UNECOM vs. KCUMB (i thought i would try this too!)

[PSUJenn07]

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I just don't know which to choose!!! If any of you have been to both let me know how you feel about it. Thanks for the advice!!

 

[Orthodoc40]

I just don't know which to choose!!! If any of you have been to both let me know how you feel about it. Thanks for the advice!!

Eh - since you're not getting responses, maybe try the medical student forums for feedback??

 

[rgerwin]

Never been to KCUMB, but am attending UNECOM next year. It really depends on you. Where would you rather live? Do you have a family, cost, rotations, etc.

 

[Eurocopter]

I say go to UNECOM!!!!!!! Mainly because I want to go to KCUMB and if you go to UNECOM it will leave a slot for me😀 😀 😀

 

[lysosome]

KCUMB was amazing. My reservations are with the weather and the lack of food (there's only a 7-11 and school cafeteria) because there's nothing in the walking vicinity.

Other than that----it just seemed to perfect. I keep wondering if the student panel were putting up a front about how great the school was. They basically had nothing negative to say?

 

[RollWave11]

KCUMB was amazing. My reservations are with the weather and the lack of food (there's only a 7-11 and school cafeteria) because there's nothing in the walking vicinity.

Other than that----it just seemed to perfect. I keep wondering if the student panel were putting up a front about how great the school was. They basically had nothing negative to say?

That makes me a bit suspicious. I hate it when students have no gripes at all with the school. In my last MD interview I had a faculty member and a 3rd year and the 3rd year still gave me the straight dope when asked in front of the faculty.

Makes me think KCUMB has something to hide.

 

[Terpskins99]

Hi guys. I'm a 2nd year student at KCUMB and can answer any questions you might have about our program. (I'm trying to procrastinate from this dinky quiz we have at the end of the week.)

Our school isn't perfect. But then again, what program is?

Overall, I feel the instruction-level is very solid. Our program is especially strong in the big "P's": physiology (Karius), pathology (ERF) and pharm (McCandless) are all outstanding. These instructors take a lot of pride in their teaching. The biochemistry instruction is a bit lighter compared with other medical schools, and embryology/histology I would rate as so-so.

Outside of a few bad seeds (with a class this size you'll always have a couple), most of my classmates are wonderful people and very supportive of one another. Though grades are based on a bell curve, it is NOT a cut-throat environment (heheh, frankly, I think most people are just happy to pass the section and move on).

Btw: as for food... that isn't a problem at all. There are plenty of nice grocery shops nearby (especially when you venture out past the immediate "unfriendly" viscinity). And Westport (a very affluent shopping district) is only a 10 minute drive away. If you can afford the means, you can eat Panera Bread and Subway every single day. =) That said, you NEED to have a car if you plan to stay here. You'll absolutely lose your mind on weekends if you don't.

If you have any other specific questions, feel free to message me directly.

 

[Orthodoc40]

KCUMB was amazing. My reservations are with the weather and the lack of food (there's only a 7-11 and school cafeteria) because there's nothing in the walking vicinity.

Other than that----it just seemed to perfect. I keep wondering if the student panel were putting up a front about how great the school was. They basically had nothing negative to say?

You're concerned about the WEATHER in KC vs. Maine??

 

[piggi]

KCUMB was amazing. My reservations are with the weather and the lack of food (there's only a 7-11 and school cafeteria) because there's nothing in the walking vicinity.

Other than that----it just seemed to perfect. I keep wondering if the student panel were putting up a front about how great the school was. They basically had nothing negative to say?

i just interviewed at KCUMB and i thought that their facilities were amazing! but i'm also a bit apprehensive about the weather, and not that i have anything against the majority...but i didn't see ANY minorities (not even asians, who I know aren't really considered a minority in med school apparently). The only minorities i saw were the service workers; you know, the dude that sweeps the floor, etc. This was a bit disheartening, as i would have liked to have seen SOME diversity.

 

[lysosome]

That is true...there were no other racial diversity ...they just have state diversity.

I'm from CA...so the weather here compares differently to KS.

 

[Terpskins99]

That is true...there were no other racial diversity ...they just have state diversity.

I'm from CA...so the weather here compares differently to KS.

While there are a handful of minorities in each class, its true that the majority is caucasian (along with most of the faculty).

Out of approximately 240+ members of my 2009 class, I believe we have 5 african americans and about 12 asian american/pacific islanders (that includes 3 students that are indian/pakistani). No latino-americans that I can think of off the top of my head. The 2010 class has a fairly similar class profile.

Honestly, I don't think its a big deal (though I understand that the school has been making an effort to recruit more minorities for some time). I can say that everyone views one another as equals, and Kansas City is most certainly an ethnically diverse town. In my experience, most of the culture shock I got my first year had more to do with getting to know mid-western folks and them likewise getting used to a life-long east-coaster in myself (not to mention our class president, who is ethnically Iranian and hails from Laguna Beach, California). =P

While Kansas City in general isn't quite as diverse as say Los Angeles or New York City, its easily one of the more diverse places you'll find in the mid-west.

 

[med-i-cal]

While there are a handful of minorities in each class, its true that the majority is caucasian (along with most of the faculty).

Out of approximately 240+ members of my 2009 class, I believe we have 5 african americans and about 12 asian american/pacific islanders (that includes 3 students that are indian/pakistani). No latino-americans that I can think of off the top of my head. The 2010 class has a fairly similar class profile.

Honestly, I don't think its a big deal (though I understand that the school has been making an effort to recruit more minorities for some time). I can say that everyone views one another as equals, and Kansas City is most certainly an ethnically diverse town. In my experience, most of the culture shock I got my first year had more to do with getting to know mid-western folks and them likewise getting used to a life-long east-coaster in myself (not to mention our class president, who is ethnically Iranian and hails from Laguna Beach, California). =P

While Kansas City in general isn't quite as diverse as say Los Angeles or New York City, its easily one of the more diverse places you'll find in the mid-west.

Our class profile is pretty similar, we do have a few european-americans and latino-americans though.

 

[lysosome]

i'm actually chinese and i'm really thinking about going to school in kansas...there shouldn't be any discrimination of any sort there since we're all mature med students right?

 

[toothless rufus]

Terpskins, your sniper kitten just made my day!😀

 

[Terpskins99]

i'm actually chinese and i'm really thinking about going to school in kansas...there shouldn't be any discrimination of any sort there since we're all mature med students right?

Hi Lysosome... please check your private message box for my reply to your post as I think its a relatively personal matter that I'd like to relay to you one-on-one.

And to toothless rufus... THANKS! 😀

 

[MJB]

I have a pretty good friend that is in his 3rd year with KCUMB...very little negative to say about the school...VERY little.

So, just in case you wondered about whether the panel was full of it...I can vouch for at least this guy and his med school buddies..and they all like it a lot.

As for the weather...it was 80 here on Wed., about 65 or 70 yesterday, but we're paying for it today with highs in the 40's and wind..

Tomorrow, however, will be about 50 and sunny.

I like the cold a lot more than the humidity...heat and humidity sucks when you are landlocked. The good thing about the cold is that it's RARELY "really" cold for more than a few days at a time, for a couple months out of the year.

*"really" cold to me is basically anything below 35 or so with wind...or down around 10 with no wind.

 

[MJB]

i'm actually chinese and i'm really thinking about going to school in kansas...there shouldn't be any discrimination of any sort there since we're all mature med students right?

Not sure how to respond to this as a native Kansan...(and by the way, you'd be going to school in Missouri if you went to KCUMB)...

I'll just say that you can find discrimination pretty much anywhere you look for it, and I think you will find many midwesterners in this area to be very friendly and hospitable...particularly on the KS side.

 

[lysosome]

yes, i meant kansas city, MO.

I'm sure discrimination is everywhere but I was just wondering how strong it is since i"m from CA and I'm use to the high asian population in the bay area.

 

[MJB]

To the best of my knowledge, I don't think you'll have much, if any, trouble. I might be naive, but I just don't see it very often, unless you deal with rednecks on a daily basis.

Contrary to what some might believe, we're not all rednecks...not even close. 🙂

The KC metro area is pretty diverse from what I can tell.

Please feel free to PM if you have any specific questions about the area and I'll try to help.