[January 25, 2023 – Billings, MT]
Construction is complete on the new 138,000 square foot Rocky Vista University- Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine campus on 12.8 acres at 4130 Rocky Vista Way (SW corner of Shiloh and Monad). The University was issued the certificate of occupancy on January 13. Employees are moving into the new building and equipment is being put into place to form the student learning environment. A private Building Blessing Ceremony with the RVU-MCOM Community Advisory Council in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leadership Council is also taking place, and the public Grand Opening Ceremony and Open House is planned for July. The new medical school is expected to make an immediate economic impact of $78.6 million to the community.
Construction of Montana’s first medical school started with an official ground-breaking ceremony in October of 2021 and was completed on schedule by local contractor Langlas & Associates. The first 80 students will start their medical school career in mid-July from a growing pool of nearly 2,000 applicants from across the U.S. The majority of applicants are from the western region, with Montana being the 6th state for the most applicants. A strategic priority for the University is to recruit and retain students with an interest in rural health care to stay and practice in under-served areas of Montana and surrounding states. RVU-MCOM is working closely with colleges in the state to increase the number of Montana applicants in the future.
The new campus in Billings is where students spend their first two years of medical school education engaging in rigorous student-directed studies, group learning activities, hands-on training, and hyper-realistic simulation.
Key features of the RVU-MCOM campus facility include modern architecture capitalizing on natural light, innovative technology, immersion room simulations, high-fidelity mannequins, hand-held ultrasound, group-based active learning spaces, and an expansive anatomy lab for both cadavers and virtual reality. Emphasis on physical and mental wellbeing flows throughout the campus and includes a yoga studio and full fitness center. A full-time mental health counselor will be located on site for students to readily access mental health services. Indoor and outdoor spaces are designed to build community by giving students places to gather.
Recruitment is on track for faculty and staff, which will ultimately lead to approximately 200 employees. The medical school has amassed a highly experienced leadership team who bring diverse backgrounds in medical education and health care settings. To learn more about the depth of experience on the RVU-MCOM team, visit here
