The Scholars in Health program at the University of Kansas School of Medicine aims to identify and support undergraduate students from rural and urban Kansas who are interested in pursuing careers as physicians in these communities.

Students will apply for the programs in the second semester of their sophomore year of their undergraduate program. Upon successful completion of program requirements and KU School of Medicine requirements, Scholars in Health program participants receive guaranteed admission to the next entering medical class after undergraduate graduation.

The Scholars in Health program offers two tracks — Rural and Urban. Applicants will choose their track when completing the initial Scholars application.

• The Rural track is for those who come from underserved rural areas and who are interested in returning as primary care physicians in underserved rural areas throughout Kansas.
• The Urban track is for those from underserved urban areas and who are interested in returning as primary care physicians in underserved urban areas throughout Kansas.

During the junior and senior undergraduate years, program participants will earn 100 hours of shadowing over two years under an assigned mentor in a rural or urban setting (ideally near the participant’s home base).

Additionally, Scholars will participate in an initial orientation session, an annual meeting, complete a capstone project, and receive MCAT preparation assistance and personalized guidance via regularly scheduled check-in sessions with KU School of Medicine admission officers.

Eligibility requirements

To apply for the Scholars in Health program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Have earned a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale or an received an ACT composite score of 24.
• Have earned a cumulative undergraduate GPA and science course GPA (any Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Math class) greater than or equal to 3.25 at time of application.
• Have earned a minimum of 60 credit hours and have two years remaining before completing requirements for a bachelor’s degree at time of application.
• Have completed one academic year each of biology and chemistry with labs at the undergraduate institution. These courses must be at the level for science majors.
• Demonstrate evidence of the dedication and compassion necessary to be a competent and caring physician through community service, exposure to the medical field and other altruistic endeavors.
• Strong consideration will be given to first generation college attendees.
• Strong consideration will be given to applicants from health professional underserved areas.

Program completion requirements

Participants must meet the following requirements for matriculation to KU School of Medicine:

• Graduate with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Successfully complete all KU School of Medicine prerequisite coursework: General Biology I & II, General Chemistry I & II with labs, Organic Chemistry I & II with minimum of 1 lab, Physics I & II with labs, and 2 semesters of English composition.
• Earn a cumulative college GPA and cumulative science course GPA (any Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Math class) greater than or equal to 3.25.
• Receive a cumulative score of 500 or higher on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
• Demonstrated dedication to the high ethical and behavioral standards required of medical students and physicians.
• Satisfactory completion of all Scholars in Health program activities.
• Submission of an Early Assurance AMCAS application to KU School of Medicine. Early assurance applicants are not allowed to apply to other medical schools, and any program participant who does not complete an early assurance application will not receive guaranteed admission. Students who do not apply as early assurance are not assured admission.

Definition of Underserved Areas

For the purposes of the Scholars in Health Program, underserved areas in the state of Kansas are defined as geographic regions that experience a shortage of health care providers or face significant barriers to medical access.

These areas may include:

1. Rural Areas — Counties designated as Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) or Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) by the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), as well as communities with limited access to primary care, specialty services or health care infrastructure.
2. Urban Underserved Areas — Neighborhoods within metropolitan regions where residents experience disproportionate health disparities, lower provider-to-patient ratios and barriers to accessing consistent, high-quality medical care. These may include federally designated Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs) or areas identified by state or local health authorities as having critical healthcare shortages.

*Applicants who have lived, studied in these areas or who demonstrate a strong commitment to practicing medicine in underserved communities are encouraged to apply. 

Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Map - Primary Care HPSA Counties

Click to show names of underserved counties that appear in blue

Contact for More Information

KU School of Medicine Office of Admissions
913-588-5280
premedinfo@kumc.edu