Lincoln Memorial University has opened its Orange Park health sciences campus, a four-year medical school where the Tennessee-based university plans to start classes in coming months.
The campus includes the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine, which the first classes are scheduled to begin in July and June, respectively.
The campus at 335 Crossing Blvd. is about 12 acres and totals 130,000 square feet across two adjacent buildings. The private, nonprofit university’s main campus is in Harrogate, Tennessee, with another in Knoxville.
University officials said the expansion is intended to increase training capacity for physicians and veterinarians and help address ongoing provider shortages in Florida, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
An LMU representative said the university is expecting about 200 students between the two colleges when classes start. They said more than 3,000 were interviewed.
LMU said more than 40 faculty members and 45 additional staff would be involved in the program. Student-to-staff ratio will be 1-to-1 for clinical rotations and 5-to-1 for labs.
Jason McConnell, LMU president, said the campus reflects the university’s long-term investment in growing regions.
“Florida is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, with nearly 1,000 people moving here every day,” McConnell said. “Clay County and the greater Jacksonville region are experiencing that growth firsthand.”
McConnell said LMU’s goal is to provide health care services where demand is greatest.
The Orange Park site will deliver the same curriculum as LMU’s Tennessee campuses, with an emphasis on primary care and community-based clinical training.
Since its founding in 2007, the medical school has awarded nearly 3,000 doctor of osteopathic medicine degrees, according to the university.
Elsewhere in Northeast Florida, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is planned at Jacksonville University.
LECOM plans a three-story, 72,000-square-foot medical school on 9.87 acres at 5415 Dolphin Point Blvd., which is north of the riverfront JU campus in Arlington.
The city of Jacksonville issued a permit in May 2025 for construction at a project cost of $33 million. LECOM purchased the land in March 2025 for $5.22 million.
Danis Construction is shown as the contractor. Kasper architects + associates Inc. is the architect and Meskel & Associates Engineering LLC is the civil engineer.
The project broke ground in March 2025.
Editor's note: This story was updated with information about faculty and staff.