region.  The Institute fosters collaborative research and development, entrepreneurship, company creation and retention, life-long learning and creative, future-oriented thinking.  The objectives are driven by private sector, government and philanthropic partnership.

In addition to these community and regional efforts, OSU CHS is active in the founding, development and implementation of the Tulsa Area Bioscience Education and Research Consortium (TABERC).  TABERC was founded to develop bioscience research in Tulsa through multidisciplinary and collaborative approaches to undergraduate and graduate education and technical training. TABERC is currently comprised of nine Tulsa area institutes of higher education. This collaborative partnership will position Tulsa and the surrounding area to be a leader in bioscience education, training, research, and innovation by utilizing assets of all area institutions of higher education.

OSU Physicians Clinics

OSU-CHS operates six clinics, five in Tulsa and one in Muskogee. The clinics provide approximately 135,000 patient visits annually, providing $3 million in indigent care.  The clinics focus on family medicine, women’s health, psychiatry, internal medicine, HIV/AIDS care, pediatrics, cardiology, respiratory, surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and ophthalmology.  The following are examples of the far-reaching academic, research, clinical and community activities of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences:

Telemedicine services

• State's largest telemedicine network connecting physicians to patients.
• First medical school in the nation to require telemedicine education of all its graduates.
• Telemedicine Network is currently linked to more than 24 locations throughout Oklahoma.
• Two Mobile Telemedicine Clinics, utilizing 39-foot buses, that visit rural sites in the eastern part of the state to provide access to specialty care.  Each Mobile Clinic contains a full exam room and connects to specialists who provide cardiology services, dermatology, mental health consults and HIV/AIDS follow-up care, among other services.  In a typical month, the mobile clinic hosts twelve specialty telemedicine clinics at five sites.

Center for Rural Health

• Mission is to improve healthcare in rural Oklahoma through student education; residency training; research; program applications; advocacy; and, alliances with others who share its goals.
• Oversees the rural rotations of our third and fourth year OSU medical students
• Funds programs aimed at providing Oklahoma’s rural practitioners, hospitals, and clinics with the support necessary to ensure access to quality healthcare for our state’s rural residents. Many of these services are free and provide important information not readily available to most rural communities.
• Serves as a statewide clearinghouse for rural health information.

OSU School of Forensic Sciences

• One of only eight programs in the country accredited by the American Academy of Forensic Science.
• Offers several master's degree options, plus a special class for registered nurses regarding sexual assault cases.
• Rated as a Top 10 “CSI” forensic science graduate program in the United States by Forensics-School.com.
• Partners with the City of Tulsa Police Department offering two floors of lab and office space for the police department’s forensic labs, evidence room and other police functions making OSU’s forensics program one of only two in the country which is co-located with a working crime lab.
• Additional partnerships benefiting our communities and OSU students include the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Medical Examiner, the National Institute for Microbial Forensics and Food and Agricultural Biosecurity, and the Central Technology Center.

OSU School of Biomedical Sciences

• Offers masters and PhD graduate degrees in anatomy, biochemistry, cell biology, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology and physiology.
• Current research includes seeking cures and advanced treatments for autism, cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular diseases, upper respiratory illnesses, asthma, and Otitis Media (ear aches) in children. Other areas of original research include psychological factors in cardiovascular disease, endocrine factors of post-partum depression, chronic sub-clinical infections, and patented system of delivery for cognitive rehabilitation exercises.

OSU School of Health Care Administration

• Offers graduate degrees in Natural and Applied Sciences Health Care Administration.