National Leaders. Across the Boards.

National Leaders. Across the Boards.

The Sam Houston State University Russell & Glenda Gordy College of Osteopathic Medicine has more than one reason to celebrate this week. It has four, to be exact.

Newly released annual reports from the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners show the college’s student doctors and graduates earned top national rankings across all three levels of the COMLEX-USA board exams. National leadership on these exams is familiar territory for the college, but this year brings a new achievement: SHSU-GCOM rose from No. 22 to No. 1 nationally for the Level 2-CE first-time pass rate.

The college’s accomplishments span multiple classes and stages of physician training:

• Ranked second nationally for Level 1 first-time pass rate: The class of 2027 earned a 97.26% pass rate.
• Ranked first nationally for Level 2-CE first-time pass rate: The class of 2026 earned a 98.55% pass rate.
• Ranked third nationally for Level 2-CE mean score: The class of 2026 earned an average score of 551.71.
• Tied for No. 1 nationally for Level 3 first-time pass rate: Graduates from the class of 2025 earned a 100% pass rate, placing the college among only four nationwide to achieve that result.

All pass rates and average scores reflect results for students and graduates who took the respective exam for the first time during the reported testing cycle. Level 1 and Level 2-CE results cover the 2025-26 testing cycles; Level 3 results cover the 2025 calendar year.

For a medical school that welcomed its first class in 2020, the results add up to a strong national presence in a short time.

“The fact that our pass rates are ranked No. 2 or No. 1 for all levels of this examination is truly amazing,” said Thomas J. Mohr, DO, dean of the college and vice president for medical affairs at SHSU. “We push our student doctors hard, and our curriculum is challenging, but SHSU-GCOM student doctors continue to set the bar high.”

COMLEX-USA is a series of three exams osteopathic physicians must pass to become licensed. Students take the first two during medical school and the third during residency, when they are practicing physicians receiving additional training in their chosen specialty.

The class of 2026 earned its Level 2-CE rankings after gaining hands-on experience in clinical rotations, where students learn to apply their knowledge to patient care. The class of 2027 earned its Level 1 ranking on an exam covering the science behind patient care.

These accomplishments extend a growing record of national leadership, including two consecutive No. 1 rankings on Level 1 and a previous 100% first-time pass rate on Level 3. The college also earned Accreditation with Exceptional Outcomes in 2024, receiving a 10-year accreditation and becoming the first newly established osteopathic medical school to receive the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation’s highest status at initial full accreditation.

“This college has big ambitions because the need for physicians in Texas is big,” Mohr said. “Behind every one of these results is someone who is working incredibly hard to become a physician. We’re proud of what they’ve accomplished and excited about what they’ll do for their patients and communities.”