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  PROVO — The key design elements for the planned BYU School of Medicine were set by the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the inaugural dean of the BYU School of Medicine said this week. The chief goal for the medical school is to support the mission of the church and BYU, Dr. Mark Ott said during a presentation Monday at the annual International Society conference at the Hinckley Center on campus. ... Ott said that when he and his wife, Stefanie, met with the church’s First Presidency, there was a moment when President Nelson looked off in the distance. “In the coming decades,” President Nelson said, “the power of this school of medicine to take forward the mission and the work of the Church of Jesus Christ — of the Lord — is going to be far beyond anything that we can see here now.” “It was wonderful to be sitting in his presence and hearing a prophecy,” Ott said, “and knowing that the prophet of the Lord could see something that I could not see. It was an unforgettable moment, and I look forward to living another 20 or 30 years so I can see what he saw, because I know it will happen, and that is part of our mission.” ... Medical science and research are among the five key design elements set by the First Presidency, Ott said. At the same time, even though there already are other religious-based medical schools around the country — “and they all do a great work,” Ott said — BYU intends to be unique in the way it combines medical science and faith. The five design elements are to: -Be spiritually based and mission-focused. -Have a teaching and research emphasis. -Offer an integrated bachelor’s/medical degree to reduce time to complete medical training. -Include international outreach, enrollment and alignment with church humanitarian efforts. -Offer a reduced cost model. “Those are the design principles that were given to us by the prophet and by the Lord himself,” Ott said. That conviction gives him confidence as he pursues a dynamic timeline in an attempt to secure accreditation and open the doors to the first 60 students in fall 2027. “It’s an exciting time and it’s a terrifying time, but we’re seeing over and over again the Lord’s hand in this process,” he said. He added, “When we’re on the Lord’s errand, we can expect his help.” ... The inaugural dean shared several experiences of ways he felt God was helping his team over the past six months. One related to the way medical schools are compressing what once was the first two years of lectures to somewhere between one year and 18 months. What would BYU do? The working group addressing the issue struggled to reach a consensus. Ott said he attended the temple the next day and was struck by the increased capacity and endurance promised to those who make one of the covenants there. He also recalled a Latter-day Saint scripture that states, “Doubt not, fear not.” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:36) “I knew if our students would honor their covenants, that they would be able to do a 12- to 15-month curriculum,” he said. Another committee member had the same experience, and the committee moved ahead. ... “The Lord’s prophets would like to reduce the cost and shorten the time it takes to become a physician,” Ott said. “There’s a big demand on both time and money. So the (plan) is to develop an integrated pathway that lets you go from a bachelor’s degree into medical school in an accelerated fashion.” ... He said church leaders wanted an alternative pathway that would save time and save money to help international students, especially.

  President Russell M. Nelson

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  • BYU Medical School

  21 Oct 2026