July 13, 2026
Provided Image/Thomas Jefferson University
Jefferson Health plans to open a Sidney Kimmel Medical College branch campus, rendered above, in Allentown.
Thomas Jefferson University plans to open a regional campus of its Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Allentown in July 2029, with 45 students enrolled in its first class.
The program will offer the same four-year curriculum that medical students receive at Jefferson's Philadelphia campus, officials said Monday. Students will receive clinical training at Jefferson's Lehigh Valley hospitals and outpatient facilities.
"Physicians are more likely to practice where they train," Said Ibrahim, dean of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, said in a statement. "Establishing a four-year campus of Sidney Kimmel Medical College in the Lehigh Valley will expand opportunities for medical education, strengthen regional connections and build a pipeline of physicians who are committed to serving this community for generations."
The campus will consist of 54,000 square feet of space within the One Center Square building, a medical office and retail complex being constructed in downtown Allentown. The 87,000-square-foot building is scheduled to be completed by early 2027.
Jefferson officials declined to disclose the cost of the campus.
Jefferson officials said they will "leverage the legacy" of the SELECT program, a partnership between the Lehigh Valley Health Network and the University of South Florida that brings students from Florida to Allentown for their last two years of medical education. Its final group of students will graduate in 2027. The program's medical infrastructure and faculty expertise will support Jefferson's new campus.
The new campus is the latest expansion for Jefferson in the Lehigh Valley. The health system acquired the Lehigh Valley Health Network in 2024. Earlier this year, Jefferson revealed plans to expand programs at the Lehigh Valley Health Network Center for Healthcare Education in Center Valley, including a nurse anesthesia program and several online graduate programs. Jefferson also is opening a satellite respiratory therapy lab at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest later this summer.
Last month, Jefferson was chosen as the practitioner for Delaware's first medical school. Its first class of 40 students will begin receiving instruction in July 2028.
"This is a time of tremendous opportunity," Susan Aldridge, president of Thomas Jefferson University, said in a statement. "These initiatives reflect our commitment to address critical workforce needs while building sustainable academic pathways for future healthcare professionals."
