Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
GEISINGER COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES ADVANCES HEALTH THROUGH EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WE EDUCATE AND SUPPORT COMPASSIONATE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND SCHOLARS DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE, DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION. OUR GRADUATES ARE PREPARED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND VALUE OF HEALTHCARE, ADVANCE EQUITY, ADDRESS THE UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES OF OUR REGION AND ITS PEOPLE, AND PROMOTE WELLBEING FOR ALL.
- Income
- $52.7 million
- Spending
- $49.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 17.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 69%
- Employees
- 314
- Volunteers
- 132
- Highest pay
- $14.3 million, director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 17.7 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 34% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $36.7 million spent. ACADEMIC PROGRAM: GEISINGER COMMONWEALTH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (GCSOM) OFFERS THREE SEPARATE DEGREE PROGRAMS: A DOCTOR OF MEDICINE (MD) PROGRAM, MASTER OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE (MBS) PROGRAM AND AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE IN NURSING (ADN). GCSOM FOCUSES BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING PROGRAMS ON HEALTH ISSUES PREVALENT IN NORTHEASTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA, A 17-COUNTY REGION WITH 1.8 MILLION RESIDENTS. THE REGION HAS AN AGING POPULATION, 19.5 PERCENT OF RESIDENTS ARE OLDER THAN AGE 65, COMPARED TO 15.1 PERCENT NATIONALLY. MOREOVER, THE REGION HAS HIGH INCIDENCES OF BREAST, LUNG, COLORECTAL AND PROSTATE CANCERS, AS WELL AS HIGH INCIDENCES OF NON-HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA, OTHER CHRONIC DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH AGING, AND SIGNIFICANT NEEDS IN PRIMARY CARE, MENTAL/BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE. THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE'S TOTAL HEALTH CURRICULUM (THC), IS A FOUR-YEAR, THREE-PHASE CURRICULUM THAT MATRICULATES 115 MEDICAL STUDENTS PER CLASS. THE FIRST PHASE IS A NOVEL ACTIVE LEARNING-BASED, INTEGRATED CURRICULUM THAT USES THE CLINICAL PRESENTATION MODEL, WITHIN ORGAN SYSTEM-BASED BLOCKS. IN THIS PHASE, STUDENTS ALSO GAIN EARLY CLINICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE LONGITUDINAL CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WHERE STUDENTS WORK IN LOCAL PRIMARY CARE CLINICS. DURING THE SECOND PHASE OF THE CURRICULUM, STUDENTS ARE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF GCSOM'S REGIONAL CAMPUSES, WHERE THEY WILL TRAIN IN ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS AND AMBULATORY PRACTICE SITES. THE FIVE GCSOM REGIONAL CAMPUSES ARE THE NORTHEAST (SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE), CENTRAL (DANVILLE), WEST (LEWISTOWN/STATE COLLEGE) GUTHRIE (SAYRE), AND ATLANTICARE (ATLANTIC CITY, NJ). THE THIRD PHASE OF THE CURRICULUM PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT CAREER PATHWAYS AND COMPLETE REQUIRED AND ELECTIVE COURSEWORK ALIGNED WITH THEIR POSTGRADUATE SPECIALTY OF CHOICE. THE THC ALSO INCLUDES THE SYSTEMS, SOCIETY, AND HUMANISM IN MEDICINE CURRICULUM (SSHM) COMPOSED OF SIX LONGITUDINAL THEMES THAT ARE INTEGRATED THROUGHOUT THE CURRICULUM AND TRANSFORM OUR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE STUDENTS INTO SOCIALLY ACCOUNTABLE LEADERS IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. SSHM FOSTERS THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPASSIONATE AND ADAPTABLE PHYSICIANS DEDICATED TO A PERSON-CENTERED APPROACH TO IMPROVING THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. SSHM INCORPORATES A FAMILY CENTERED AND COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE (FCCE). THE FCCE MATCHES STUDENTS WITH FAMILIES LIVING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES, DISABILITIES OR WHOSE LIVED EXPERIENCE IMPACTS THEIR HEALTH. THIS ALLOWS OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE OUR STUDENTS' EDUCATORS, AND FOR STUDENTS TO LISTEN AND LEARN FROM PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE IMPACTED THEIR HEALTH OR THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY. STUDENTS ALSO PARTICIPATE IN A REQUIRED LONGITUDINAL COMMUNITY HEALTH/ SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAM, TO INVESTIGATE AND/OR SOLVE A COMMUNITY HEALTH ISSUE, TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH OF THE REGION'S CITIZENS. IN ADDITION TO REQUIRED COURSEWORK, MD CANDIDATES ALSO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES WITH COMMUNITY AGENCIES. THE STUDENTS ORGANIZE BLOOD DRIVES AND HEALTH FAIRS, TUTOR LOCAL CHILDREN, COLLECT FOOD AND WARM CLOTHING FOR THE HOMELESS AND COMPLETE MANY OTHER HELPFUL ACTS THAT IMMERSE THEM IN AND IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY. IN TOTAL, GCSOM STUDENTS HAVE VOLUNTEERED MORE THAN 50,000 HOURS TO THE COMMUNITY SINCE THE SCHOOL'S INCEPTION. SINCE 2020, THE ABIGAIL GEISINGER SCHOLARS PROGRAMS (AGS) HAS PROVIDED TUITION AND FEE SUPPORT AND A COST-OF-LIVING STIPEND FOR UP TO 45 INCOMING STUDENTS ANNUALLY IN EXCHANGE FOR A SERVICE COMMITMENT WITHIN THE GEISINGER HEALTH SYSTEM AFTER RESIDENCY. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO REDUCE STUDENT DEBT AND IMPORTANTLY, REPOPULATE REGIONAL PHYSICIAN SHORTAGES IN KEY SPECIALTY AREAS INCLUDING FAMILY MEDICINE, INTERNAL MEDICINE, MEDICAL PEDIATRICS, AND PSYCHOLOGY. IN THE 2024 MD MATCH, 115 STUDENTS WERE PLACED INTO RESIDENCY PROGRAMS, 52 STUDENTS ARE ENTERING PRIMARY CARE FIELDS AND 12 ARE ENTERING PSYCHIATRY. OF THE 115 STUDENTS, 10 STUDENTS MATCHED AT GEISINGER. ADDITIONALLY, 37 AGS MATCHED AND WILL EVENTUALLY WORK AS REGIONAL PHYSICIANS. APPROXIMATELY 37% OF THE CLASS MATCHED INTO PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENCY PROGRAMS AND IN ADDITION A LARGE NUMBER OF GEISINGER COMMONWEALTH STUDENTS WILL TRAIN AT LEADING COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS, AND MANY WILL GO TO RESIDENCIES AT HIGHLY COMPETITIVE TEACHING HOSPITALS, INCLUDING YALE, DUKE, STANFORD, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. THE MBS CURRICULUM HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A UNIQUE, PERSONAL EDUCATION THAT WILL HELP THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR CAREER GOALS. A COMMITMENT TO STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING IS COMBINED WITH INDIVIDUALIZED CAREER AND EDUCATION PLANNING SERVICES. THE MBS PROGRAM IS DIRECTED TOWARD STUDENTS WHO ARE EITHER SEEKING TO STRENGTHEN THEIR CREDENTIALS FOR APPLICATION TO MEDICAL/HEALTH PROFESSION SCHOOL OR WHO WANT TO WORK IN OTHER HEALTH AND HEALTH-RELATED INDUSTRIES. THE MBS CURRICULUM PROVIDES STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE THEIR SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND ACADEMIC METRICS BY PARTICIPATING IN REQUIRED AND ELECTIVE BASIC SCIENCE COURSES IN DISCIPLINES MIRRORING THAT OF THEIR MEDICAL SCHOOL COLLEAGUES. MBS STUDENTS ALSO ENROLL IN A COURSE THROUGH THE PRINCETON REVIEW THAT ASSISTS IN THEIR PREPARATION FOR TAKING A PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMINATION. DURING THEIR COURSE OF STUDY, MBS STUDENTS DEVELOP AN EPORTFOLIO DOCUMENTING THEIR EXPERIENCES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CLINICAL/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SERVICE, AND CULTURAL COMPETENCE. IN 2024, THE MBS PROGRAM ENROLLED 34 STUDENTS IN THE ONLINE FORMAT DEPENDING ON THE ACADEMIC QUARTER AND 19 STUDENTS IN THE FACE-TO-FACE FORMAT. OF THE 764 ALUMNI WHOSE OUTCOMES ARE KNOWN, 536 HAVE GONE ON TO MEDICAL OR OTHER HEALTH-RELATED PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL. 71 MBS STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY EARNED THEIR MASTER'S DEGREE IN 2024. IN 2022, GEISINGER COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD ESTABLISH GEISINGER SCHOOL OF NURSI
- $2.3 million spent. RESEARCH PROGRAMS: GCSOM'S RESEARCH MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF ITS 17-COUNTY COMMUNITY THROUGH THE COLLABORATIVE DISCOVERY AND DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE GAINED THROUGH RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION. BECAUSE IT IS OUR VISION TO BE IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY, WE STRIVE TO BE A CATALYST FOR STRATEGIC RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS, TO BE A LEADER FOR ADVANCING BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND TO BE A KEYSTONE FOR IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES THROUGH TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH. WE INCORPORATE VALUES OF COLLABORATION, INTEGRITY, INNOVATION, TRANSLATION, AND ENGAGEMENT. AT GCSOM, STUDENTS CAN CONDUCT RESEARCH UNDER THE MENTORSHIP AND GUIDANCE OF DISTINGUISHED FACULTY. RESEARCH PROJECTS DEVELOPED BY FACULTY RESEARCH MENTORS INCLUDE TRANSLATIONAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE LABORATORY SETTING OR PUBLIC HEALTH, COMMUNITY, AND CLINICAL RESEARCH IN THE CLINICAL OR COMMUNITY SETTING. THESE ARE POSITIONS FOR WHICH STUDENTS DO NOT NEED SUBSTANTIAL EXPERIENCE, YET THESE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND THE MENTORS WHO GUIDE THEM PROVIDE UNIQUE AND RICH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. GCSOM HAS MULTIPLE, ORGANIZED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING THE SUMMER RESEARCH IMMERSION PROGRAM FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS ENTERING THEIR SECOND YEAR AND THE MEDICAL RESEARCH HONORS PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO EXPLORE AN AREA OF RESEARCH INTEREST IN A SCHOLARLY MANNER THROUGHOUT THEIR FOUR YEARS OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. THIS YEAR 101 MEDICAL STUDENTS COMPLETED OUR SUMMER RESEARCH IMMERSION PROGRAM. CURRENTLY, 49 MEDICAL STUDENTS ARE PARTICIPATING IN OUR MEDICAL RESEARCH HONORS PROGRAM, AND THIS YEAR WE GRADUATED OUR FIRST COHORT OF 11 STUDENTS FROM THE PROGRAM. ACROSS ALL PROGRAMS, 113 FACULTY MEMBERS REPRESENTING MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES AND RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS HAVE PROVIDED MENTORSHIP TO OUR STUDENTS. SCHOLARSHIP IS A FUNDAMENTAL ASPECT OF THESE PROGRAMS, AS STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO WRITE ABSTRACTS, PRESENT POSTERS, AND PUBLISH THEIR FINDINGS. GCSOM'S STUDENT RESEARCH JOURNAL, SCHOLARLY RESEARCH IN PROGRESS (SCRIP), IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY, PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATION SHOWCASING THE RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR STUDENTS. SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2017, SCRIP HAS PUBLISHED 197 ORIGINAL ARTICLES AUTHORED BY MEDICAL AND GRADUATE STUDENTS USING A SINGLE BLIND, PEER-REVIEW PROCESS BY FACULTY. THIS PROCESS PROVIDES STUDENT AUTHORS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THEIR RESEARCH TO A PUBLISHABLE LEVEL WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR SCIENTIFIC WRITING SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE. THIS YEAR, OUR MEDICAL STUDENTS PUBLISHED 10 ORIGINAL ARTICLES IN OUR SCRIP JOURNAL; FURTHER, THEY AUTHORED OR WERE CO-AUTHORS ON 55 EXTERNAL, PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, 45 STUDENTS PRESENTED THEIR RESEARCH FINDINGS AT 34 NATIONAL AND 1 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES.
- $4.9 million spent. STUDENT AFFAIRS: THE STUDENT AFFAIRS TEAM SUPPORTS GEISINGER COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE'S (GCHS) INSTITUTIONAL MISSION AND VALUES BY FOSTERING STUDENTS' ACADEMIC, PROFESSIONAL, AND PERSONAL GROWTH, AND HOLISTIC WELL-BEING. GCHS ADMITS ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL, PASSIONATE, INNOVATIVE, AND COMMUNITY-MINDED STUDENTS WITH APTITUDE FOR BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES AND A SINCERE COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE. THE DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS (DSA) PROVIDES A RANGE OF ACADEMIC, CAREER, ENGAGEMENT AND WELL-BEING OFFERINGS TO ENHANCE THE INTERPERSONAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF ALL GCHS STUDENTS. THROUGH ENGAGEMENT OFFERINGS, THE DSA PROMOTES PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND INTELLECTUAL LIFE AT GCHS. THE DSA IS THE PRINCIPAL ADVISOR TO STUDENT GROUPS, THE DSA ALSO WORKS WITH STUDENTS FOR WELLNESS PROGRAMMING, AND ACADEMIC AND CAREER ADVISING. THE DSA PROVIDES SERVICES TO EACH SCHOOL OF THE COLLEGE INCLUDING THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, THE SCHOOL OF NURSING, AND THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE EDUCATION. DURING THE 2024 CALENDAR YEAR SIGNIFICANT PLANS WERE COMPLETED FOR EXPANSION IN ALL THREE SCHOOLS INCLUDING INCREASE IN THE MD CLASS SIZE AND AN ADDITIONAL GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM BOTH TO LAUNCH IN 2025. THE DSA MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO HOLISTIC STUDENT SUPPORT AND PROGRAMMING OF THE COLLEGE. IN ADDITION TO THE ACADEMIC, CAREER, ENGAGEMENT, AND WELL-BEING OFFERINGS NOTED ABOVE THE DSA PROVIDES ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES, ORIENTATION, AND STUDENT EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES TO STUDENTS FROM THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, THE SCHOOL OF NURSING AND THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE EDUCATION USING A HOLISTIC STUDENT SUPPORT MODEL. ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER THIS PAST YEAR INCLUDE: (1) THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION TO THE FIRST SCHOLARS NETWORK, (2) ENHANCED PEER TUTORING SUPPORT FOR THE MD CLINICAL YEAR STUDENTS, (3) ENHANCED REQUIRED STANDARDIZED TEST PREPARATION PROGRAM TO SUPPORT STUDENT RETENTION AND SUCCESS, (4) EXPANSION OF FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING STUDENTS, (5) SUPPORT BY OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF STUDENT WELL-BEING FOR THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION BY THE SCHOOL OF NURSING STUDENTS FOR A PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WELL-BEING GRANT, AND (6) THE SUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR A NEW ASSOCIATE DEAN OF MEDICAL STUDENT AFFAIRS WHO BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2024. GEISINGER COMMONWEALTH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE COMMUNITY SERVICE SUMMARY COST OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES $ 305,709 COMMUNITY HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH 245,116 CASH AND IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS 20,909 VALUE OF VOLUNTEER HOURS 7,945,157 TOTAL COMMUNITY BENEFIT ACTIVITIES $ 8,516,891
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 2007.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.