hey. i'm a current 4th year from KCOM, but don't call it KCOM--it's Andrew Taylor Still University, which now includes about 10 different things, including a dental school in Arizona (WTF--i'm sure A.T. had oral health in mind when founding the flagship of osteopathy.) Congrats on getting in. As far as clinical experiences early, the simulated patients (actors) are pretty fun, and good preparation for the PE part of comlex. I don't know how many schools do the 2 week preceptorship after 1st year, but that's definitely a plus. Gives you a little taste of what year 3 and 4 are like. And, an outstanding chance to practice taking BPs, blood draws and exam skills. As far as 4th year goes, you still have to set that up on your own. A lot of people really like that, because they can do a month in arizona, or colorado, or wherever. For example, I am in st louis, so I did all third year at our base hospital (medicine, surgery), which is set up for you. This year, I'm still living in st louis, and doing some stuff at the base hosp., but also at other hospitals in st louis, and in different cities. Sometimes it's a pain to find rotations, but most places deal with visiting students all the time, so it's not too bad. You guys don't need to worry about that yet, though.
Kirksville is totally alright for two years. St louis and Kansas city are 2.5 hrs away, if you need an airport or a baseball game. It's a college town, so there are plenty of bars. Taco Bell, 24 hour walmart and mcdonalds. Don't need too much else as a med student.
The rec center is sweet--raquetball, basketball, good weight room. Don't sign up for the still-well program. it's a trick. One tip: live down by the school. u can walk to school and to the bars. email me if u have questions.
My plans basically go like this:
