TwinTurbo93R1

Any one think there is an advantage of being from Kansas City, similar to being from in state? Also, I read somewhere that the average ACT was 28, so their are people that have been accepted with much lower ACT scores than that...like 22-24 perhaps. So, they must really put emphisis on who you are as a person.

melodious04

I don't think there is an advantage being from Kansas City. 24 is the bare minimum ACT score to be considered for the program, but there are plenty of people with a 31+ (1450+ SAT), so I don't know if the 28 average is accurate anymore.

But you are very very very very VERY correct in that they really put emphasis on who you are as a person. Showing your maturity through your recommendations, high school activities, essay, and interview is essential.

And to the earlier post.... to be competitive on the program: try for a 31 ACT, AWESOME recommendations, and somehow show that you are very interested in being a physician and very interested in the unique aspects of the UMKC program (the docent system, strong humanities requirements etc.). However, grades and scores alone definitely won't make or break you.

... it's really not for everyone, but if it is truly for you (and you are able to communicate your passion effectiviely) then you should be just fine.

melodious04

actually a 26 might be the minimum...
... hmm.. idunno I forget. :/

patelakshar

Does anybody know what percentage of those admitted actually matriculate into the program? Approx. how many applicants off those waitlisted are accepted eventually?

palmtree4

when do we get notified if we got an interview or not?

summergirl12

hi everyone! im new, just found this website because I was googling the UMKC six year program, trying to find people's experiences with it.

I got called for an interview yesterday, it's set up for February 2nd. I've already received my acceptance to the UMKC undergrad. I'm so nervous! The questions seem pretty difficult so I'm going to be preparing all weekend...

Melodious, so you're in the program? If you don't mind, I have some questions. What year are you? And how did the interview go for you (what sort of questions did they ask)? What kind of living arrangements are there for the med students... do they live in dorms w/ everyone else or what? Oh and uh... how's the social life? Seems like everybody would be so bogged down with work that it would be hard to have fun. Also, how many classes do you take per semester, and which classes do you take first, and what kind of schedule do you have for your classes (like morning, noon, night...)? I've been curious but haven't had the opportunity yet to talk to somebody who is in it.

melodious04

Congrats on your interview.

I am a first year and THE DORMS ARE AWESOME! They are brand new and come with a microwave/refrigerator, thermostat, and a bathroom that you share with 3 other people. You are responsible for cleaning your own bathroom though but it's really not bad... especially if you had to do it at home anyway lol... There are 2 dorms and we are required to live in the best one for the first year (including the summer.. all though I think this is changing...)

Last semester and this semester I have/had 22 credit hours.... but really it's not that bad. 1st semester (if you are getting a Liberal Arts degree) you mostly take english, psychology, anatomy, chemistry, and 3 med classes (docent, medical terminology etc). This semester everyone's schedule is different. Most people take organic chemistry (or chem II), sociology, microbiology, and some electives (I'm taking art!). And the answer is yes: our classes are morning, noon, AND night! But somehow some clever people found ways to have Mondays AND Fridays off this semester... yeah... figure that one out.... lol

You can have as much of a social life as you want to have and still maintain the grades that you want. A lot of people are into greek life, dance, art, etc. You will always find a way to make time for what you love. Talking to my friends from "normal" college... I realize more that we do sacrifice some things (no football team) but they are things that I considered before coming here and I am willing to live without them. It's true that you are only young once and that you should experience life.... people here just choose a different path through life and by no means are they experiencing any less of it. You will find a mixture of all people here: people who cram the night before and get A's, people who never study and get A's, people who never study and drop out, people who study a lot and struggle, people who study a lot and have good grades... It just depends on how much work you need to put in and then deciding how much work you are WILLING to put in to make the grades you want appear.

At my interview I just focused on not letting the other applicants intimidate me and on showing the admissions people who I really was... I didn't want to change myself just to get in... because to me that would mean that I really didn't belong.... just relax.. practicing the questions is a good idea also. Show how passionate you are about medicine... if you are focused on the prestige, or if you parents are making you do it, you will be miserable. Do it for the patients and do it for yourself!

Best wishes. You'll be awesome.

killaerone

wow.. Thank you for sharing that. That was very inspiring

macantu17

ok well this question is directed to those who have lived or are currently living in kansas city... the umkc school of medicine's population of hispanics is 2.5% does this percentage represent the community as well? or is the city more diverse than the school?

patelakshar

Kansas City Demographics:

SEX
Male.................................518,710.....4 8.5%
Female..............................551,342.....51 .5%

RACE
White...............................267931......60 .68%
Black or African American.....137879......31.23%
American Indian..................2122.........0.48%
Asian............................... 8182.........1.85%
Hispanic............................30604........6 .93%

UMKC Demographics:

SEX
Female.............60%
Male................40%

RACE
Caucasian.........50.3%
Asian................34.7%
Black................5.2%
Hispanic............2.5%
American Indian..0.6%
N/A..................6.7%

macantu17

thanks for the stats. i hope y'all dont think the worst of these questions, but how is the relationship between races? how well does everyone get along? is there any particular reason why the percentage of blacks and hispanics at UMKC is so much lower when there seems to be a good percent reflected in the city? where im from there isnt much diversity and i just would like to know what to expect.

patelakshar

The fact that Blacks and Hispanics are "under-represented" is almost universally true for most Medical schools, and even universities. As far as I know, there is no such racial tension at UMKC. There is even an office of Diversity headed up by, i believe, Dr. Shannon.

macantu17

ok another question again about the city itself... i know that the viewbook and catalogs mention various parks and attractions, but what does a student really do outside of the classroom (other than studying and preping...)?

summergirl12

hey everyone! just wanted to give you all an update on the interview (especially if yours is coming up). it's really not bad at all... but i'd definitely recommend bringing your parents, unless you want to sit around and eat lunch alone! when you first come in, they show you a 15 minute video, then they give you the toledo chemistry test which is just basic stuff like balancing equations, etc. after that you eat lunch and then you get a tour of the med school. our tour was with a 6th year med student who was really informative, and it seems so cool! you get your own little office after 2nd year (i think) and it just seems awesome. then i had my interviews. my first doctor was supposed to start the interview at 1 but he walked past me into an office and i saw him sit down and read my file for 20 minutes, and only then did he come and get me for the interview. the interview with the M.D. (the first one) was very informal. he just basically asked me what i thought made a good doctor, why i wanted to be a doctor, what challenges i think i'll be facing and how i'll respond to them, etc. he did ask some unusual questions about ethics like what i would do if i saw a student cheating on a test, but overall that was a very pleasant experience. it lasted about 20 minutes. the second interview was with a Ph.D. and she was extremely nice but had a whole list of questions that she asked me, some were difficult (predict problems your generation will encounter in the medical field 10 years from now) but i think i did pretty well. they also ask if you have any questions for them, so make sure you have some to ask. and that's about it! good luck to anybody with an interview coming up, it's not bad at all and they're all really friendly.

oh and one more thing... the med student giving us a tour told us that the interview isn't there to trip you up, it's there to figure you out a bit as a person and see if you're really passionate about medicine. he said that you don't have to have a 33 ACT (funny... thats my ACT score haha) to get in as long as you communicate to them how much you want to do this.

melodious04

I would just like to say that Dr. Shannon is the BEST. (She interviewed me last year! he he )

As for race relations, yeah patelakshar is right... underrepresented minorities are just that.... underrepresented, but that definitely does not mean that there is a lot of racial tension around here. UMKC is the most diverse school in the UM system. As a University there PLENTY of people of all different races and colors walking around. Some days I just chill and learn how to write in Korean, other days my room mate cooks me traditional Chinese food... I have tons of indian music on my ipod now! Lol.... it's just awesome... (LOTS of culture based clubs too... and of course they are not exclusive)

As for the med school, yes, there are even fewer minorities in the med school as a whole, but in my class for example, being a Caucassian male IS the minority. UMKC embraces diversity in everyway it can so there shouldn't be a problem year 3 and beyond.

And attractions you ask? Even if it takes some effort sometimes, there ARE things to do. An amusement park much like 6 flags (OMGosh and a HUUUUUUGE rollercoaster...) clubs (don't tell your parents) lots of shopping, ice skating... and a LOT of other things that I'm sure I haven't found yet... The school probably isn't as exciting as most schools but... if you are just DYING for interaction it will be there.

I'm glad your interview went well summergirl!

And killaerone thanks! I love sharing how great my experiance has been here! I've been where you guys are and I know how awful it is to read the classic "I have a 36 ACT 1600 SAT and a 4.9899989 GPA OMGOSH am I doomed?!?!??!?!" posts that just make you feel awful. The least I can do is ease the anxiety a little...

And just a disclaimer: I really love UMKC, but this does NOT mean that you will. So don't read my stuff and think that everyone feels this way and that it's like Disney Land here because it's not (darn it) and they don't. Just like at every place, some people love it, some people tolerate it, and some people are transfering next sememster.

I'm going to keep saying good luck until you all are in.