About

The Science of Medicine. The Art of Healing.

Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine is located in Dayton, Ohio, and serves the Miami Valley region of Southwest Ohio. Its educational programs include:

• medical education leading to the M.D., M.D./Ph.D., M.D./M.B.A., or M.D./M.P.H. degree for about 460 medical students;
• 12 residencies and 16 fellowship programs in 7 different disciplines for about 420 resident and fellow physicians;
• master's degree programs in pharmacology/toxicology and public health.
• a wide variety of continuing medical education programs for practicing physicians in the community.

Instead of operating a university-based hospital for clinical training, Wright State is affiliated with eight major teaching hospitals in the region and has formal affiliation agreements with more than 25 other health care institutions in the Miami Valley. This model exposes medical students and resident physicians to a diverse range of patients and health care facilities. Medical educators believe this "real world" experience is excellent preparation for medical careers in a rapidly changing health care system.

The school's academic departments include basic science departments located on the Wright State University campus and clinical departments based throughout the community. Wright State's clinical faculty teach and provide medical care for almost half a million patient visits annually. In addition to almost 485 full-time faculty, Wright State's voluntary faculty include more than 1,280 physicians in private practice and other health care professionals in the community. Voluntary faculty provide an invaluable service by donating their time and expertise to the training and development of both medical students and residents.

Our innovative educational programs have made the Boonshoft School of Medicine a national leader in generalist medicine, community service and the diversity of our student body. Our research programs are distinguished by interdisciplinary teamwork and community collaboration and include nationally recognized centers of excellence in genomics, toxicology, neuroscience, substance abuse and treatment, and human growth and development.

A Carnegie-classified research university, Wright State University offers degree programs through eight colleges and three schools, including the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

Points of Pride

Two AAFP Top Ten Awards

Known for its strong social mission, the medical school has been honored twice since 2013 with Top Ten Awards from the American Academy of Family Physicians as one of the nation’s top medical schools with the highest percentage of graduates who enter family medicine after graduation.

Home of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness

The Boonshoft School of Medicine is the new home of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), founded by noted author Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. More than 17,000 medical students nationwide have taken RISHI’s groundbreaking course, The Healer’s Art, which helps students strengthen their calling and experience a deeper sense of meaning, community and commitment to their work.

Unique, integrated dual-degree programs

The Physician Leadership Development Program (PLDP) allows medical students to obtain a master’s degree (M.B.A. or M.P.H.) while pursuing their medical degree over five years. PLDP provides a unique opportunity to integrate medical and graduate studies through a longitudinal clinical experience that all students take during their graduate term.

Grads accepted into top residency programs

Our graduates have been accepted into the nation’s top residency programs, including the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, UCLA Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, New York-Presbyterian University Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Duke University, Stanford University and Wright State University.

96th percentile for grads in primary care

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Benchmark Performance Measures, the Boonshoft School of Medicine ranks in the 96th percentile for the percentage of our graduates who practice in primary care. We also ranked in the 73rd percentile for graduates practicing in underserved areas and in the 66th percentile for graduates practicing in rural areas during the same time period.

First in Team-Based Learning™

The Boonshoft School of Medicine was the first medical school in the nation to implement Team-Based Learning™, giving students real-world experience by working closely in small groups to master material, applying their knowledge to clinical cases and defending their diagnosis and treatment plans. Our faculty experts have provided training in Team-Based Learning™ and curriculum development to more than 40 medical and health profession schools in the United States and more than 10 worldwide.

Neuroscience Institute named Ohio Center of Excellence

Designated as a University System of Ohio Center of Excellence, the Wright State University & Premier Health Neuroscience Institute unites the Dayton region’s most advanced biomedical research institution with the clinical resources of its leading hospital system. The $37 million Neuroscience Engineering Collaboration Building completed in 2015 is unique in the nation in bringing together basic researchers, clinical researchers and engineers to develop not only new treatments and cures but also medical devices and imaging technologies that will revolutionize medicine.

National leader in community-based medical education

Our school is a national leader in community-based medical education, providing clinical training at nine major teaching hospitals. Two of these institutions are premier federal hospitals and another one operates the busiest emergency department in the state of Ohio.

National leader in civilian/military integrated residency programs

For more than 30 years, the Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton Children’s Hospital and the U.S. Air Force have partnered to offer the nation’s only civilian-military integrated pediatric residency program, one of six civilian-military residency programs at Wright State training 135 military residents. 

Pioneer in emergency medicine

Wright State created the fourth academic Department of Emergency Medicine in the United States and initiated one of the first 10 emergency medicine residency programs in the nation, graduating its first class in 1980.

Among the Best Doctors®

Thirty-eight Wright State physicians and faculty of the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and Wright State Physicians were named to the 2017-2018 Best Doctors in America^® List. They represented 88 percent of the 43 Dayton-area doctors named. Five of the 43 physicians are Boonshoft School of Medicine alumni, and nine are alumni of the medical school’s residency programs.

AAMC honors Boonshoft School of Medicine professor

Dean X. Parmelee, M.D., professor of psychiatry and pediatrics and associate dean for medical education, was recognized with the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) at an awards presentation on Nov. 13, 2016, during the Learn Serve Lead 2016: The AAMC Annual Meeting in Seattle, Wash. Dr. Parmelee has been an early pioneer of team-based learning (TBL) and medical education innovation for more than three decades. In 2001, he joined the Boonshoft School of Medicine as associate dean for academic affairs, where he partnered with colleagues to transform the largely passive curriculum into one that engages medical learners. He has been instrumental in the design and implementation of many TBL modules incorporated throughout the medical school’s curriculum.

Boonshoft School of Medicine Ranks Fourth in the Nation for Its Social Mission

A 2010 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine ranks the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine fourth in the nation for its social mission. The study, entitled “The Social Mission of Medical Education: Ranking the Schools,” measured the percentage of graduates who practice primary care, work in health professional shortage areas and are underrepresented minorities, and combined the data into a composite social mission score. It was the first to score all U.S. medical schools on their ability to meet a social mission.

To determine the true outcomes of medical education rather than the intermediate preferences of medical students and residents, the study tracked physicians in practice after the completion of all training and national service obligations. The researchers examined data from medical school graduates from 1999 to 2001. This approach differs from previous studies, which relied on the initial residency selection or reported specialty preference of students. This study pinpoints where graduates are and what type of medicine they actually practice.

"The study provides a balance to other rankings such as the U.S. News & World Report rankings that emphasize research funding, student selectivity and school reputation, which is very subjective,” said Howard Part, M.D., dean of the medical school at the time of the study. “Since many medical school graduates who enter primary care residencies, such as internal medicine, ultimately practice in sub-specialty areas such as cardiology or gastroenterology, studies that only track initial residency selection can be misleading. The methodology used in this study gives a much clearer picture of how many graduates actually practice primary care.”

As the nation’s health system faced an influx of newly insured patients, the study examined the record of 141 U.S. medical schools in graduating physicians to meet the need for more primary care physicians and highlights the role medical schools play in determining the makeup of the U.S. physician workforce. The study was funded with a grant from the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation.

“Where doctors choose to work, and what specialty they select, are heavily influenced by medical school,” said lead author Fitzhugh Mullan, M.D., a professor of health policy at George Washington University. “By recruiting minority students and prioritizing the training of primary care physicians and promoting practice in underserved areas, medical schools will help deliver the health care that Americans desperately need,” he said.

Top 20 Medical Schools

Created by Community Leaders

The vision for a medical school at Wright State University originated with Dayton area physicians and community leaders who recognized that using existing hospitals and other clinical resources would be a cost-effective model for medical education. In return, the school's community involvement would strengthen the health care system throughout the region.

1970: Just three years after the Ohio General Assembly officially chartered Wright State as an independent state university, university leaders asked for support for a new medical school. They presented a feasibility study based upon what they called the "concept of community" and outlined the broad base of support they had identified for developing such a school.

1972: Congress passed the Veterans Administration Medical School Assistance and Health Manpower Training Act, also known as the Teague Cranston Act, which provided financial support for establishing five new U.S. medical schools, including one at Wright State University. The VA awarded the school a $19.5 million, seven-year grant for faculty support and facilities. Other major founding donors included Mrs. Virginia Kettering, who contributed $1 million in unrestricted funds, and the Fordham Foundation, which provided $500,000 for a medical library.

1973: The school was established by the Ohio General Assembly. A key to selecting the founding dean was finding a leader who could bring to life the community service vision of the school's founders. Many felt that objective was accomplished with the hiring of John R. Beljan, M.D., in 1974.

1976: The school's charter class began studies and graduated in 1980. Since then, more than 3,000 M.D.’s have graduated from Wright State. Wright State alumni are practicing in almost every state in the nation. (See: alumni map.)

1977: Data from Fels Study is first published in the nation’s pediatric growth charts. 

1979: Horizons in Medicine is established to provide under-representated minority high school students exposure to science and careers in medicine. 

1985: The Institute for Rehabilitation Research and Medicine is established to improved health, fitness, and quality of life for individuals with disabilities. 

1994: Students and faculty volunteer for Reach Out of Montgomery County, a new program providing free evening clinics. Also in 1994, Substance Abuse Resources and Disability Issues begins to examine the correlation between substance abuse and disability conditions. 

1997: The strong commitment to community became one of the school's hallmarks. That commitment was recognized nationally when the Association of American Medical Colleges granted the school the prestigious Outstanding Community Service Award.

2005: The school changed its name to the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in recognition of the Oscar Boonshoft family, which gave Wright State's largest philanthropic gift to the medical school.

2006: Creating a vision for care of the older adult has been part of the Boonshoft School of Medicine’s mission since its inception. This vision was focused more sharply in 2006 with the creation of the Department of Geriatrics, which was the result of a community collaboration that included Premier Health Partners, the Dayton VA Medical Center and the Oscar Boonshoft family.

2007: The Matthew O. Diggs III Laboratory for Life Science Research opened. This 45,000-square-foot building houses highly productive research labs for the Environmental and Biomedical Sciences Programs and Molecular Genetics as well as the medical school’s Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Center for Genomics Research.

Fall 2008: The medical school held a grand opening for a new Medical Education Center in White Hall. The new facility is the result of a three-year project to completely renovate the former Frederick A. White Health Center for Ambulatory Care and to expand the building with an 18,000-square-foot addition. In total, the facility now includes more than 84,000 square feet of lecture halls, classrooms, laboratories, offices, study spaces, computer labs, and common areas, all devoted to the specialized training of tomorrow's finest medical professionals.

September 2009: The Boonshoft School of Medicine created the Division of Tactical Emergency Medicine, which is part of the school’s Department of Emergency Medicine. The division focuses on providing care for public safety personnel, and on developing and teaching best practices for personnel and the medical providers who serve them or work alongside them.

February 2010: The Neuroscience Institute was founded by Wright State and Premier Health. Designated as a University System of Ohio Center of Excellence, the Wright State University & Premier Health Neuroscience Institute represents a groundbreaking public-private partnership that unites the Dayton region’s most advanced biomedical research institution with the clinical resources of its largest hospital system.

The Neuroscience Institute has made great strides since its formation, including the development of a new Department of Neurology and Neurology Residency Program created in partnership by the Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and Premier Health. The new department has attracted top clinical neurologists to the region to improve patient care in the community.

June 2012: Wright State Physicians (WSP) opened its state-of-the-art facility on the campus of Wright State University (725 University Blvd.). The new facility helps further WSP’s mission to retain outstanding medical faculty and staff in support of the clinical, research and community service activities of the university’s medical school. The Boonshoft School of Medicine and Wright State Physicians are partners in providing training to medical students and delivering health care to the region.

July 2014: The Wright State University & Premier Health Neuroscience Institute, together with Dayton Children’s Hospital, announced the affiliation of Dayton Children’s with the institute to boost pediatric neuroscience research in the region and enhance pediatric care.

2014: Wright Rural Health Initiative was created to improve rural health care access by increasing the number of medical students and residents who train and practice in smaller communities. The medical school’s collaboration with Wright State University-Lake Campus allows medical students who wish to pursue a career in a rural area to complete clerkships while living on the Lake Campus on Grand Lake St. Marys between Celina and St. Marys.

April 2015: The $37 million Neuroscience Engineering Collaboration (NEC) Building opened on the Wright State campus, spawning pioneering research and medical breakthroughs by housing the collective brainpower of top neuroscientists, engineers and their teams.

2016: The Center for Healthy Communities celebrated its 25th anniversary. The center is a community-academic partnership committed to improving the health and well-being of the community, educating its health professionals and serving as a force for change. For the past 25 years, the center has worked with more than 200 local, state, national, and international partners to expand the health care workforce, train future health care providers through innovative community-based interdisciplinary curricula, and demonstrate new models of care and care coordination.

April 2016: The nationally known Institute for the Study of Health and Illness, founded and directed by noted author Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., joined in partnership with the Boonshoft School of Medicine to expand its reach and ensure its future. In recognition of Remen’s unique and invaluable contribution to medical education, Wright State renamed the institute the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI) in Remen’s honor. 

M.D. Licensure Disclosure

Successful completion of the Doctor of Medicine program meets the medical educational requirements for licensure in Ohio as regulated by the State Medical Board of Ohio.

Successful completion of the Doctor of Medicine program meets the medical educational requirements for licensure in all other states,  but testing and graduate medical education requirements vary from state to state. If you are planning to pursue medical licensure in a state other than Ohio, please contact that state’s medical board  to seek information and guidance regarding that state’s licensure requirements.