[8][7] Originally known as the American School of Osteopathy (ASO), the inaugural class of 21 students graduated in 1894.

[9] In 1892 Still hired William Smith, a formally trained Scottish physician, to serve as the first anatomy professor of the school.

In 2006, the School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) opened and began accepting students the following year.

It provides dentistry for those with advanced oral health needs, and developed in response to the complex needs of patients in underserved communities.

[15] In September 2021, the university initiated the Central Coast Physician Assistant program in Santa Maria, California, matriculating 90 students in the inaugural class.

[16] In January 2022, the Higher Learning Commission approved ATSU's third campus, the College for Health Communities, in Santa Maria, California.

[17] ATSU operates three campuses (Kirksville, MO, Mesa, AZ, and Santa Maria, CA) on more than 200 acres with seven schools, offering degree programs in a wide spectrum of health sciences.

[22] The university's Santa Maria campus is a 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) facility intended to support pre-clinical education.

It includes clinical simulation rooms, a library, a student lounge, and a recreation area.

Several certificate programs are offered in various subjects, including athletic sciences, global health, education and leadership.

SOMA educates osteopathic medicine students under a relatively new medical educational model, which links osteopathic training to community health centers in the U.S.[33] A partnership exists between ATSU and the National Association of Community Health Centers.

[34] The ATSU-ASDOH implemented a model integrating state of the art training with patient care needs in community health centers (CHCs).

ATSU-SOMA works in partnership with eleven sites to integrate medical education with preparation for the most complex healthcare careers.

[35] A hometown program exists to offer an opportunity for medical students previously connected to CHCs to gain admission.

ATSU also conducts research on assessing trainees skills in the subject of osteopathic manipulative medicine.