Western University of Health Sciences

Western University of Health Sciences is a private, nonprofit health professions university based in Pomona, California, with an additional campus in Lebanon, Oregon. Founded as an osteopathic medical school, it has expanded into a comprehensive graduate institution focused on health care education. The university offers professional and graduate degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine, veterinary medicine, nursing, optometry, podiatric medicine, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, and other health sciences fields. Western University of Health Sciences operates patient care centers that serve as clinical training sites for students. The institution primarily attracts graduate students pursuing careers in health professions who seek hands-on clinical education in an interprofessional environment.

Western University of Health Sciences was founded in 1977 in Pomona, California, as the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. The institution was established to address a shortage of primary care physicians in the western United States, and Philip Pumerantz became its founding president. The first class enrolled in 1978, and the college earned full accreditation in the early 1980s. During the 1980s and 1990s, additional academic programs were introduced, including graduate studies in health professions education. In 1996, following the creation of the College of Pharmacy, the institution was reorganized and renamed Western University of Health Sciences to reflect its expanding scope. Subsequent milestones included the establishment of colleges of graduate nursing and veterinary medicine in 1998, and later the addition of dental medicine, optometry, and podiatric medicine in 2009. An Oregon campus opened in 2011, further extending Western University of Health Sciences’ regional presence.