notEinstein
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This was posted on another forum. Not sure i’m allowed to link so just copy/pasting. I’m shocked that nearly 50 students from a class are already dismissed/left.
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Poster 1: “What's Happening at KansasCOM/KHSC Needs to Be Talked About
Hello everyone,
I never thought I’d find myself speaking out publicly about my medical school experience, but what's happening at KansasCOM can’t go unaddressed. I know no school is perfect, and medical education is demanding no matter where you go — but some policies don’t just challenge students; they actively set them back. Here’s the reality:
The night before our first comsae practice exam late February our class was told we needed to score a 475 on a COMSAE and maintain an average of 425 to be eligible to take COMLEX Level 1 with the last exam being administered May 16th, 16 days into our dedicated period.
Just yesterday we were informed that the requirement was lowered to 450, likely because a large portion of our class couldn’t meet the original benchmark. Based on four COMSAEs taken over the last few months, I’d estimate — and this is just my personal observation — that maybe 40% of students hit those numbers. We’ve received messages from administration confirming that many of us are now being scheduled to meet with the Student Progress Committee (SPC).
For context, the class before us only needed a score of 400 on any COMSAE to be allowed to sit for boards and were testing well into June. Most of us assumed the same policy applied. Instead, we got an email on Thursday, the night before our first COMSAE on Friday telling us the bar had been raised — a major change delivered at the last possible moment. 475 min and 425 average across all 4 exams to be eligible to sit for comlex 1. Also Tuesday of the same week the school held emergency meetings with all the classes due to a first year passing away due to suicide. I don’t know why they waited until the last second to tell us these new requirements especially during a time where our community was in mourning.
While I support having a target score — we all want to be ready for boards — what’s truly concerning is how the school is treating those who don’t meet the new threshold.
KansasCOM created a course called Clinical On-Ramp. Any student who didn’t meet the 450 score for boards is automatically given an F in this course — a failing grade that appears on their transcript. And we were told the SPC will decide if we are allowed to remediate or not. No dates for remediation have been announced and many of us are still waiting to meet with SPC to learn if we’ll be allowed to remediate by taking the COMAT FBS Comprehensive exam.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Faculty have informed us that failing the remediation means receiving another F — two failing grades without ever having taken the actual board exam. And the school is saying even if you hit 450 it doesn’t mean you’re eligible to sit for boards so we are basically all waiting ducks. And according to what we’ve been told, the school expects at least 40 students to repeat the year. Our class started with 137 students. We’re now down to just over 100.
When I’ve spoken to students at other medical schools, their experiences have been very different. In similar situations, students are often allowed to delay rotations or take a leave of absence. They’re not automatically failed or forced to repeat the entire academic year. But at KansasCOM, those more humane and supportive options seem to be off the table.
It’s especially disheartening given how often the school promotes values like inclusion, integrity, innovation, and support for students. These policies, as they stand, don’t reflect those ideals. Telling high-achieving, hard-working students that their only option is to repeat the year is not support — it’s a setback disguised as structure.
Personally, I’ve passed every block without issue, but I’ve struggled with board prep — a challenge I’ve worked tirelessly to overcome. One student who had been scoring in the 500s was also dismissed (granted she did fail multiple classes but if she’s scoring high enough in boards and passes the remediation exams, doesn’t that speak more about the school’s curriculum?). There are deeper issues here — with curriculum design, with communication, and with how students are supported — but that’s not the purpose of this post.
This is about something more fundamental.
This is about fairness. About transparency. About giving students a real chance to succeed — not punishing them for struggling with one part of an otherwise successful academic journey. We aren’t asking for handouts. We’re asking for a system that values growth, recognizes effort, and treats future physicians with dignity.
Because right now? It doesn’t feel like that’s what we’re getting.”
Poster 2: “Thank you OP for speaking up about what is happening with c/o 2027. Thank you for your vulnerability, honesty, and conviction to speak up when something is unjust, I know you'll become an amazing physician one day.
I want to add this comment so everyone reading this post gets a good idea of the current climate of the school. c/o 2028, started with approx. 201 students, if you check the roster, today, the class count stands at 166, meaning 35 people lost. 35 people who worked YEARS, invested blood sweat and tears into becoming physicians. Kansascom has temporarily ruined the life of 34 of those students and 1 whom we lost to suicide due to the schools rampant neglect and terrible curriculum. Of those 35 people, MOST either academically dismissed or withdrew before the school had the opportunity to ruin their life more by dismissing them. This is not an opinion. This is FACTS.
Of the 166 students left, 15 already confirmed to repeat the year and join the c/o 2029, which may God be with them all because this school is a **** show and I doubt in less than 1 year, this school would have learned anything or taken ANY accountability that they're the problem not the students.
During trimester 1 roughly 10-12% of the class failed 1-2 classes, which doesn't seem crazy at first, but wait until you hear about trimester 2. Most of those people form Trimester 1 are dismissed or have withdrawn, only a few have been allowed to repeat and its because of threat of legal action. During trimester 2, 46% of the class failed MSK (roughly 85-87 students) and 40% failed Renal (roughly 70-72 students). THIS IS NOT NORMAL. The school will never admit it, but they know and should be embarrassed. This is a reflection of the curriculum not on the intellectual capabilities of the students. Many of the 15 confirmed to be repeating are individuals with multiple failures, and the rest of people who have failed will sit for remediation exams over the summer. We are talking anywhere from 40-60 students AT LEAST still needing to sit for remediation exams (if not more). If those students do not pass remediation exams, they are 100% up for dismissal, and its a damn shame because it is not the fault of the student at this point, it is the fault of the institution, the deans, the curriculum, and the lack of ACCOUNTABILITY.
I never knew becoming a physician would be THIS difficult. Medical school is already hard enough, and to have your own institution holding you back and putting you down is HEARTBREAKING. I doubt the school will ever shut down, maybe get on probation, but probably still going to get accredited, but at what cost and with what disgusting reputation?”
Poster 3: “check again, it’s 48 lost now 👍🏼”
Poster 4: “I go to this school and wish every single day I didn’t”
—————————-
Poster 1: “What's Happening at KansasCOM/KHSC Needs to Be Talked About
Hello everyone,
I never thought I’d find myself speaking out publicly about my medical school experience, but what's happening at KansasCOM can’t go unaddressed. I know no school is perfect, and medical education is demanding no matter where you go — but some policies don’t just challenge students; they actively set them back. Here’s the reality:
The night before our first comsae practice exam late February our class was told we needed to score a 475 on a COMSAE and maintain an average of 425 to be eligible to take COMLEX Level 1 with the last exam being administered May 16th, 16 days into our dedicated period.
Just yesterday we were informed that the requirement was lowered to 450, likely because a large portion of our class couldn’t meet the original benchmark. Based on four COMSAEs taken over the last few months, I’d estimate — and this is just my personal observation — that maybe 40% of students hit those numbers. We’ve received messages from administration confirming that many of us are now being scheduled to meet with the Student Progress Committee (SPC).
For context, the class before us only needed a score of 400 on any COMSAE to be allowed to sit for boards and were testing well into June. Most of us assumed the same policy applied. Instead, we got an email on Thursday, the night before our first COMSAE on Friday telling us the bar had been raised — a major change delivered at the last possible moment. 475 min and 425 average across all 4 exams to be eligible to sit for comlex 1. Also Tuesday of the same week the school held emergency meetings with all the classes due to a first year passing away due to suicide. I don’t know why they waited until the last second to tell us these new requirements especially during a time where our community was in mourning.
While I support having a target score — we all want to be ready for boards — what’s truly concerning is how the school is treating those who don’t meet the new threshold.
KansasCOM created a course called Clinical On-Ramp. Any student who didn’t meet the 450 score for boards is automatically given an F in this course — a failing grade that appears on their transcript. And we were told the SPC will decide if we are allowed to remediate or not. No dates for remediation have been announced and many of us are still waiting to meet with SPC to learn if we’ll be allowed to remediate by taking the COMAT FBS Comprehensive exam.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Faculty have informed us that failing the remediation means receiving another F — two failing grades without ever having taken the actual board exam. And the school is saying even if you hit 450 it doesn’t mean you’re eligible to sit for boards so we are basically all waiting ducks. And according to what we’ve been told, the school expects at least 40 students to repeat the year. Our class started with 137 students. We’re now down to just over 100.
When I’ve spoken to students at other medical schools, their experiences have been very different. In similar situations, students are often allowed to delay rotations or take a leave of absence. They’re not automatically failed or forced to repeat the entire academic year. But at KansasCOM, those more humane and supportive options seem to be off the table.
It’s especially disheartening given how often the school promotes values like inclusion, integrity, innovation, and support for students. These policies, as they stand, don’t reflect those ideals. Telling high-achieving, hard-working students that their only option is to repeat the year is not support — it’s a setback disguised as structure.
Personally, I’ve passed every block without issue, but I’ve struggled with board prep — a challenge I’ve worked tirelessly to overcome. One student who had been scoring in the 500s was also dismissed (granted she did fail multiple classes but if she’s scoring high enough in boards and passes the remediation exams, doesn’t that speak more about the school’s curriculum?). There are deeper issues here — with curriculum design, with communication, and with how students are supported — but that’s not the purpose of this post.
This is about something more fundamental.
This is about fairness. About transparency. About giving students a real chance to succeed — not punishing them for struggling with one part of an otherwise successful academic journey. We aren’t asking for handouts. We’re asking for a system that values growth, recognizes effort, and treats future physicians with dignity.
Because right now? It doesn’t feel like that’s what we’re getting.”
Poster 2: “Thank you OP for speaking up about what is happening with c/o 2027. Thank you for your vulnerability, honesty, and conviction to speak up when something is unjust, I know you'll become an amazing physician one day.
I want to add this comment so everyone reading this post gets a good idea of the current climate of the school. c/o 2028, started with approx. 201 students, if you check the roster, today, the class count stands at 166, meaning 35 people lost. 35 people who worked YEARS, invested blood sweat and tears into becoming physicians. Kansascom has temporarily ruined the life of 34 of those students and 1 whom we lost to suicide due to the schools rampant neglect and terrible curriculum. Of those 35 people, MOST either academically dismissed or withdrew before the school had the opportunity to ruin their life more by dismissing them. This is not an opinion. This is FACTS.
Of the 166 students left, 15 already confirmed to repeat the year and join the c/o 2029, which may God be with them all because this school is a **** show and I doubt in less than 1 year, this school would have learned anything or taken ANY accountability that they're the problem not the students.
During trimester 1 roughly 10-12% of the class failed 1-2 classes, which doesn't seem crazy at first, but wait until you hear about trimester 2. Most of those people form Trimester 1 are dismissed or have withdrawn, only a few have been allowed to repeat and its because of threat of legal action. During trimester 2, 46% of the class failed MSK (roughly 85-87 students) and 40% failed Renal (roughly 70-72 students). THIS IS NOT NORMAL. The school will never admit it, but they know and should be embarrassed. This is a reflection of the curriculum not on the intellectual capabilities of the students. Many of the 15 confirmed to be repeating are individuals with multiple failures, and the rest of people who have failed will sit for remediation exams over the summer. We are talking anywhere from 40-60 students AT LEAST still needing to sit for remediation exams (if not more). If those students do not pass remediation exams, they are 100% up for dismissal, and its a damn shame because it is not the fault of the student at this point, it is the fault of the institution, the deans, the curriculum, and the lack of ACCOUNTABILITY.
I never knew becoming a physician would be THIS difficult. Medical school is already hard enough, and to have your own institution holding you back and putting you down is HEARTBREAKING. I doubt the school will ever shut down, maybe get on probation, but probably still going to get accredited, but at what cost and with what disgusting reputation?”
Poster 3: “check again, it’s 48 lost now 👍🏼”
Poster 4: “I go to this school and wish every single day I didn’t”
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