Launching a Competency-Driven Osteopathic Medicine Program in Chicago
As the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine (IllinoisCOM) at The Chicago School prepared to launch its new Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program, leadership set out with a clear goal: build a modern, competency-driven medical education program designed for student success from day one. IllinoisCOM partnered with Acuity Insights to create a centralized, data-informed foundation that supports curriculum design, competency assessment, and long-term program scalability. The program was intentionally designed around the core competencies defined by AAMC, AACOM, and ACGME. It is focused on creating a framework that equips faculty and administrators with the tools needed to support learners effectively.
Challenge
Building a new osteopathic medical program with competency-based education and scalable, unified systems.
Solution
Program Management and Intelligence Solution: One45
Results
A centralized, data-driven, competency-based platform built to streamline operations and scale for the future.
PROGRAM TYPE
Osteopathic Medical Education
PROGRAM SIZE
90 students (inaugural class, matriculating July 2026)
REGION
North America – USA
Challenge
Launching a new osteopathic medical school from the ground up presented IllinoisCOM with a unique and complex set of challenges:
- Built from scratch: Defined technical systems, curriculum infrastructure, and assessment frameworks with no legacy foundation.
- Made competency-based education measurable: Translated holistic osteopathic principles into trackable, outcomes-based assessments.
- Prevented system fragmentation: Avoided siloed tools, duplicated data, and disconnected reporting across locations.
- Planned for scalable growth: Implemented a unified platform to support curriculum, assessment, analytics, and multi-site training locations across the country.
The leadership team needed a single, reliable solution that could support curriculum mapping, assessment, analytics, and student success from the outset.
Solution
After a thorough evaluation of available tools, IllinoisCOM selected Acuity Insights’ One45 as a centralized, one-stop solution to support its competency-based medical education model.
Choosing an Integrated Platform from Day One
Rather than piecing together multiple systems, IllinoisCOM adopted One45 to serve as the backbone of its academic infrastructure. It supports curriculum mapping, assessment, and student progress tracking within one cohesive platform.
Designing Competency Frameworks with Expert Support
Acuity Insights helped IllinoisCOM translate complex osteopathic competencies into clear rating scales and assessment structures. This collaboration helped operationalize holistic patient care concepts that extend beyond diagnostic reasoning alone.
Tailoring the Platform to Institutional Needs
The One45 solution was able to customize workflows, ensuring the system aligned with the school’s educational philosophy and operational goals. This collaborative implementation approach allowed leadership to anticipate challenges and proactively address them before students arrived.
Centralizing Data for Transparency and Decision-Making
The platform’s centralized data repository provided a single source of truth for faculty, administrators, and leadership. This supports transparent, data-driven decisions and reduces the risk of misalignment across stakeholders.
Results
By implementing One45 during the program’s development phase, IllinoisCOM established a strong, future-ready foundation for its osteopathic medicine program. The partnership has enabled the institution to:
- Support student success from day one by enabling individualized progress tracking and early identification of at-risk learners.
- Strengthen competency-based assessment through structured, measurable evaluation of holistic care and professional competencies.
- Streamline operations by centralizing curriculum, assessment, and performance data within a single platform.
- Enable scalable growth with consistent performance tracking across locations to support nationwide expansion.
- Empower data-driven decisions by leveraging analytics for program improvement and transparent stakeholder reporting.
By partnering with Acuity Insights early in its journey, the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine at The Chicago School avoided common startup challenges and built a competency-driven medical education program designed for long-term success. The One45 platform enables IllinoisCOM to align national standards with osteopathic principles, support students holistically, and make confident, data-informed decisions, setting a new program on a strong path from day one.