Medical Schools in Kansas: How to Get In (2024)
/Learn admissions strategies for medical schools in Kansas
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Part 1: Introduction
Nicknamed “The Sunflower State” and boasting a population of almost 3 million, Kansas was the 34th state to enter the union. Interestingly, the first people to settle in Kansas did so over 12,000 years ago, according to archeological evidence.
Today, Kansas is home to many important businesses and industries, including two medical schools—the University of Kansas and Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine. Whether you’re interested in earning an MD or a DO, there’s a place for you in Kansas.
In this guide, we’ll cover ranking and admission statistics, school profiles, and specific strategies you can employ to increase your chances of acceptance into a medical school in Kansas.
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Part 2: List of medical schools in Kansas: Rankings & admissions statistics
University of Kansas - KUMC School of Medicine
Currently (2024), the University of Kansas is ranked as a Tier 3 for Best Medical Schools in Research and Tier 1 for Best Medical Schools in Primary care according to US News. Additionally, they’re ranked #12 for Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas, making it a top choice for students planning to practice medicine in less developed regions.
The majority of applicants who apply to this school tend to be nonresidents (4,277) while residents accounted for 427 of the 4742 applications they received for the 2024 entering class.Out of all applicants, 473 were interviewed, bringing their interview rate to 10%. Ultimately, 211 matriculated for 2024. Those matriculants had an average GPA of 3.84 and an average MCAT score of 509.
Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
At this time, the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KansasCOM) isn’t ranked, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still need to work hard to vie for a spot on their acceptance list. You’ll need at least a minimum GPA of 3.0 (for both your cumulative and science GPA) and a minimum MCAT score of 500 before applying to KansasCOM.
| Kansas Medical Schools | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kansas | $73,756 OOS |
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| Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine | $79,526 OOS |
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Part 3: Kansas medical school profiles
University of Kansas - KUMC School of Medicine
Although KU's School of Medicine, affiliated with the University of Kansas, can technically trace its origins back to a single course offered in 1880, the School of Medicine didn’t open until 1905. Several years later, in 1924, the new School of Medicine opened in its current location in Kansas City. Today, KU’s School of Medicine operates on three campuses: its original location in Kansas City, a Wichita campus, and a campus in Salina. Students who wish to earn an MD degree can study at whichever location suits their future goals. For instance, students desiring to eventually work in a more urban setting may choose the Kansas City location. In contrast, those wishing to learn and practice in a community-based environment should choose Wichita. Those looking to practice in a rural, underserved area would likely opt to learn in Salina.
Degree programs at the University of Kansas
KU’s School of Medicine offers several degree programs, including the following for a Doctorate of Medicine:
Curriculum at the University of Kansas
The MD curriculum at KU’s School of Medicine uses a specific approach to educating students known as ACE, or Active, Competency-based, and Excellence-driven. This model is broken down into two phases:
Years 1 and 2
During this Phase, most of the blocks (nine total) last nine weeks. This phase focuses on organ systems and lays the foundation for future clinical applications.
Phase 2:
Years 3 and 4
In year 3, students take required clerkships in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Surgery, along with Issues in Clinical Medicine.
In year 4 , students can develop a more personalized course of study, but it must include a selection in rural medicine, critical care, health of the public, and a sub-internship.
Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
KansasCOM’s mission is to teach future physicians to provide “effective, empathic, and innovative care.” As Kansas’s first osteopathic school, it’s uniquely positioned to set the precedent for schools of osteopathy and define what that looks like.
Degree programs at Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
KansasCOM offers a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree, but at this time, it does not offer any other degree programs.
Curriculum at Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
At KansasCOM, students are primarily taught through the patient presentation model, which focuses on teaching students about clinical cases that highlight patient symptoms. Through this model of teaching, students learn how to identify and diagnose patients and holistically look for the underlying issues that may lead to the presentation of specific symptoms.
The curriculum is broken down into two parts:
Years 1 and 2:
This segment focuses on Patient Presentation and utilizes a Case-Based Curriculum. During this stage, students focus on serving in underserved communities and on maintaining physician health.
Years 3 and 4:
In this segment, the primary focus is Clinical Clerkship and Advanced Clinical Training. This is when students begin clinical rotations, putting their previous knowledge into practice. They’re matched with a clerkship preceptor and continue working with patients. During this segment, students will have the opportunity to start centering on a specialization that interests them. They’ll also begin serving in underserved communities and enhance their overall learning by bringing it to life with clinical application.
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Part 4: Kansas medical school admissions strategies
Knowing about the medical schools in Kansas is one thing, but getting an offer of acceptance into one is another. Let’s look at a few strategies that can help improve the likelihood of gaining admission into a Kansas medical school.
Strategy 1: Have a strong academic foundation
This is perhaps the first place to start, but it doesn’t stop here because your stats will only carry you so far. Regardless, you should aim for the highest GPA you can maintain and do as well as possible on the MCAT. Choose your undergraduate courses wisely because your undergraduate GPA stays with you through the entire med school admissions process.. In terms of the MCAT, give yourself ample study time before taking it, and save room in your application timeline in case you want to retake it.
Like many medical schools, the KU’s School of Medicine accepts MCAT scores that were awarded up to three years before your anticipated medical school start date. Regarding how late you can take the MCAT, if you’re considering applying Early Decision, you’ll want to take it no later than mid-July in your senior year. For regular decision, the last test date for acceptance falls mid-September.
At KU, they’ll want to see that you’ve completed the required pre-requisite courses and that your application demonstrates a “diversified undergraduate education,” along with experience in shadowing, working, or volunteering in a healthcare or medical setting. KansasCOM has similar requirements, but they also recommend you have at least 80 hours shadowing a physician, at least two leadership roles, at least four community service organizations you’ve been involved with, and domestic or international studying experience. They also would like to see a commitment of more than two years in a volunteer or employee role.
Strategy 2: Create an exemplary personal statement
The personal statement portion of your application is often viewed as your first opportunity to “speak” to adcoms outside quantitative data. You’ll want to use the space for your personal statement to illustrate your fit with the school’s mission and values and to explain what led to your decision to pursue medicine as a career.
You should also think about your connections to Kansas and why you want to practice medicine in the setting you’ve chosen. What is it about practicing medicine in an underserved and rural community or in an urban setting that appeals to you? In what ways are you ready to move healthcare forward in that setting? How will the programs at the school help facilitate your goals? These are the types of things you can discuss in your personal statement.
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Strategy 3: Excel in your secondary essays and interviews
Your secondary essays provide you with another opportunity to communicate the depths of who you are as a person and why you wish to attend a specific school. It’s imperative that you do well on them, and prewriting them can help with this. By developing your answers ahead of time, you’ll save countless hours and energy, and you’ll have plenty of time to have them reviewed as you modify and revise to the absolute best of your ability.
For the 2024 application year, KU’s School of Medicine asked why applicants want to attend a particular campus location. Other questions ranged from sharing how your experiences and background fit the school's mission and values to describing your shadowing and leadership experiences. They also had a “challenge” question and one asking how you’ve improved your community.
KansasCOM only had three questions for 2024. Two of the three questions concerned how your background ultimately led to your decision to pursue medicine (and at KansasCOM specifically) and how your experiences have prepared you for the rigor of medical school. The other question was about time management and your best time management methods.
Interviews at KU’s School of Medicine are conducted by one or two members of the interview panel and you will have two, 30-minute interviews. During your interview week, they’ll connect you with Student Ambassadors who may be able to provide some further guidance. At KansasCOM, interviews are conducted virtually and they involve one-on-one interviews, a faculty panel, and general information sessions.
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Final thoughts
If you’re thinking about attending medical school in Kansas, your applications will have to reflect your dedication to medicine as well as the state. Whether you are interested in allopathic medicine (MD) or osteopathic medicine (DO), there’s a school to meet your needs. However, you’ll need to practice persistance and cultivate discipline to achieve the scores necessary for a medical school in Kansas and create a solid plan of action to balance these efforts with your extracurriculars. Putting all of this together will give you the best chance of success at donning a white coat at a Kansas medical school.
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Appendix A: Kansas medical schools by degree type
Allopathic medical schools in Kansas (MD)
University of Kansas - KUMC School of Medicine
Osteopathic medical schools in Kansas (DO)
Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Appendix B: Kansas medical schools by institution type
Public medical schools in Kansas
University of Kansas - KUMC School of Medicine
Private medical schools in Kansas
Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
