NEW ORLEANS — November 12, 2026 -- The Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine formally opened its 72,000-square-foot Center for Medical Education in Benson Tower in the New Orleans BioDistrict and opened applications for its first class, which starts in 2027.
The opening follows preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in October. The school was formed in 2024 through a partnership between Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health, so its first students will arrive about three years after formation.
The new center will house only the first two of four curriculum years
First- and second-year students will learn in the center's team-based classrooms and education laboratories. Third- and fourth-year students, the other half of the four-year program, will complete clinical clerkships in Ochsner facilities. The named sites are Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans, Ochsner Children's and Ochsner Baptist.
Students therefore split their training between a new academic site and Ochsner's clinical network. The company says the curriculum will stress interdisciplinary collaboration, clinical proficiency and patient care.
Local officials back the school as an economic and workforce project
The release describes the school as the only HBCU college of medicine in the Gulf South. State Senator Royce Duplessis, who represents Xavier's district, said the Legislature supported the effort in the state budget. The release gives no amount, and the size of the inaugural class, tuition and project cost are also not disclosed.
Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., said Xavier has for decades produced more African American students who earn medical degrees than any other institution in the nation. He said the school will let those doctors train and stay in Louisiana. That figure is his claim and is not backed by data in the release.
Andy Kopplin, chair of the BioDistrict Board of Directors, said the school will catalyze public and private investment in the district. Mayor Helena Moreno said it will help the bio innovation sector become a driving force in the local economy.
Applications for the 2027 inaugural class are open through AMCAS
Applicants apply through the American Medical College Application Service. The first students are due to enter in 2027. Ochsner Health CEO Pete November said the system is investing in the future of healthcare through the college.