Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine in New Orleans has received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
The decision clears the historically Black medical school to recruit its first class, which will start in summer 2027. Applications will open through the American Medical College Application Service in the coming weeks.
Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health formed the college in 2024. It is the only medical school at a historically Black college or university in the Gulf South.
“We are not simply opening the doors of a new medical school; we are expanding who will have the opportunity to become a physician,” Reynold Verret, PhD, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, said in an Oct. 14 news release.
The Health Resources and Services Administration projects a national shortage of more than 141,000 physicians by 2038. Louisiana is among the hardest-hit states, with 60 of its 64 parishes federally designated as health professional shortage areas. HBCU medical schools could help close that gap: They train nearly 70% of the nation’s Black physicians, and their graduates are more likely to practice in communities with the greatest need, according to the release.
By 2040, the medical school is projected to generate $152.5 million in economic impact across Louisiana, including $122 million in New Orleans, and to support more than 1,185 jobs statewide. Physicians trained at the medical school are projected to contribute an additional $2.9 billion to the U.S. economy by 2040.
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