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Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine celebrates blessing of new Center for Medical Education
State-of-the-art facility in the New Orleans BioDistrict will prepare future physician leaders through collaborative learning, clinical training, and compassionate patient care
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine Center for Medical Education was formally opened and blessed today, celebrating a major milestone in the partnership behind the new medical school. The state-of-the-art facility will serve future students, advancing a shared commitment to educating the next generation of physicians who will help improve health outcomes in the Gulf South and beyond.
Applications are now open through the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) for the inaugural class of the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine, which will welcome its first students in 2027.
Located in a 72,000-square-foot space inside Benson Tower in downtown New Orleans’ growing BioDistrict, the Center for Medical Education will serve as the academic home of the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine. The facility includes team-based learning classrooms, education laboratories, and modern spaces designed to encourage collaboration, innovation, and meaningful connections among students, faculty and staff. The ceremony recognized the people and institutions whose shared vision for the College of Medicine made it possible.
“Today’s blessing represents far more than the opening of a building. It is a celebration of the generations of students who will learn here, the patients and communities they will serve, and the lasting impact they will have on the future of medicine,” said Reynold Verret, Ph.D., president of Xavier University of Louisiana. “This Center for Medical Education reflects Xavier’s century-long commitment to academic excellence, human dignity, and service, while creating new opportunities for future physicians to pursue their calling.”
The only HBCU college of medicine in the Gulf South, the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine brings together Xavier University of Louisiana’s nationally recognized legacy in STEM and health sciences with Ochsner Health’s commitment patient care, research, innovation, and medical education. The College of Medicine received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in October.
“This state-of-the-art learning environment embodies our commitment to excellence with purpose,” said Leonardo Seoane, M.D., FACP, president and founding dean of the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine. “Here, future physician leaders will develop the knowledge, clinical proficiency, empathy, and compassion needed to care for our communities. They will be prepared not only to practice medicine, but also to lead, innovate, and respond to the evolving needs of the communities they serve.”
The College of Medicine’s curriculum will emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration, clinical proficiency, and compassionate patient care. First and second-year students will learn in the Center for Medical Education’s classrooms and laboratories, while third and fourth-year students will complete clinical clerkships across Ochsner facilities, including Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans, Ochsner Children's, and Ochsner Baptist. Students will also participate in clinical and community-based experiences that connect classroom instruction with real-world healthcare delivery.
“Ochsner Health is committed to meeting the needs of the communities we serve, and we are honored to continue our work with Xavier University of Louisiana to improve the health in New Orleans, our state, and region,” said Pete November, CEO, Ochsner Health. "Through this new College of Medicine, we are investing in both the future of healthcare and the long-term prosperity and wellness for our many neighbors, friends, and family members.”
Through its facilities, curriculum and clinical partnerships, the College of Medicine aims to expand the regional and national physician workforce, improve health outcomes, and prepare physician scientists to serve patients in New Orleans, the Gulf South, and beyond.
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About the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine
The Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine was formed in 2024 through a partnership between Xavier University of Louisiana, one of the nation's top HBCUs, and Ochsner Health, a leading academic medical center in the Gulf South. The College of Medicine combines Xavier’s academic excellence and century-long legacy in STEM and health sciences with a demonstrated commitment by Ochsner to patient care, research and physician training. Located in the New Orleans BioDistrict, the College of Medicine will prepare physician leaders through rigorous education, real-world training and a commitment to improving health outcomes for all. Learn more at xula.edu/xocom.