University of Missouri-Kansas City (School of Medicine)

The UMKC School of Medicine is a unique medical school, offering a combined baccalaureate/doctor of medicine degree program. The integrated program is completed in six years, and accepts students directly out of high school. The hallmarks of the program are: early clinical experience starting the first year of school; integration of the humanities, liberal arts, basic sciences, and clinical sciences throughout the curriculum; and close mentoring by physician “docents” in small group learning units.

The UMKC School of Medicine is an innovative medical education system offering an integrated, combined baccalaureate/ doctor of medicine degree program that
accepts students directly out of high school. The program is based on early and continuous clinical experiences, humanities woven throughout the curriculum, smallgroup learning centered around a physician "docent," continuous assessment of student
progress, and emphasis on application of the basic sciences in clinical medicine.

Over the 30-plus years of the existence of the School, the education and research enterprise has become increasingly complex. There are now over 600 medical students, 570 full-time and 670 volunteer faculty, 375 residents and fellows in 32 ACGMEsponsored
programs, four affiliated hospitals, growing research programs, and new community service opportunities.

The UMKC School of Medicine improves the health and serves the community by
• Educating a competent, altruistic, and diverse physician workforce
• Engaging in life sciences research to translate biomedical discoveries into improved health care
• Serving as a community resource for health, education and biotechnology

The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine is designed primarily for high school seniors who are entering college. Students earn their baccalaureate and M.D. degrees concurrently in a six-year program.

An alternative to entry at the Year 1 level is the M.D.-Only level. Effective January 2003, M.D.-Only students enter the School of Medicine and begin their curriculum in the second semester of Year 2 of the program. A limited number of positions may become available each year at this level. The application deadline for January entry into the M.D.-Only program is Aug. 1 of the preceding year.

High school graduates entering the UMKC School of Medicine program begin their careers as medical students their first day in the program. By utilizing a curriculum that builds a solid foundation in the basic medical sciences and provides extensive clinical experience and exposure to the liberal arts and humanities, our students do not have to wait four years until they have completed an undergraduate degree to get started on their medical degree.

The UMKC School of Medicine offers nearly 1,200 fulltime, part-time and volunteer medical school faculty members who make our students a high priority. Through the Department of Basic Medical Science, students develop a solid grounding in basic scientific education with instruction in courses such as biochemistry, gross anatomy, histology, medical microbiology, physiology and medical neuroscience.

At the center of the School of Medicine’s unique six-year program is the docent system. New students get a sense of the life of a doctor through the docent experience where students participate as part of a 12-person group. The docent leads the unit in time spent at one of our affiliated hospitals learning medical vocabulary, basic clinical skills and medical principles.
Our docents provide students with a rare combination
of expertise as practicing physicians as well as outpatient clinicians, teachers, counselors, and friends.
Students join a new docent unit in Year 3 at either the
medical school or at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City.
This is the student’s home base for the duration of their
medical school career. Year 3 students are also paired with a Year 5 student within the docent unit in a unique partnership that allows the older student to serve as an additional mentor, guide and friend.

The UMKC School of Medicine curriculum utilizes
experiences with patients, peers, and faculty in clinical settings to enable students to develop the competencies essential for a safe physician. The same high priority placed on the development of scientific and technical skills is placed on developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes that lead to compassion, sensitivity, honesty, integrity, dependability and responsibility.

Through formal and informal experiences in their curriculum, and with the close guidance of faculty mentors, our students become skilled in our nine Areas of Competency. These skills begin with the ability to gather data from a wide variety of sources and progress to utilizing the collected data and applying that information to define clinical problems. The capstone is based on the ability to develop a plan of action to solve a problem. Students are continually evaluated by a variety of means to determine whether they are competent in these areas and judged to be safe physicians at the time of graduation. As part of the education at the UMKC School of Medicine, students are expected to help evaluate the quality of their experiences by responding to course evaluations, performance evaluations, and
a graduation questionnaire, along with participating in a survey of their performance at the end of the first postgraduate year.

One of the unique features of the UMKC School of Medicine is the emphasis on humanities and humanism. The Sirridge Office of Medical Humanities collaborates with the College of Arts and Sciences in developing and coordinating experiences in humanities and humanism. The curriculum contains a variety of options that incorporate reading, writing, drawing, painting, and
other forms of artistic expression. It probes the meanings of ethnicity, gender, and cultural identity to the illness and healing experiences. It explores how physical abnormality and images of the body influence personhood and life experience. International health experiences, wherein students are exposed to illness,
suffering, and cultural practices of impoverished, Third World countries, add a global dimension to the offerings.
As a result of the unique experiences in humanities and
humanism, student horizons are broadened as appreciation for art, literature, and philosophy is nurtured; self-reflection is promoted thereby facilitating wellness and maturity; skills in listening and understanding others who are racially, economically,
and socially different are honed; and compassion and empathy are cultivated alongside technical and clinical skill.

From the very beginning, our students are involved in the practice of medicine. That involvement increases progressively as the student grows from learning the fundamentals of medical practice in the first two years to experiencing a wide array of clinical rotations in the final four years. Close supervision from the docent physician and other faculty allows students to develop the basic skills. Real-life experiences in clinical rotations at our primary teaching hospitals — Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill, Truman Medical Center Lakewood, Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, Children’s Mercy Hospital and Western Missouri Mental Health Center — help students determine the postgraduate and
medical practice that best matches their abilities, interest and desired lifestyle.

Each student participates in the geriatrics/gerontology
program beginning with the second semester of Year 1 and continuing throughout the remainder of the six-year curriculum to learn about the normal process of aging. Students are also encouraged to work closely with faculty in both clinical and research settings. Our students have participated in research programs taking place at the School of Medicine as well as outside the school at such institutions as the National Institutes
of Health and the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The Office of Research identifies research opportunities and research mentors for medical students. The Student Research Program supports teaching efforts in areas such as epidemiology,
biostatistics, public health principles and vidence-based
medicine, as well as coordinates supplemental research lectures and seminars. Some students become authors or co-authors of presentations and published research.

Our students work at some of the most outstanding hospitals in the area with a number of electives and required clinical rotations taken at one of our five primary affiliated institutions. Each serves a different patient population, and offers different areas of
expertise in various environments.
Truman Medical Centers has two campuses — Hospital Hill, a busy, urban hospital and Lakewood, a community hospital; Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City is a tertiary, private teaching hospital; The Children’s Mercy Hospital is a large children’s hospital; and Western Missouri Mental Health Center is a comprehensive psychiatric care facility. Other affiliated Kansas City hospitals that provide a resource for clinical experience include Baptist Medical Center, Menorah Medical Center, and Research Medical Center.

Clinical medical librarians are available to help students
on docent rotation obtain medical information on patient
care using MEDLINE and other computer databases, print and electronic journals, books, and the Internet. With the aid of the clinical medical librarian and other staff, students learn how to efficiently find relevant evidence for patient care and education.

With more than 75,000 volumes and books and
approximately 750 journal subscriptions to support clinical, educational and research activities at your disposal, the Health Science Library is a focal point of learning. The library is a gateway to a large number of bibliographic databases, some with full-text, including MEDLINE, the leading computerized index to medical literature. An assortment of medical reference materials,
or e-books, are available on-line through the Health Science Library web site.
The library also offers nationwide interlibrary searches and provides access to the Internet and its resources. As a member of the Missouri Education and Research Libraries Information Network, the library has access to resources at the University of Missouri System and Saint Louis libraries.

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School of Medicine Medical School Location

School of Medicine Courses

YEARS 1-2

This is when you lay the groundwork for your entire medical school career. First- and second-year students primarily take required courses in the College of Arts and Sciences on the Volker Campus to fulfill the baccalaureate degree requirements. First-year students take classes such as medical terminology, chemistry, microbiology, sociology and psychology. Throughout
the first two years, students are part of a docent team and participate in docent-directed, patient-based activities. These onsite docent activities are supplemented by a curriculum that introduces the fundamentals of medical practice. Unifying themes of professionalism, diversity, and history taking are
woven throughout the series, which is organized around the lifecycle. Second-year students take courses such as cell biology, genetics, biochemistry and the integrated human structure function series.

Your docent team will meet with the docent two to three
hours per week at an assigned hospital where you will interact with patients and learn the basics of clinical medicine, such as how to take a history and communicate with patients. Twice each month you will also meet with your class and discuss fundamentals
of medical practice focusing special emphasis on topics relevant to pediatrics, adolescence, aging, diversity and professionalism. A two-week hospital team experience following the winter semester finals familiarizes you with a variety of roles at the hospital and provides an understanding of both patient care professionals and
the community hospital in providing quality health care.

YEAR 1 REQUIRED COURSES

* Fundamentals of Medical Practice I & II : Introduces students to professional values, attitudes and skills required to practice medicine competently. Explores non-biological factors influencing health and the
appreciation of different value systems and life styles. Emphasizes the team approach in solving medical problems through direct small group activities as part of weekly onsite docent experiences.

* Human Biology I (Anatomy) : Introduction to functional anatomy of the human body. Emphasis on gross, microscopic and developmental aspects

* Learning Basic Medical Sciences : Provides students with an understanding of their own learning processes and those study strategies that promote maximum
learning efficiency. Active participation in course increases achievement in both science and nonscience
courses, smoothes transition to college-level work, and further develops reasoning and thinking skills that apply to medical school.

* Human Biology III (Microbiology) : Introduces basic concepts of microbiology. Emphasizes infectious diseases and host diseases

* Medical Terminology : Methodical introduction to the language of medicine and its usage in modern clinical documentation. Introduces word elements in a logical,
graduated sequence correlated with laboratory practice.
Encourages skills in etymological analysis based on the word elements presented to facilitate interpretation of
composite medical terms.

* Sociology : Introduces the study of society and basic
concepts of sociology.

* General Psychology : Involves study of psychological
principles and methods.

* General Chemistry I : Includes study of stoichiometry,
atomic structure, states of matter, thermodynamics, equilibrium, and kinetics

YEAR 2 REQUIRED COURSES :

* Hospital Team Experience : Teaches students to make good observations, interact appropriately with patients, family, and hospital staff, assist with non-physician
duties, and perform technical skills appropriate to assigned departments. Facilitates understanding of allied health care personnel roles in patient care, communication among health care professionals and its influence on the delivery of health care and patient
outcomes, and the hospital process and structure of authority within the hospital.

* Fundamentals of Medical Practice III & IV : Integrates patient interviews and examinations with sciences fundamental to clinical medicine, including biochemistry,
anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and social sciences.

* Cell Biology : Focuses on basic concepts of cellular
and subcellular structure and function. Includes supramolecular and organelle structure and organization, bioenergetics, cell growth and cellular communication.

* Elementary Organic Chemistry : Covers both aliphatic and aromatic fields of organic chemistry.

* Genetics : Takes a modern approach to integrating
molecular and organismal studies of the genetics of lower and higher organisms. Discusses chromosomal structure and function, gene transmission, heredity,
plasticity and population genetics.

* Human Biochemistry I Medical : Employs an integrative approach to the basic science and clinical medicine aspects of normal and defective metabolism.

* Human Structure Function I : Integrated course in anatomy, histology, embryology, physiology and biochemistry. All basic science lectures have clinical
faculty to emphasize basic science concepts relevant to the practice of medicine.

* Human Structure Function II : This unit covers
cardiopulmonary and gastrointestinal systems.

* Human Structure Function III :This unit covers urinary and reproductive systems.

YEARS 3-6

The emphasis on basic medical science classes intensifies as students prepare for increasing clinical responsibilities during their final three years. Docent units include up to 12 Years 3-6 students, a clinical pharmacologist, an education team coordinator, as well as a docent and other health care professionals. Up to four units comprise a docent team that is designated by the colors blue, gold, green, red and purple.
Year 3 includes courses such as introduction to pharmacology and pathology.

Years 4-6 are the clinical years. Students spend more time with patients and are exposed to a wide array of elective opportunities to satisfy their interests and curriculum needs. Coursework during these years emphasizes advanced medicine courses such as a rural preceptorship, family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry and emergency medicine, with one month in either
year 5 or 6 assigned to humanities/social science.

Students put their clinical skills to practical use for half a
day each week beginning in Year 3, helping diagnose and treat outpatients at either Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill or Saint Luke’s Hospital. These clinical assignments continue through Year 6, giving our students a wealth of clinical experience by the time they receive their medical degree. Half of Year 4 is spent in clinical assignments, including electives. The experience
grows in Year 4 when students and their docent units spend two months on docent rotation, or Do-Ro, during which they take part in daily rounds at the hospital while working with full-time hospital-based staff including physicians, nurses and residents, as well as professional members of the docent team, including
the docent, Pharm.D., and clinical medical librarian.

Clinical rotations ranging from emergency medicine
and surgery to obstetrics/gynecology and pediatrics, as well as electives, make up most of Years 5 and 6. During Years 4 through 6, students must take at least three clinical electives, at least one of which must involve direct patient care. These month-long
rotations in subspecialty electives allow students to pursue special interests and build on skills and information they’ve acquired in required courses.
Electives may be taken at health care facilities in Kansas
City or other locations throughout the country and overseas.
Our students have traveled as far as Africa, Australia, Cameroon, Canada, China, Europe, Haiti, the Middle East, South America and Taiwan for elective studies and rotations. The E. Grey Dimond, M.D., Program of International Medicine was established to help
coordinate international exchanges for students as part of the curriculum.
One month in Year 5 is spent practicing medicine in a rural Missouri setting in order to experience the array of societal and health care concerns unique to non-urban primary care settings and the business operations integral to a physician in a smalltown clinic. One month in Year 4 is also spent in a family medicine rotation.

YEARS 3-6 REQUIRED COURSES :

* Human Structure Function IV : This unit covers the head and neck system £ Includes a comprehensive examination for the Human Structure Function.

* History of Medicine: Diseases and Man : Gives overview of how disease has altered history. Covers diseases and their relationship to other medical sciences

* Neurosciences : Lecture-based course covering major
neurological disorders and disease states. Specific neurologic diseases will be correlated to the didactic sessions by clinicians. Laboratory component is oriented around brain dissection sessions. Laboratory experience will demonstrate gross lesions and integrate the lesions with the clinical symptoms.

* Introduction to Pharmacology : Introductory principles of pharmacology are covered that provide students with
basic knowledge and skills necessary for upcoming didactic and clinical curriculum. Students become familiar with drug information resources, pharmaceutical calculations, and prescription writing skills, and learn basic mechanisms of drug action, preventive therapeutics and pharmacokinetic principles.

* Family Medicine : Students experience the act of
medicine as well as science, working with patients in the context of their family and community. Includes care of the child, the adolescent, pregnant women, young and middle aged adults, and the elderly. Addresses ambulatory medicine, prevention and health maintenance

* Clinical Skills : Challenges students to achieve
competencies in patient history taking, physical examination, selected diagnostic studies and procedures, and other abilities. Statements of competencies in above areas specify the attitudes, knowledge and skills students will be expected
to demonstrate.

* Medical Microbiology : Covers basic scientific principles of virology, bacterial physiology and genetics.
Presents information relevant to the pathogenesis of human infections caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and helminthes. Provides a concise presentation of basic immunological principles and their
clinical relevance. Provides a concise review of
antimicrobial therapeutic regimens including mechanism of action and clinical settings in which specific agents
might be used.

* General/Clinical Pathology : Course consists of lectures, laboratories with case studies, special projects including integrated questions, clinical patient
presentations, and examinations. Content areas emphasized include cytogenetics, infectious diseases
and neoplasia.

* Anatomic/Systemic Pathology : Course consists of lectures, laboratories with case studies, special projects
including integrated questions, clinical patient presentations, autopsy review with paper, and examinations. Content areas emphasized include cardiovascular, lymphatic, hematologic, gastrointestinal,
renal, hepatic, and genitourinary systems.

* Behavioral Science in Medicine : Utilizes case studies and a problem centered approach in addition to clinical
experience including home health care visits, supervised interviewing, and time on an inpatient chemical dependency unit.

* Pharmacology : Provides the medical student with
relevant basic pharmacology of the model drugs under clinical investigation and in use today.

* Patient, Physician, Society : Introduces students to a 7-week unit emphasizing medical decision making.
Introduces students to a 6-week unit which focuses on public health. Activities include lecture, problem sets,
small group projects.

* Ambulatory Care Pharmacology : Consists of a self-paced, independent learning, computer-based instruction. Focuses on integration of patient-related data with basic science data. Students obtain skills in
assessing patient risk or disease staging and selecting
appropriate pharmacotherapy based on such information. The selected topics focus on outpatient pharmacotherapy of common disease states for
which there are established treatment guidelines, such as hypertension, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, asthma, pain, and hyperlipidemia

* Prescribing for Special Populations : Consists of a self-paced, independent learning, computer-based instruction. Teaches principles of prescribing for
special populations. Students learn to recognize special
patients and to assess risks and benefits and individualize drug therapy in special patient situations. The course addresses concepts of pharmacology in five commonly encountered special populations: pediatrics, elderly, patients with liver or kidney disease, and pregnant or breastfeeding patients.

* Psychiatry Rotation : Gives each medical student a clinical assignment that involves responsibility for
patient care under supervision on the adult inpatient service and experience in the clinic. Includes seminars in psychopathology, psychiatric syndromes, mechanisms of defense, psychopharmacology, drug
and alcohol abuse and specific psychosocial assessment.

* Obstetrics/Gynecology : Provides the student with an opportunity to gain basic competence in obstetrics and
gynecology, including proficiency in the history and physical examination related to the obstetric and gynecologic patient. Emphasizes outpatient gynecology,
family planning and techniques for early detection of gynecologic cancer. Provides basic information in
reproductive physiology and endocrinology, infertility, gynecologic oncology, and the psychologic aspect of
diseases of women. Covers concepts of prenatal care and fundamentals of normal labor and delivery, and pregnancy complications.

* Pediatrics : Relates to the mastering of facts, concepts and skills, and the assessment of normal, abnormal, and behavioral variations relating to newborn infants,
and infants and children entering the outpatient clinical setting. Helps students develop competency in
history taking and the skill of physical examination as applied to infants, children and adolescents.

* Surgery : Emphasizes the indications, contraindications, types of operative management, and the mortality and morbidity of various operations. Involves the student in several different kinds of learning experiences, such as preoperative and postoperative care, work in the operating room, outpatient clinic visits, night call, student conferences and resident conferences. Covers skills in surgical scrub, putting
on gown and gloves, knot tying, vena puncture, proctoscopy, and suturing of the skin.

* Emergency Medicine : Based at the busy, urban facility of Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill. Emphasizes principles, concepts and skills necessary for the initial evaluation and care of medical and surgical emergencies. Teaches management of simple
lacerations, burns, contusions, sprains, and
infections, and recognition of life threatening emergencies and initiation of emergency care in response.

* Continuing Care Clinic : Provides ambulatory and continuous care experience in general medicine clinics.
The docent teams are assigned to a clinic in which students see and follow a panel of patients on a continuous basis for up to four years, where necessary, under the supervision of docents. Provides continuity of care from inpatient hospitalization to
outpatient care, thus allowing longitudinal experience for the student and personalized care for the patients. Allows students to observe the natural progression of disease and experience the rewards and challenges of an ongoing doctor-patient relationship.

* Rational and Safe Drug Prescribing : Teaches principles of clinical pharmacology that will assist the student in responsibly prescribing medications. Students develop skills in making informed clinical decisions through studying topics such as literature evaluation, medication errors, adverse drug reactions, drug allergies, drug interactions, overdose management,
alternative therapies, and therapeutic drug monitoring.

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