UHS-COM - What do you think?

[GUTTI]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I have applied to both DO and MD schools but I am very interested in UHS-COM? Could current students and graduates comment on their experiences at UHS. How was the school environment? Was the faculty supportive? Was there a lot of bonding between fellow students? How about the second year curriculum, what do you guys/gals think of it? How about thirdy/fourth year rotations? The reason I ask is that I am more interested in surgery and wonder whether this school is more geared towards preparing FMs, IMs, and pediatricans and whether it has the opportunity for good surgical rotations? How about Kansas City? What's up with this city. Being from NY how different will Kansas City be? What is there to do?

Thanks to everyone who posts a response.

Gutti from NY

 

[travisco]

I'm still a pre-med, however I'm going to UHS and I've done some research. Any statements from actual UHS students should supercede anything I have to say though. It is a very good school, probably in the top 5 DO schools in the country. I definitely perceived a very supportive school environment during my interview. There is no associated medical center so you would do your rotations in various hospitals throughout Kansas City, from what I here you'll be side by side with MD students from KU and MU-KC. There aren't enough slots available so you might end up doing some rotations in school affiliated hospitals and clinics in Kansas, Florida, rural Missouri, and New York. All of their affiliated hospitals are listed on there web page, it's part of this network that starts with an N, I can't remember the name. The curriculum is organ based and brand new. There are probably bugs that need to be worked out but people I've talked to from other schools with this curriculum rave about it. They say students will start making associations at the beginning of their third year that normally wouldn't happen until sometime during the fourth year. Like all DO schools, there primary goal is to produce primary care doctors, however you shouldn't have a problem specializing in surgery. There are many alumni who are surgeons. Also the school is very laissez faire when it comes to organzing rotations. You could arrange to do a surgical rotations in a variety of settings all over the country if you do some leg work and take the initiative.
Kansas City is a big midwestern city with a decent economy. It has some really nice parts, and some really bad parts, although these bad parts are under urban renewal. I'm from Denver, so the two cities are very similar. I'm assuming you are from New York City. If so, things are different out in the midwest. The restaurants, museums, and art galleries aren't as nice. Sports culture is more prevelant, and there is gambling. There is a thriving nightlife area is West port, but it doesn't hold a candle to New York's night life. As far as how Missouri is different from upstate New York, I can't tell really. I here that the Ozarks are beautiful, but I've never done any outdoor stuff around there.

I hope this helps.

 

[UHS2002]

If you are interested in surgery and get accepted into an MD school, go for it! It is not that a DO school cannot prepare you for a surgery residency, it more of a math problem. There are a lot more MD surgical programs than DO surgical programs and surgery being what it is (the last bastion of "tough guys" medicine...)I think your chances at a MD surgery program are better if you graduate from an MD school. Notice I said "better", which implies that it is not impossible to enter an MD surgical program as a DO, just harder.

Having said that, on to UHS. The school is well equipped to prepare people who are interested in fields other than primary care, and there is no prejudice against students who voice an interest in a specialty program. As the rotation schedule stands right now, you are required to do 2 surgery core rotations (one month each) and free to do all 4 electives in surgery, if you wish. Rumor has that the second core surgery can be done in a surgical sub-specialty, but I haven't heard it first hand.

I agree with Travisco that UHS is among the top DO schools, both in quality of education and in resources. That doesn't mean it is an idillic place, you can find plenty to b---- about. The school is responsive to students concerns, however, which is a big plus.

Compared to NYC, KC is a sleepy town but, believe me, as a medical student you will have little town for life outside school. So KC is more than adequate for the little recreation time you will have. Big advantages over NYC: the cost of living is dirt cheap comparatively, traffic is more relaxed and safety is less of an issue (with the exception of a few well circumscribed areas).

What is there to do??? Hmmm, study, study, study...Oh, I bet you didn't mean that! Well, lots of restaurants, movies, plays, sports, a few lakes within the KC area, if you are into boating or jet skiing. The greater KC area is home to about 1.7 M people, so it is a reasonably large city, with enough to do. I find St. Louis, which is comparatively smaller to be more cosmopolitan, however, since school has left me with little time for entertainement, this may be a skewed assessment.

 

[Liljoe2002]

I can honestly say that UHS has done a great job in teaching the basic sciences these past 2 years. HOWEVER, this summer has been completely different!!!!!

I hate to whine but here it goes: We have Surgery, IM, Peds, OB-Gyn, ACLS, and Medical Jurisprudence all in 6 weeks!! They say medical school is like sipping from a fire hydrant, well this has been like sipping from Niagra Falls. So we are in class from 7-3(somedays 7-5). To top it off we have all tests on one day(8-5) testing.

These are important classes and I'm not really learning because I only have time to memorize and take the test. It's a shame.

Your situation will be different with the new Genesis program. So I don't think you'll have to go through something like this. I wouldn't wish this on anybody.

Overall, UHS is a good medical school. The school is heading in the right direction. The only drawback is the tuition and that were not affiliated with a medical center. The Genesis program sounds exciting, but I think there will be a few kinks in it. Hope this helps.

Liljoe

 

[ewagner]

I must agree with my friend Brent,uhhh I mean liljoe. This summer has been an absolute trainwreck for learning. I love surgery, but how does an 8 hour day of classes in the middle of July, after boards, foster learning of clinical sciences??

Anyway, the school and the students that attend are generally sincere and very intelligent. Sure, the school is a bit overpriced, it doesn't have a medical center attatched, it is ONLY a medical school so no other students are around, and it is in a rather bad side of town, but the school has been really working on creating a first rate image, and it is GROWING.
I am proud of my education at UHS...I am just tired of being there (when I actually go to class

The city itself, well, it is falling apart a bit. Perhaps I am not on the KC tourist board, but I have not been much of a KC fan. I liken the city to Detroit (except smaller). If you are from a bigger or a growing city, as I am, then you will find KC filled with history, but lacking a proactive population to preserve much of the history.

Hey, the bar-b-que rocks!


[This message has been edited by ewagner (edited 07-09-2000).]

 

[Liljoe2002]

Ethan, how dare you blow my cover. Thought I could trust a fellow UHSer, just goes to show you some of the back stabbing that goes on, especially with a Hoosier like Ethan!

Liljoe(Brent)

 

[GUTTI]

Thanks for everyone's response.

BTW, what is the Genesis program that you are referring to? Is there any information avail. at the UHS website?

Thanks,
GUTTI

 

[ewagner]

Liljoe, Liljoe!
Where's pappy!


sorry I blew your cover, all I did was look at the email thingy above the post.

Go Hoosiers!

 

[kgDO]

I pretty much agree with my classmates previous statements. I definately feel that we are offered a first rate education, and the only thing limiting me is the amout of time I chose to spend studying.

The Genesis program is a new curriculum they designed that combines aspects of the systems approach and the problem-based approach to medical education. There will still be big group lectures, but there will be more small group work than in the past. Each week has a general topic that will be discussed in full detail. For example: Fever, or Congestive Heart Failure. You will get all the anatomy, physio, biochem, pharmacology, pathology, ect. that relate to that topic. Traditionally the pharmacology, and pathology, and microbio aren't until the 2nd year, but the new curriculum is trying to tackle learning with a more complete approach.

KC grows on most people after you have been here a while.

Also the school has rotations in Michigan and Ohio, which are very strong DO states. Some of the hopitals there like Botsford and Genesys near Detroit and Grandview in Dayton, OH might have very good surgery programs (as well as other specialties), but you'll have to verify that on your own.

Good luck.