Kirksville

its 3 hours away from the closest airport..and if you apply early..you willl interview early..hence driving thru snow to find the place....The location could be better..but there is no doubt that this school is one of the big boys

 

i have heard that they have a hardcore omt program, and they spend lots on time on it. and most people that go there seem to like that its not in a hi-fi place. i have always been in major cities, and i wouldnt mind spending some chill time studying in a place like that

 

I will be attending KCOM in the fall, all I have to say is that I really fell in love w/ the program when I went there. Yes, Kirksville is rural, but there is an undergrad institution (Truman State) there in addition to KCOM, so I thought it had a "college town" feel, I think the population of Kirksville is about 16K when school is in and maybe around 9-10K when school is out. There is not much for shopping there, a wal-mart and J.C. Penny, and one other grocery store, there are others, but nothing major. I think there is a Honda dealer (which is good for me since I have a Honda ), a car is a must, as the KC and St. Louis are at least 2 1/2-3hrs away , but Kirksville is a beautiful, peaceful place.

Kirksville is definitely one of the "big boy" DO schools, it is very well known in the osteo and allo medical community and it is nationally ranked for Rural Medicine. It was the first DO school, where osteopathic medicine was founded by Dr. Still. The physicians I work for in AZ said they have all had positive experiences w/ students from Kirksville. You spend the 1st 2 yrs in Kirksville then go through a "match" process to be assigned to an area for 3rd/4th yr rotations (some in MO, AZ, CO, ect (I can't think of them all)--but most students get their 1st or 2nd choice)

You study anatomy for a year and a half instead of just a semester or a whole year, and they are big on OMT, they gave us a demonstration during the tour on my interview, also let us in the anatomy lab and showed us a cadaver. They have patient simulators (although I think these are becoming pretty standard at many med schools). There is a hospital on campus (level III, I think, so nothing huge), which I thought was a major plus and they are VERY involved w/ the community (the DO students do sports physicals on students in the community every year). KCOM is a BIG DEAL in Kirksville-- they even do a spread in the newspaper w/ pics of all the incoming DO students!

I think my favorite thing about KCOM was the friendliness and helpfulness of all the faculty, staff and students, they want you to feel very welcome and do all they can to make you feel comfortable and happy (their student support system is amazing), they are like a big family there-- I got a christmas card from them after being accepted

Overall, if you're offered an interview, I think it's definitely worth going, to see for yourself if KCOM is the right place for you, to me, I am coming from a big city (Phx, AZ) and I know it will be a huge adjustment, but the way I see it I will be studying a lot and living in a more rural area will keep me focused on my studies and I like the idea of getting to know the patients in the tight-knit community, in addition to being a lifetime member of their "big, happy family" I liked that I felt like person, a special part of their program, and not just "another number" like I felt @ some other schools I interviewed at.

just my 2 cents, good luck w/ whatever you decide Ema!

 

Def doesnt sound like a good fit for me. I'm a city guy(even tho I am doing undergrad in good ole storrs, ct). But if you like rural settings and really like OMM, this sounds like an amazing school.

 

I wouldn't know it off your list until you have visited it and interviewed there. I was thourougly unimpressed with some of the schools I visited in the "big cityl", but really liked the Kirksville atmosphere depsite a small town. Your only there for two years.....not your whole life, but you do take your education with you the rest of your life.

 

Well at least u can just spend 2 years in Kirksville and hopefully spend the last 2 in AZ at their branch near Phoenix--AHSU!!!!!!!!! That would be great!

 

also something to mention, cost of living is DIRT cheap. I am getting a 2bd/1ba apartment for $350/month plus electric (which a current student who lives in the 4-plex told me runs under $50/month), right now in Phx, I am paying more than this to have 1 bedroom in a 3 bedroom house w/ roommates sooo... I am welcoming the low cost of living, especially when I'm taking out loans to pay for it

 

Although I ultimately decided not to attend KCOM, I do have to say their admissions staff was great!!! They were so helpful and one of the admissions counselors even gave me her cell phone and home phone number when I missed her message (which was left on a Friday). The staff seems very dedicated to teaching the students, rather than doing research or other things. The hospital in Kirksville is a very small community hospital, so if you are looking for numerous clinical experiences in the 1st 2 years, this may not be the place for you (but they do pair you up with a local physician as a mentor I believe). The town is very small, but close-knit. Some people love the friendly small town atmosphere, but it was not for me. I would recommend applying to this school if it all interests you. It does seem like a great school and I have heard great things about KCOM grads, so you will definitely get a good education. I was impressed and it ended up being #2 on my list. Best of luck!

Note: An added bonus of going to KCOM is the $2000 scholarship they give you automatically if you have a MCAT score of at least 28.

 

Actually most people don't know Kirksville has its own airport. There are two flights to and from St. Louis everyday. I flew in and took a cab to the school.

 

I think there is also a miniumum cum GPA requirement of 3.75 (mine was 3.69 ), for the $2000 scholarship. I got a 29 and I got $1000 scholarship for 1st year only so.... not complaining, obviously...

 

Not to keep repeating the same thing that everybody else saying but, I just got back from KCOM this past weekend and the faculty was incredible in talking with them again. One of the people in the admissions office that I interviewed with even remembered my name! Plus, the school is taking out all of the MS1’s that are already living in town to dinner this Thursday to get to know each other. And have a new microbrewery that is awesome!

KCOM Class of 2010

 

Wish I could join you guys! I won't be getting to Kirksville until the 2nd week of August... have fun though!!! I'll meet y'all soon enough

 

As a fourth year KCOM student, I can safely say that I recieved a great education and was thoroughly prepared for clinical rotations. I'm currently finishing up a MICU month in a large, level I center (60+ beds in the MICU alone) and I'm completely comfortable with every responsibility that has been given to me - partly because KCOM prepares it's students well. Many MD's have very favorable opinions of KCOM students in general - which definitely helps out when trying to arrainge for elective rotations at MD teaching hospitals, getting residency interviews in the MD world, etc.

Additionally, I'm a "city boy" for sure but I must say that my three years (I spent one additional year doing an anatomy fellowship) in Kirksville allowed me to appreciate things about small-town life - things that I would, likely, have never discovered. There's something wonderful about having a two-minute walk to class every morning or having to fill up your gas tank once a month because everything in town is less than 3 miles away. Anyhow...things to consider.

Valsalva

 

Thanks for sharing!!! That is so awesome! I have heard such amazing things about Kirksville students from the MDs I work for, I have no doubt I will be getting an amazing education @ KCOM, I am sooo excited!!!

 

I'm glad you're excited..you should be. Just keep in mind that although KCOM is a good school, it's FAR from perfect. I guarantee, you'll be frustrated at times with certain administrative departments and with being in school in general - it's not as rosy and peaceful as it seems on your interview day!! As far as getting an amazing education...most of that is up to you. You seem to have plenty of motivation - which is good. Keep it up. Remember that even the best educators can only teach and/or pass knowledge the best they can - the rest is all individual effort. This becomes especially true in medical school.

p.s. study at the Truman Library - lots of nooks and crannys, great chairs and tables, great lighting, nice environment. Park off of Normal Street, across from Baldwin Hall.

 

Of course no school's perfect, and I totally agree that your education is what you make of it! I'm very motivated, I've been waiting to go to med school for what seems like ages... I'm just glad it's finally becoming a reality.

I really appreciate all of your tips! Especially the tidbit about the Truman library! thank you!

 

I interviewed out there last year.

I liked the town. It's small, yes, but that's what makes if really homey. People are really friendly and nice.

Downsides of small, rural town life is the commute to urban cities... this one being 3 hours to anywhere, so that's a downfall.

School was normal, nothing bad, nothing great. The only negative for me was that the dean of the program made a small snafu...

I walked in to his office and he looks at my file and says "So, Chinese or Japanese?" I told him I was Korean and he says "Oh, that's right Koreans have short last names and the others have long last names. I can never figure out Oriental names, you know?"

Granted, he was a bit older, but professionally, in an interview... that was a big downer for me.

 

lol thats hilarious..i can think of plenty short names that are chinese...Wu, tan, wang, Lu, Hsu, tsai, list goes on and on...but yea..that would be a big downer if that happened to me...

 

I'm assuming that they were referring to the Park's, etc.

But who knows.

 

I don't think he meant any harm... just a bit too comfy during an interview, I guess.

The best part of the interview was the student tour guide. The dude was born in Kirksville, attended Truman State, and plans to practice in Kirksville... what a great story. In fact, his uncle is the manager at the Motel 8 in town, and he told me that about him when I stayed the first night there, and then I met him the next day.

 

Hey Strawberryfield, how are you doing? I am from Phoenix also and I am applying to KCOM. From what I read on the thread it sounds like a pretty good school. Anyway How is the diversity over there?

 

I am excited about the opportunity to interview over there as well.

 

right..but my point was that short names are not exclusive to koreans...

 

Hey gildas, when I interviewed there I saw students in a wide range of age and ethnicity, I think b/c KCOM is a very family-friendly place, w/ excellent schools and such for students w/ children, they tend to draw in a fair amount of non-trads in addition to married students... I am 23 and single, so pretty trad, but I still have no doubt that I'll be comfortable there. I'm glad you are applying, you really have to visit to see if it will be a good fit for you, no matter how much I describe to you, I have to say the feeling I had while visiting there was what made me decide to attend. It's quite a hike... 3 hrs from the airport by car, but well-worth the trip!!! GOOD LUCK!

 

How close is Kirksville to Columbus? And is Columbus a rockn' town or is it just your largish country town? One last thing - I need Costco. Does anyone know how close the nearest Costco is?

 

If by Columbus, you mean Columbia, MO, then MapQuest.com says 1 hr. 40 mins.

If you mean Columbus, OH, then 9 hrs 16 mins.

To KCMO: 2 hrs. 57 mins.
To St. Louis: 3 hrs. 32 mins.

 

I just received the KCOM secondary!

 

Columbia is about 1.5 hours away...Not sure what you consider a "rockin' town"...but it's where MU is.

Good luck with the CostCo.

 

Columbia is what I meant, not Columbus. That would be a heck of a drive. I guess I just want to know if Columbia is happening enough that I could take my family there on the weekends to escape ruralville and expect to have a relatively good time, as well as pick up oriental groceries and things like that that I probably won't be able find in Kirksville.

 

The closest Costco is in St. Peters, MO. I live in St. Peters and it takes 2.5 hours to get there from Kirksville. Go to the Sam’s in Columbia instead.
Columbia has everything that you would need import food wise. You can drive it in a little over an hour from KCOM.
If you are looking for live entertainment, clubbing, etc, Columbia isn’t bad or you will have drive into the suburbs or downtown St. Louis for the best entertainment.

KCOM Class of 2010

 

I'd have to say Kirksville had the friendliest and nicest admissions people i have met on my interview day. Every person i talked too said similar things. The guy i stayed with before my interview said he even saw people write personal checks to students when their aid was delayed.

I didn't go because too far from home mainly, and i spent my last four years in a small rural college town, kinda yearning for the city.

 

Columbia sucks. I used to work at MU Hospital.

 

I work at the Kirksville hospital, and I am starting school at KCOM in a few weeks. All the staff and doctors seem very nice. I just finished the dinner for the early arrivals with the admissions staff. It was lots of fun! My wife is from Kirksville, so I have spent much time here and know quite a few students. I am always amazed at how friendly and supportive everyone is. Even if you're not sure if small town living is for you I think you should at least apply and come visit when you interview. It's a great school, so give yourself a chance to come and get your own opinion of it.

 

It does seem like a nice place! My problem is that my husband is a computer science major and I doubt he would be able to find any jobs there. I have to take that into consideration when applying to places.

 

They have computers there too.

 

Computer engineering/science jobs though? Probably not many if any.

 

That's a pretty wide field...depending on what he's into. I agree, it might not be as easy as some other locations.

The first place I would probably look would be Truman (the college in Kirksville).

 

ive got 3 computers..but unfortunately offer no comp sci positions

 

awesome!!!! maybe we'll see you on your interview day Ema! Good Luck!!!