A 501c3 (not-for-profit)
proposed COM
FULL WEBSITE COMING SOON

Candidate Status – Seeking Accreditation

Proposed Not-For-Profit Niazee College of Osteopathic Medicine (NCOM).
Thrilled to Share Key Additions to our Leadership Team

Schaumburg, IL – September 9, 2025 – NCOM, based out of Schaumburg, Illinois, is proud to announce the addition of three individuals to key roles on our leadership team. Gail Feinberg, D.O., M.ED, FACOFP DIST has joined the team as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Howard Feinberg, D.O., M.A.C.O.I., F.A.C.R has taken the role of Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, and Kathryn Valentine, PMP, CFE, CGFM serves as Chief Financial Officer. Regarding these exciting additions, Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer Dr. K. Scott Whitlow, DO, CS, FAAEM shared, “these three esteemed individuals bring significant experience to NCOM and, most importantly, embody our mission of advancing community-centered osteopathic medicine within the communities we serve.”

Dr. Gail Feinberg joins NCOM from her previous role as Associate Dean of Preclinical Medicine for the proposed Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine where she served as the organization’s point person for the COCA pre-accreditation application process and also as contact for the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Before that, she held the position of Chair of Primary Care at Touro University in California where she led a department of 16 clinical faculty. She has also been an active member for decades with the American College of Osteopathic Family Practitioners as well as the American Osteopathic Association including over 35 years as a member of their house of delegates. When asked what drew her to this opportunity she stated, “I am motivated to develop and train empathetic diverse students to become exceptional osteopathic physicians who will work in underserved communities thereby increasing the health of their communities while decreasing health disparities. My motivation and NCOM’s mission are in complete alignment.”

Dr. Howard Feinberg has been a part of the osteopathic medicine community for more than four decades. With a background in Rheumatology, he founded the Ashland Arthritis Center in Kentucky dedicated to quality patient care, research, and teaching. He has held numerous academic positions over several decades including Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Program Development for Touro University and, most recently, Associate Dean for Clinical Education at the proposed Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine. “We need to meet the ongoing and future projected health care needs of the community and region,” he expressed. “NCOM is primed to provide the highest quality education while engraining in the students the concepts of cultural competency and empathy.”

What is Osteopathic Medicine?

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.

What is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine?

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.