One pressing need that existed in NE Ohio in the 1960s was a shortage of primary care physicians. With population trends going up, Akron, Kent State and YSU individually submitted proposals for their own medical school, all within a short time frame. Columbus took a look at the proposal and said that we aren't going to fund three separate medical schools; we will fund one and the three colleges will have to figure out how to make that work. Some thought, three universities, one med school - how to make that work? Why not a BS/MD program as done in other countries. The three universities behind the med school was why the word Universities was in the original name (NEOUCOM) as at first glance the U and the C in the name appear to be redundant. So, MEDCO was created and voila our school was born. And in five decades, the mission of increasing primary care physicians became a reality!
-Submitted by Pradeep Manudhane