Proposed School of Osteopathic Medicine

What is Osteopathic Medicine?

• Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine or D.O.s are fully qualified physicians licensed to perform surgery and prescribe medication in all 50 states.
• D.O.s bring something extra to medicine: D.O.s practice a "whole person" approach to medicine. Instead of just treating specific symptoms or illnesses, they assess the overall health of their patients including home and work environments.
• D.O.s receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system -- your body’s interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones that make up two-thirds of its body mass. This training provides osteopathic physicians with a better understanding of the ways that an injury or illness in one part. of your body can affect another.
• Osteopathic physicians focus on preventative health care.
• D.O.s and M.D.s are alike in many ways:
  • Applicants to both D.O. and M.D. colleges typically have a four-year undergraduate degree with an emphasis on scientific courses.
  • Both D.O.s and M.D.s complete four years of basic medical education.
  • After medical school, both D.O.s and M.D.s can choose to practice in a specialty area of medicine -- such as psychiatry, surgery or obstetrics -- after completing a residency program which requires an additional two to six years of training.
  • Both D.O.s and M.D.s must pass comparable state licensing examinations.
  • D.O.s and M.D.s both practice in fully accredited and licensed health care facilities.
  • D.O.s comprise a separate, yet equal branch of American medical care. Together, D.O.s and M.D.s enhance the state of care available in America.

Osteopathic Factoids

• D.O.s are one of the fastest growing segments of health care providers. Growth in the number of D.O.s is exceeding projections. Between 1989 and 1994, D.O. growth outpaced M.D. growth by almost two times. By the year 2020, over 80,000 osteopathic physicians will be in practice in the U.S.
• WCU will be the 29th College of Osteopathic Medicine.
• D.O.s represent 15% of physicians in small towns and rural areas.
• Each year, more than 100 million patient visits are made to D.O.s.
• There are over 380 DO licensed in Mississippi.
• The Surgeon General of the US Army, Indian Health Service, and US Coast Guard were DO’s.
• There are currently over 1,000 DO’s in the US Military including the Commanding Office of the President’s Hospital Naval Medical Center Bethesda.

What are the plans at William Carey University?

WCU is undergoing the accreditation process established by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and using the standards of the Council on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). At the present time the William Carey University - College of Osteopathic Medicine will be considered as a proposed college of osteopathic medicine until it receives provisional accreditation status from AOA-COCA. It is estimated that will occur in 2009.  When WCU-COM has achieved provisional status, then recruitment of students and additional faculty can begin in earnest.

Preparatory Faculty

Dean:  Michael K Murphy, D.O., FACOFP, dist., FAODME

Michael K. Murphy, D.O., FACOFP, dist., FAODME is a 1973 graduate of the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.  He received his Bachelors of Science from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre in 1969.  Dr. Murphy was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy in 1970 and did his internship and residency in Family Practice at Navy Hospital Camp Pendleton, CA.

During his over twenty-nine years of service in the Navy he was stationed all over the United States and the world and served as the Commanding Officer of a Navy Hospital.  Retiring as a Captain in the United States Navy Medical Corps in 1998, he took the position of Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Des Moines University.

In 2000 he was recruited to the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine as Professor in Family Medicine, Associate Dean for Post graduate Studies and Executive Director for the Appalachian Osteopathic Postgraduate Training Institute Consortium.

On July 1, 2003, he was appointed as Associate Dean for Postgraduate Training and Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences in 2006 at PCSOM. Dr. Murphy was appointed the Vice President and founding Dean for at the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in January of 2008.  The American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians granted Dr. Murphy his Fellowship in 2000 and his distinguished Fellowship in 2007. The Association of Osteopathic Directors and Medical Educators (AODME) awarded Dr Murphy his Fellowship in May of 2007. 

Currently, Dr. Murphy serves the osteopathic profession as Trustee of the American Osteopathic Association. He also serves as a Trustee of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) and the AODME.


Darrell E. Lovins, DO, MPH, FACOFP

Darrell E. Lovins, D.O., M.P.H., FACOFP graduated from Bethel College (now Bethel University), St. Paul, MN with a degree in chemistry (biochemistry emphasis) in 1978.  He received his medical degree from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, MO in 1983.  Dr. Lovins performed his internship and residency training at the Naval Hospital, Pensacola Florida, 1983 – 84 and 1986 – 88 respectively.  He earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Washington, Seattle while completing fellowship training in Faculty Development and Research at Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA.  In 2007 the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians conferred upon him the Fellow Award.

Dr. Lovins served in the United States Navy for over 26 years both active and reserve, retiring in 2005 as a captain.  During his career his duties included being: a general medical officer; a family physician; family medicine residency faculty; a medical officer to the USS Lexington and USS Tortuga; and founding and co-founding the  department family of family practice and family medicine residency at Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune, NC respectively.  His completed his last naval assignment with the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board as Chief of Sea Services.  His highest personal award is the Defense Superior Service Medal.

Upon retirement Dr. Lovins joined the faculty of the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine (PCSOM) and the Appalachian Osteopathic Postgraduate Training Institute Consortium (A-OPTIC).  Throughout his career he has been active in training medical students and residents and serving the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) where he currently sits as Vice Chair, Council on Postdoctoral Training.  He has a keen interest in teaching and understanding how learners learn.  His additional professional interests include curriculum development and disaster medicine.

Sandra Meeler, Administrative assistant to the Dean

What are the requirements for entering a COM?

The COCA prohibts non accredited COM's from advertising or soliciting. For additional general information on the admissions requirements and process, plus examples of curriculum, please visit American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.