Admission

Application

All applicants must apply through the American Medical College Application Service. The AMCAS application is available online at the Association of American Medical Colleges Web site, www.aamc.org. It is available in mid-March and is accepted by AMCAS on behalf of the KU School of Medicine from June 1 through October 15.

Medical College Admission Test

Each applicant to the School of Medicine must take the Medical College Admission Test. Scores on the MCAT examination must be posted no later than the fall of the year before the expected date of matriculation in medical school. KU considers scores valid for three years. Beginning in mid-February, MCAT applications may be requested from premedical advisers’ offices; from the American Medical College Testing Program, P.O. Box 414, Iowa City, IA 52243; or at the AAMC Web site, www.aamc.org. MCAT examinations are administered in April and August each year.

Academic Requirements

Undergraduate College Education

A liberal arts education from an accredited college or university provides the most direct preparation for the study of medicine, although KU will consider other educational backgrounds. The applicant who studies at a professional school or institution of technology should have a substantial liberal arts preparation, including an understanding of human relations and the foundations of scientific technology. Although the bachelor’s degree may be earned in any discipline, the applicant is expected to take course work that demonstrates the requisite intellectual discipline and analytical and problem-solving skills necessary to succeed in medical school.

Baccalaureate Degree

Applicants must complete a course of study leading to a baccalaureate degree conferred before matriculation into the KU School of Medicine. The degree requirement may be modified only under exceptional circumstances.

Required College Courses

Prospective medical students must be sufficiently prepared to master the advanced levels of biology and chemistry in medical school courses. Specific courses required for admission to the KU School of Medicine are listed below. Courses taken to meet the biology and chemistry prerequisites must be didactic laboratory courses, required of science majors, and equivalent to one academic year. Modern physics courses must be didactic laboratory courses, based on mathematics of at least the level of college algebra and trigonometry, equivalent to one academic year. Biochemistry and upper-level biology courses are not required for admission to KU, but medical school graduates have reported that these courses are helpful in providing additional preparation for the medical school curriculum. Beyond the required courses listed above, applicants are strongly encouraged to pursue a broad-based undergraduate education, balancing their work in the natural sciences with courses in the social sciences, humanities, and oral and written communication. Premedical students may find results of graduating medical student surveys, online at www.kumc.edu/som/gradsurvey.pdf, useful in planning their undergraduate curricula. A general understanding of health care and medicine, based on employment, volunteer, and shadowing experiences, also is expected.

Letters of Evaluation

A minimum of three and a maximum of five letters of evaluation are required. Letters should address academic and nonacademic qualifications, including maturity, social concern, motivation for medicine, initiative, judgment, and communication and interpersonal skills.

Interview

Upon completion of the application file, materials are reviewed, and selected applicants are invited for interviews. The interview is required for admission. It is the applicant’s responsibility to see that all required materials are received in the Office of Admissions for a timely credential review and for possible invitation to interview.

Place of Residence

Well-qualified applicants who are residents of Kansas are given first preference for admission. Highly qualified nonresidents with strong ties to the state are considered second, and other highly qualified out-of-state applicants are considered third. For admission to the medical school, a Kansas resident is an applicant who is eligible for resident fees for the term for which he or she is applying to the medical school.

Selection of the Class

Students are admitted by recommendation of the selection panel to the executive dean and to the Academic Committee of the faculty. The panel’s evaluation of the applicant includes a review of the application file, including the AMCAS application, academic records, MCAT scores, letters of evaluation, and the impressions made during the interview. Selection is based on a comprehensive appraisal of the individual’s motivation, capability, preparation, and suitability for a career in medicine.
Notification of Admission Decision. Each applicant is notified in writing by an administrative officer of the School of Medicine when definitive action has been taken on his or her application. Deposit. To hold a place in the class, each accepted applicant must pay a $50 deposit toward fees and tuition. The deposit is refunded if the applicant withdraws on or before May 15.

Early Decision Program

The School of Medicine participates in the Early Decision Program. Applicants who have narrowed their medical school choice to KU may apply as EDP applicants and receive notification of acceptance by October 1. An applicant who wishes to apply for the EDP must take the MCAT no later than April and file an application with AMCAS by August 1. June 15 is recommended.

Technical Standards

Because the M.D. degree signifies that the holder is a physician prepared for entry into the practice of medicine in postgraduate training programs, graduates must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. The School of Medicine has defined a set of technical standards that must be met by each admitted student. Standards are online at www.kumc.edu/som/techstandards.html. Accepted applicants who cannot meet the expectations for technical standards will be reviewed further by KUMC’s ADA/504 coordinator to assess the extent of difficulty and the potential for compensating for the difficulty. The associate dean for student affairs maintains all correspondence and records related to a student’s request for accommodation as confidential files. Individuals with handicaps are encouraged to apply. For information, contact the assistant dean for admissions, KU School of Medicine, Office of Admissions, Mail Stop 1049, KU Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160.

Graduate Student Application

A student enrolled in a course of study leading to a graduate degree may apply for admission to the School of Medicine. Entry to medical school may not be granted, however, until the student has completed requirements for the graduate degree or obtained written support from the student’s primary research mentor in the graduate degree program or the department chair, or both the mentor and the chair for a joint degree program. This does not apply to a student at the graduate level who has not declared candidacy for a graduate degree or a student enrolled in a special graduate program not leading to a graduate degree.

Application for Transfer

The number of spaces potentially available for transfer is based on attrition. To be considered for transfer into the clinical phase of medical school, applicants must be currently enrolled and in good standing in a medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. An applicant must (1) have demonstrated compelling circumstances as the reason for the request to transfer; (2) have passed all basic sciences in a curriculum comparable to that of the KU School of Medicine preclinical program; (3) have earned a passing score on Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination; (4) be a United States citizen or have permanent residency status in the United States; (5) meet all other technical, health, and residency requirements for admission to KU. Kansas residents are given first priority consideration; nonresidents with ties to the state are considered second, and other nonresidents are considered third. If space is available in the medical school class, applications for transfer will be considered. The period for transfer applications is between May 1 and June 15 each year. For further information, call (913) 588-5283.