Academics

Clinical Shadowing and Research Opportunities

Information on Clinical Shadowing Experiences

All shadowing experiences must be arranged through the KU Medical Center Educational Experience (KEE).
Students must secure a faculty sponsor (attending physician) prior to submitting their KEE application.
- Apply through our RedCap Survey to acquire a faculty sponsor delegation email.
Each approved experience may last up to one day (maximum of 12 hours) and may include both an operating room and clinic session with the same sponsor.
Participation is capped at the sponsor level. Students may arrange multiple experiences with different sponsors by applying separately.
Opportunities are season restricted and subject to departmental availability.

For Credit

KU Medical Students

- M4 Students: Contact your campus registrar regarding the Sub-Internship in Plastic Surgery (SURG-901). This rotation is not season restricted.
- M3 Students (Kansas City): Apply through the lottery for Plastic Surgery. You may also speak with Dr. Kilgore to indicate your preference, though placement is determined by lottery.
- M3 Students (Wichita): Contact your campus registrar for details.

Non-KU Medical Students

- M4 Students: Apply for a rotation at KU through VSLO. This is not season restricted.
- M3 Students: Generally unlikely; inquiries should be directed to the campus registrar.
- M1 & M2 Students: Generally not eligible. Students may explore non-credit observership options or consult their campus registrar.

For Non-Credit

KU Medical Students

- All Grade Levels: With appropriate access (badge, scrub training, etc), students may accompany a sponsoring attending physician for observational experiences.

Non-KU Medical Students

- All Grade Levels: The KU Medical Center Educational Experience (KEE) program permits shadowing during June and July, pending availability after placement of KU medical students. Due to the busy Sub-Internship season, opportunities during this period are limited and space is restricted.

For Credit

Students must coordinate directly with their campus registrar or appropriate academic program personnel (APPs).
These opportunities are season restricted and subject to availability.

For Non-Credit

Students should follow the application procedure outlined for undergraduate and high school students.
Non-credit opportunities are also season restricted and space limited.

General Questions

Megan Delano, PA (Lead APP)
mdelano2@kumc.edu

All international applicants should first refer to the Office of International Programs (OIP) for requirements and eligibility.
Medical School Graduates and Visiting Residents: Apply Here (season restricted).
Current Medical Students: Apply here (season restricted).

Information on Research Experiences

All shadowing experiences must be arranged through the KU Medical Center Educational Experience (KEE).
Students must secure a faculty sponsor (attending physician) prior to submitting their KEE application.
- Apply through our RedCap Survey to acquire a faculty sponsor delegation email.
Participation is capped to one shadow experience during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Students are required to arrange extensions with vice chancellor approval.
Opportunities are subject to departmental availability.

Eligible Students

KU Medical Center Students (Kansas City, Wichita, Salina)
KC Metro Medical Students, including Kansas City University, and University of Missouri-Kansas City
KU–Lawrence Undergraduate Students
Opportunities are prioritized in the following order:
1. KU Medical Center (KUMC)
2. KC Metro Medical Students (KMMS)
3. KU–Lawrence Undergraduates

Application Process

Complete the Research Survey to be considered.

Additional Requirements

Attend the monthly research meeting as scheduled.
Students will be paired or assigned to projects as opportunities arise.

Currently, resources are not available to accommodate interest in the Research Shadowing Experiences from other medical students outside the University of Kansas.

Plastic Surgery Shadowing Opportunities

Clinical:

Students may observe a licensed and board certified Plastic Surgery attending with full medical staff privileges during patient care activities. These experiences will occur from November to May, typically last a half-day to one full day and aim to offer insight into the Plastic Surgeon’s role, the scope of the specialty, and the operating and patient care environment.

Research:

Students may also have the opportunity to observe or assist with ongoing research efforts within the department. This may include attending lab meetings, learning about study protocols, and gaining exposure to clinical research processes in plastic surgery.

How to Apply:

1. Apply to the Clinical or Research Plastic Surgery Interest Application on RedCap.

2. Once approved by the department, and have been given a sponsor name, applicants will need to go to the Institute for Community Engagement page.

3. After reading all criteria, applcants can apply for the desired educational experience on the KEE Requirements and Application page.

NOTE: Shadow experiences will occur from November through May of each year. This policy does not apply to 3rd years on scheduled clerkships or 1/2nd years on scheduled experiences. This applies only to shadowing students.

Contact

For general questions about inquiries or application processes please reach out to:
Kendra Harms
kharms2@kumc.edu

For questions about the Clinical or Research experiences please reach out to:
Eric Lai, MD (Clinical)
elai2@KUMC.edu

Dhaval R. Bhavsar, MBBS (Research)
dbhavsar@kumc.edu