By Venita Jenkins Staff writer

Campbell University President Jerry Wallace had been waiting for this moment for four years.

"There it is," he said. "The beautiful Leon Levine Hall of Medical Science. It's already working to make a difference in our state."

On Thursday, university officials held a dedication and ribbon cutting for the new School of Osteopathic Medicine, the state's first new medical school in 35 years.

The school will train primary-care doctors to serve in rural communities and keep them in the state through partnerships with local and regional hospitals.

North Carolina ranks 34th in the nation for its number of primary-care physicians per capita. About 20 counties in the state are without a general surgeon, and 13 of those are east of Charlotte, according to university officials.

Students will train in the areas of primary care and family medicine, general surgery, pediatrics and psychiatry.

Classes began in the medical school in mid-August with 162 students.

Campbell's program will become the second-largest medical school in the state within four years, reaching 600 students in 2017, officials said.

The $35 million school features simulation labs that are similar to emergency rooms, intensive-care units and primary-care clinics. Computer-enhanced mannequins will mimic symptoms that students must diagnose.

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Campbell University unveils its medical school