Currently in Applicant Status of the Accreditation Pathway for the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), we have welcomed three accomplished professionals to help NCOM...
Graduating physicians who take pride in the osteopathic profession and deliver compassion, understanding, and high-quality whole-person healthcare to patients and communities across our society.
Developing world-class osteopathic physicians that deliver the best of traditional and modern osteopathic medicine with a strong sense of fundamental humanitarian values and high standards of integrity and professionalism.
Identifying and igniting pioneering research enhancing osteopathic medicine and beyond.
NCOM aspires to be a transformational institution of osteopathic medicine that educates, nurtures, and inspires tomorrow’s community of compassionate, structurally competent, and care-centered osteopathic physicians dedicated to serving patients and communities across society.
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Dr. M.T. AliNiazee began the Rabia Institute for Medical Sciences (RIMS), a not-for-profit Illinois corporation, intending to start an osteopathic medical school in Illinois. The primary mission of this institute is to provide medical education to the growing number of ethnically and culturally diverse communities present in the Greater Chicago metropolitan area and across the tri-states of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. With an emphasis on small class sizes, a more focused one-on-one education, affordable costs, and easy access to admissions mechanisms, the Institute aspires to inculcate the broader principles of osteopathic medicine and its whole-person approach to human healing and integrative medicine as the basis for physical and mental health. The flagship institution of RIMS, the Niazee College of Osteopathic Medicine (NCOM), will be located in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Dr. AliNiazee is a world-renowned scientist, scholar, and author of over 150 research articles, books, and reviews. He brings over 55 years of teaching, research, and administrative experience to RIMS. Having retired from his position as a full, tenured Professor at Oregon State University in 2003, he has since been involved in developing institutions of higher education focused on the health sciences, including his role as Founding President of Northwest Suburban College of Basic and Allied Health Sciences, which he founded in 2008.
A passionate healthcare educationalist and a deeply concerned citizen regarding the state of our healthcare system and the resulting socioeconomic ramifications, Dr. AliNiazee founded RIMS in 2023 to undertake the establishment of NCOM with both teaching and health sciences research portfolios.
An international CEO, ‘Intervention Business Strategist’ and M&A specialist with 35+ years of business and legal leadership experience, Mr. Irfan is a seasoned business executive and trusted strategic advisor for global private/public companies, NGOs and CEOs.
As a global CEO, he effectively led a group of IT, Smart Analytics, BI, Positional Intelligence and Ed-Tech MNCs in the Unithed States, Europe, GCC and Asia through strategic acquisitions, divestments, alliances, financings, turnarounds and growth/profitability plans. As Director, Chair of Compensation & Audit Committees & Strategic Advisor for Hi-Tech NASDAQ businesses he guided companies through complex M&A and SPAC deals involving Private/Institutional Capital-raising and Debt/Assets restructuring.
As Director & Audit Committee Chair for a NASDAQ-listed aerospace company in ground-breaking VTOL technology, he covered SEC-mandated oversight of Accounting/Financial reporting & Legal/Regulatory Compliance.
As Member/Advisor on Boards & Advisory Councils of international universities & NGOs, he offers strategic leadership and guidance on M&A, JVs and Higher-Ed Accreditation, Compliance and Board Governance complexities.
As Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer for NCOM, he drives strategic initiatives for establishment, accreditation, alliances and growth for this enterprising new US College of Osteopathic Medicine. His prior service includes: Global CEO for Cranes Software; Chief Strategy Officer and GC for CSIL; a General Counsel for Paris-based Schneider Electric; Chief IT Counsel for Square D Co.; and IP law/litigation and strategic protection/monetizing of patent/TM portfolios at two US-based global law firms.
An internationally recognized Inter-Faith leader, Mr. Irfan is Co-Chair (with H.E. Archbishop Cardinal Cupich of Chicago) of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialog (USA) and active on the FBI’s Community Engagement Council. He was Co-Chair of the Muslim-American Advisory Council for the Governor of Illinois; Vice President and Interim President of Islamic Society of North America; President of Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago; and Chair of Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Mr. Irfan led global peace-building, inter-religious & cross-cultural delegations and advised NGOs, Governments, and Law Enforcement Agencies on nurturing peace and multi-faith relationships and collaborative social service programs in the United States, North America, Vatican, Europe, South Africa and Mid-East (incl. GCC, Balkans, Japan, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Thailand, Turkey & Ukraine).
Mr. Irfan speaks frequently on business strategy, corporate culture and leadership development, and has delivered commencement keynotes, invocations & faith/cultural sensitivity training/talks for International Universities, City Councils, Fortune 500 Companies, FBI/CIA/Police Departments and Global Forums (including Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue). He has featured on global media like CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, NPR, BBC, TIME, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Der Spiegel. His honors include the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (U.S. Department of Justice); Excellence in Civic Leadership Award (City of Chicago); and the Historic Inter-Faith Leadership Award (CRLMC).
Mr. Irfan has a B.S. in Electronics Engineering, a M.S. in Computer Engineering (University of Illinois), a J.D. from DePaul University, and International Business Management Certifications.
Dr. K. Scott Whitlow, DO, FAAEM, is the Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) of NCOM. He is a full Professor of Emergency Medicine and most recently served as the Senior Associate Dean and Chief Academic Integrity Officer at Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUCOM). Dr. Whitlow joined TUCOM seven years ago, initially as a Clinical Professor and Regional Assistant Dean, while also serving as the Designated Institutional Official (DIO), Director of Academic Affairs, and core faculty in Emergency Medicine with Dignity Health in northern CA. In this role, he supported, engaged, and developed Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education programs, including residencies and fellowships that continue to grow and expand.
Prior to his tenure in Northern California, Dr. Whitlow held multiple academic positions, including:
Dr. Whitlow has also served as the managing partner and medical director of a private democratic group, Chief of Emergency Medicine at two community hospitals, a founding member of a Medicare Advantage Plan Clinical Advisory Committee, a long-standing member of a health system medical executive committee, the chair of two hospitals’ pharmacy and therapeutics committees, and a medical director within a large national multi-specialty group. He has held leadership roles on numerous hospital, health system, professional organization, and university committees. He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons of California (OPSC), where he serves as Vice President, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM).
Dr. Whitlow is residency-trained in Emergency Medicine, fellowship-trained in Medical Toxicology, and board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine (AOBEM), and the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS). Dr. Whitlow is a founding member of the CalMedForce Advisory Committee, the California Wellness Foundation Antiracism in Medical Education work group, an oral board examiner for ABEM, and a member of the AOA Bureau of International Osteopathic Medicine. Throughout his career, he has been a staunch advocate for Osteopathic Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and both undergraduate and graduate medical education, with a focus on improving healthcare in underserved areas.
In his free time, Dr. Whitlow is a sport horse breeder and equestrian, as well as a companion animal and hobby farm enthusiast.
The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Gail Feinberg, DO, M.Ed., FACOFP (dist.), is a full Professor of family medicine, and served most recently as the Associate Dean of Preclinical Medicine for the Proposed Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine. In that capacity, she served as primary point for COCA pre-accreditation application as well as the Maryland Higher Education Commission contact. Prior to this, she worked at Touro University, California as Chair of Primary Care where she was responsible for a department of 16 clinical faculty and their curricular delivery, as well as liaison between Touro and the faculty practice site in Vallejo, California. She has worked as faculty and Regional Associate Dean at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine between 2002 and 2012, as well as Program Director and Director of Medical Education for a Family Medicine Residency/Internship program in Ashland, Kentucky from 2000 to 2012, bringing the program from probation (under the prior PD/DME) to two consecutive 5 year accreditations. She has served in multiple academic positions in addition to clinical faculty/adjunct faculty to Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pikesville University College of Osteopathic Medicine (where she initially served on the original board of advisors), Marshall University School of Medicine, Marshall University School of Nursing, Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine (in New Jersey). Prior to the Residency Directorship, she served as a clinical physician, then Medical Director (for over 10 years) at Ironton/Lawrence County Community Action Organization, which ran an FQHC in Lawrence County, Ohio.
She is actively involved with the American Osteopathic Association and the American College of Osteopathic Family Practitioners (where she is a distinguished fellow), through committee involvement, licensing board examiner and question writer, and their political arm (house of delegates for over 35 years).
In her free time, she enjoys reading, sewing, knitting and crocheting clothing for her grandchildren, and baking.
Howard Feinberg is a 1984 graduate of The College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, CA (now Western University). After graduation, he did an osteopathic internship at Botsford General Hospital in Farmington Hills, MI, followed by an internal medicine residency at Metropolitan Hospital in Philadelphia and a Rheumatology fellowship at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. After completing his medical training he founded the Ashland Arthritis Center in Ashland, KY, dedicated to patient care, research and teaching. Dr. Feinberg and this center developed a reputation for quality care and research accomplishments benefiting his patients and the field of Rheumatology.
Dr. Feinberg’s academic career spans several decades. He has taught rheumatology as a visiting professor, on a regular basis, for several medical schools and is a regular lecturer at the ACOI internal medicine board review course. In 1995, Dr. Feinberg helped develop the Pikeville College of Osteopathic Medicine, serving as its Dean from the applicant status through the attainment of provisional accreditation. Over the past 10 years he has served as the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Program Development for Touro University California and as the Associate Dean for Clinical Education at the proposed Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine at Morgan State University. He is now the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs of the proposed Niazee College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Feinberg has also taught internal medicine, rheumatology and health policy to medical students, residents and physicians throughout his career. He has won multiple teaching awards and community service awards for this work during his career.
Kathryn Valentine has over 25 years of experience in financial operations management, budgeting, and financial projections, with extensive expertise in strategic planning. Her skill set includes long-range financial goals and strategies, risk mitigation, and compliance.
Under Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine (MDCOM) (Proposed), she worked on the proposed budget proforma from startup to scaleup and continuing operations. Ms. Valentine established a budget for personnel with a hiring plan to meet pre-accreditation requirements and timeline. She maintained all position descriptions for human resources and the hiring plan while ensuring effective management of procurement processes and asset inventories, in collaboration with IT management and resources. As a member of the Executive Team, she communicated with senior leadership on budgeting and finances. She was responsible for ensuring financial records and reports were prepared in accordance with applicable accreditation parties, State, and Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). Ms. Valentine also prepared policies and procedures to ensure internal control for purchasing, accounting, financial reporting, and hiring.
As the Budget Officer for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), she oversees the annual operating budget of approximately $400M and $1B in capital projects. She was instrumental in processing GARVEE Bonds for the new Frederick Douglass/South Capital Bridge and manages the Office of Assurance and Compliance (DOACD).
Ms. Valentine earned her Master of Science with a major in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of Maryland University College, Project Management Professional Certificate (PMP), Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). She is also an Accounting Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Dr. Mateen K. AliNiazee, MD, has served on the Corporate Board of Northwest Suburban College since its inception in 2009, where he currently sits as the Vice President. He has also served on the Board of Regents in a leadership capacity since 2011.
Dr. AliNiazee is a board-certified cataract and corneal refractive surgeon at the Kovach Eye Institute, with five offices throughout the Chicagoland Suburbs. He has been serving as the medical director of the Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Illinois since 2021, where he is the head of the medical policy-making committee and peer review committees within the Surgery Center. He is the head policymaker for anesthesia services at the Surgery Center and is extensively involved with AAAHC accreditation and Illinois Department of Public Health licensure and accreditation.
Dr. Mateen has delivered lectures at the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Cataract Refractive Surgeons Annual Meetings and has conducted numerous post- market research studies with different pharmaceutical companies. He has been deeply involved in helping grow and expand the Surgery Center and Eye Institute, where he has managed patients for the last ten years. He has delivered numerous CE lectures to eye care providers about new technologies and surgical techniques once a quarter. A pioneer in the field of ophthalmology, he has been one of only a handful of surgeons certified on all four Femtosecond laser platforms currently in use for cataract surgery and has participated in research as to the effectiveness of different advanced technology intraocular lens implants along with methods of optimizing the ocular surface before cataract and refractive surgery.
Before practicing ophthalmology in the Chicagoland area, Dr AliNiazee was in private practice in California and Illinois, where he held leadership positions in hospitals and healthcare organizations. He continues volunteering with local non-profit organizations in Illinois and nationally.
Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee is a distinguished osteopathic physician and academic, renowned for her contributions to medical education and healthcare policy. Born on June 1, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan, she is the eldest of six children, including her famous sister, singer Diana Ross.
Dr. Ross-Lee earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from Wayne State University in 1965. She later attended Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, graduating in 1973. She began her career in private practice in Detroit, where she ran a solo family practice until 1984.
In 1993, Dr. Ross-Lee made history as the first African American woman to be appointed dean of a U.S. medical school, serving at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has also held significant positions at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine and both the proposed Minnesota and Maryland Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
Throughout her career, Dr. Ross-Lee has been actively involved in healthcare policy and education. She served as a consultant on education in the health professions for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and participated in the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship. She has also been a community representative on the Governor’s Minority Health Advisory Committee for the state of Michigan.
Dr. Ross-Lee has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including recognition for her efforts to improve healthcare access and education for underrepresented communities. Her dedication to advancing the field of osteopathic medicine and her contributions to healthcare policy have made her a highly respected figure in the medical community.
Dr. Naveed Syed Iqbal is an esteemed cardiologist specializing in advanced interventional cardiology, currently affiliated with Loyola Medicine in Chicago. He has extensive experience in treating cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Iqbal earned his medical degree from St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine in 2004. He completed his residency at Wright State University in 2008, followed by fellowships at Marshall University and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, specializing in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular disease.
He is board-certified in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Iqbal is known for his expertise in performing cardiac catheterizations and percutaneous interventions, often using the radial approach (wrist) for these procedures.
Dr. Iqbal practices at multiple locations, including Loyola Medicine MacNeal Hospital and Heart Care Centers of Illinois. His dedication to patient care and his contributions to the field of cardiology make him a highly respected figure in his specialty.
Dr. Iqbal has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout his career, including the Barrett H. Bolton Humanism Award for his dedication to the well-being of patients and their families during his residency at Wright State University.
He was also recognized as one of America’s Most Honored Doctors in 2020 and as a Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor in 2019.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Iqbal is actively involved in community service and has made significant contributions to underprivileged communities. He has participated in medical missions to provide free cardiovascular care to underserved populations. Dr. Iqbal also serves on several boards, including the American Heart Association’s local chapter, where he advocates for heart health awareness and education.
Dr. Naser M. Khan is a renowned Interventional Gastroenterologist with extensive experience, having performed over 25,000 endoscopic procedures. He earned his medical degree from Deccan College of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, India, followed by an Internal Medicine Residency and Gastroenterology Fellowship at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. He then completed an advanced Interventional Gastroenterology Fellowship at Aurora St. Luke’s Pancreaticobiliary Center in Milwaukee, WI.
Dr. Khan serves as the System Medical Director and Section Chief for Gastroenterology at Mercyhealth Wisconsin and Illinois. He is also the Associate Designated Institutional Official for the Mercyhealth Graduate Medical Education Consortium, where he is deeply committed to educating and mentoring the next generation of physicians.
Currently, Dr. Khan is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He previously served on the university’s statewide College Executive Committee for two years and continues to support medical students as a Professionalism House Advisor on the Rockford campus.
With a special interest in healthcare economics, Dr. Khan is an active member of the Health and Public Policy Committee of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. In this role, he regularly advises U.S. lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Senate on policies to improve access to digestive healthcare.
Marie Newman is a former congresswoman, nonprofit CEO, marketing executive, author of A Life Made from Scratch and When Your Child Is Being Bullied: Real Solutions, antibullying activist, former Moms Demand Action spokesperson, healthcare equity expert and national LGBTQ+ advocate. In addition to those roles, she is a mother of two adult children, a consultant and a podcaster. Marie Newman is known for building movements and solving the toughest problems. Marie’s next book, her memoir, A Life Made from Scratch, was released in April of 2025. Her motto has always been, “when you do not see the solution you desperately need, make it from scratch!”
Marie has been frequently interviewed on MSNBC, CNN, Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS over the last decade for her congressional work and prior to that, her activism. She has also been interviewed by The New York Times, Elle Magazine, Teen Vogue, Ms. Magazine, The New Yorker, Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun Times and many other national publications. She has penned multiple Op-eds on important topics regarding healthcare, economic equity and immigration over the last several years. Newman is a sought-after speaker by national organizations and universities on women’s rights, gun reform, healthcare organizations, LGBTQ+ rights and economic equity across the nation. She lives in Lagrange, Illinois with her husband and beagle, Iggy. Marie is working on a new novel, a work of fiction, likely to be released in 2026 and a new podcast launching in 2025.
Dr. Osman Z. Abbasi is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and healthcare executive. He earned his medical degree from Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at Lehigh Valley Health Network, where he served as Chief Resident.
Dr. Abbasi is a partner at Vituity, the nation’s largest physician-owned acute care organization, and currently serves as Associate Vice President of Operations, overseeing more than 80 emergency departments across the Midwest and East Coast. He also holds academic appointments as Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and with Indiana State University’s Physician Assistant program.
The American Osteopathic Association, or AOA, defines osteopathic medicine as a complete system of medical care with a philosophy that combines the needs of the patient with the current practice of medicine, surgery and obstetrics; that emphasizes the concept of body unity, the interrelationship between structure and function; and that has an appreciation of the body’s ability to heal itself.
A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, or DO, is an osteopathic physician who has graduated from a COCA-accredited institution and is a fully qualified physician, educated within the context of a distinct patient-centered, health-oriented philosophy, trained to combine specialized diagnostic and therapeutic hands-on skills, also known as Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, with the latest advances in the science and practice of medicine to offer comprehensive healthcare to patients.