Alice L. Walton School of Medicine Reaches Historic Accreditation Milestone

School Announces Tuition Waiver to Increase Access to Innovative Medical School Experience

Bentonville, Ark. (Oct. 29, 2024) – Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) has secured preliminary accreditation status by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, its program accrediting body. Reaching this historic milestone allows AWSOM to begin recruiting students to its new campus in Bentonville. Applications are now open on AMCAS for the School’s inaugural class of 48 students. Classes will begin July 2025 for its innovative MD program.

“This is an important time for the School, as preliminary accreditation status means we can now accept applications from prospective medical students, admit our first class, and begin instruction,” said Sharmila Makhija, MD, MBA, Founding Dean and CEO. “Accreditation ensures medical schools are held to the highest standards of education and operations; and achieving this designation is a result of years of hard work by our dedicated team and partners. We are ready to welcome our inaugural class of students with a reimagined medical school experience.”

Philanthropist Alice Walton founded the School of Medicine in 2021 to improve health and well-being by creating a new pipeline of physicians for the future. Based on her own health care experiences, she recognized the need for a whole-person approach. To ensure that this transformative educational experience is accessible to a wide range of applicants, AWSOM will waive tuition for medical school for its first five cohorts of students.

“I’m so proud of the work the entire team at AWSOM has accomplished to reach preliminary accreditation status,” said Alice Walton, Founder. “The School of Medicine will play a pivotal role in educating the next generation of physicians, equipping them to care for the whole person and making a lasting impact on health care in the Heartland and beyond.”

“Securing preliminary accreditation is a significant achievement for the school,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, Chair of the AWSOM Board of Directors, Dean of the Stanford School of Medicine, and Vice President for Medical Affairs at Stanford University. “With its focus on whole-person care and equitable access, AWSOM is one step closer to making a lasting impact on the future of medicine, opening new possibilities for both students and the communities they will serve.”

AWSOM utilizes a holistic approach to evaluating experiences, personal attributes, and academic preparation in selecting applicants who most strongly align with the School’s mission, vision, and values. The 154,000 square-foot School of Medicine building will foster a culture of student well-being, empowering future physicians to care for their patients and themselves. It features four stories and will include learning halls, a public gallery, library, clinical teaching spaces, administrative offices, a student lounge, covered bicycle parking, and recreation and wellness areas. Designed by Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects with rooftop park and landscape design by NYC-based design studio Office of Strategy + Design, the building is scheduled for completion in summer 2025 by Crossland Construction, Inc. Additionally, the architects designed a campus housing complex on an 11-acre site adjacent to the School. Construction will begin in early 2025 and will include student apartments in a park-like setting with nature trails and easy access to the downtown Bentonville community.

AWSOM will work with Mercy as a primary education partner in a new affiliation announced recently between the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Heartland Whole Health Institute, and Mercy. Together, they have committed to a 30-year, $700 million affiliation agreement to expand access to health care, reduce costs, and improve health outcomes in the region. This investment includes a collaboration with Cleveland Clinic to enhance cardiovascular care in the Heartland.

AWSOM has developed partnerships with additional regional clinical sites including Washington Regional Medical Center, Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Arkansas Children’s Northwest, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Highlands Oncology, Springwoods Behavioral Health, Arisa Health, and Community Clinic. In addition to required clinical clerkships, students will have early clinical experiences within the first and second years of the School’s innovative ARCHES curriculum.

About the Heartland
Bentonville is situated in Northwest Arkansas, one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S., and is poised to become a health care destination at the center of the nation’s Heartland, a 20-state region in the center of the country where health inequities persist.

About LCME Accreditation
LCME is recognized by the United States Department of Education and serves as the accrediting body for allopathic medical schools in the United States. It is co-sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association. For medical schools, accreditation through LCME is required to participate in federal programs and grants. Graduates of LCME-accredited programs are eligible for entry into residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and students/graduates of LCME-accredited programs are eligible to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination to receive licensure from state medical licensing boards.

Following a site visit in June of this year, the LCME determined that AWSOM has met 12 standards set by the accrediting body including medical school leadership, planning, finances, curriculum, faculty, facilities, recruitment, and student support.

About Alice L. Walton School of Medicine
Founded in 2021, Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) is a nonprofit, four-year MD program that will enhance traditional medical education with the arts, humanities, and whole health principles. The School’s culture embraces self-care to empower students to care for their own well-being as well as their patients’. The School’s state-of-the-art medical education facility is under construction in Bentonville, Arkansas on the Crystal Bridges campus, home to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Heartland Whole Health Institute. The School has been granted preliminary accreditation status by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.