No matter how long I work at KU Medical Center, I will never get over the excitement of seeing a new class of medical students walking onto our campus. We welcomed 175 new students to the School of Medicine this month, and it has been thrilling to watch them take these first steps toward their medical careers.

Many of the students who chose the KU School of Medicine were accepted at other medical schools as well. Every year, we survey those students about why they picked KU over other schools of medicine. It is fascinating (and a bit gratifying) to hear why they preferred KU when they had other options.

Here are some of the comments we got from students in the latest survey:

I could tell everyone loved it here and why wouldn't I want to be a part of that? 

I was primarily interested in KU because of the rural medicine program and the emphasis on primary care.

I chose to come to KU because of the clinical experiences that are available to students early on and for the systems-based curriculum.

The faculty and staff were open to the students’ concerns and seemed to really care about them. Plus, the curriculum used here seemed like the best way to learn medicine.

What attracted me to KU was hearing about the Kansas Medical Student Loan program. The opportunity to have my medical education paid for was quite appealing. 

We realize that where a student chooses to study medicine is one of the most important decisions he or she will make in their lives. No matter what their reasons, we’re glad our students chose KU. We are confident that this year's class will help us fulfill our mission of providing top-quality health care to all of Kansas and beyond.

Research

KU Endowment, on behalf of the KU School of Medicine - Wichita, has received a $350,000 gift from the Mid-Kansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to fund a Breast Cancer Survivorship Center, a new initiative in Wichita for breast cancer survivors. Physicians, nurses, and other clinicians at the Center will specialize in the latest, research-based strategies in surveillance, prevention, and interventions, in collaboration with physicians, allied health personnel, and family members, so women receive the most advanced information and tools for living well after breast cancer for lifelong physical and emotional health.

Other Items of Interest

U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran stopped by to tour the telemedicine unit at the Mt. Carmel Medical Center last Friday. Gary Doolittle, MD, medical director of the Midwest Cancer Alliance, was on hand to demonstrate the new telemedicine equipment that is improving access to medical care for rural Kansas residents. Read more.

The new advisory board for Institute for Advancing Medical Innovation will have its first meeting on Friday, Aug. 14. The Institute, headed up by Scott Weir, PharmD, PhD, focuses on the advancement of medical innovations created by university researchers and training the next generation of medical innovators at KU. Details on the Institute can be found here.