Alexander Norbash, a Dean from the UMKC’s School of Medicine, visited LHS on Feb. 27 to inspire future physicians by answering questions that they may have, and explain how the UMKC School of Medicine’s program works.
This program is very selective, and out of about 1,500 applicants, only 104 are selected. UMKC narrows this down by reviewing 960 applications, and out of those applications, they choose about 300 applicants to be interviewed. From these interviews they select about 100 people to participate in this program.
This program is very accelerated. Traditionally medical students will get four years of college, and then go to medical school for four years. This program offered at UMKC is only six years long, meaning you can begin your career earlier.
People interested in the medical field all work on the same campus, giving applicants the opportunity to get to know other people in the medical field, giving them real-life experience of working with people that they will have to work with in the future.
“It is the way that it’s structured, you feel more connected,” Norbash said.
Students involved in this program may be giving up the traditional college experience because this program is so time consuming. Students that participated in this presentation like Alissa Bybee (10) have expressed how informative and helpful this presentation was, and how it helped them decide whether or not they want to apply.
“This presentation really changed my perspective on the program, and it made me question whether it was right for me,” Bybee said.
At UMKC, patient care is prioritized, so that is a very big focus in this program. An important trait you have to have to be in this program is willingness to learn, and always be learning new things. As a medical professional things are always changing so you have to be able to adapt and learn new things.
UMKC offers a great opportunity to get an early start in your medical career by being a student in this accelerated program. This opportunity to participate in this presentation is a great way to learn more about the program, and what your plan is for the future as a physician.