University of Kansas School of Medicine

Are you interested in attending medical school at KU, or do you have family or friends thinking about the M.D. program? Attend one of KU School of Medicine's open houses to learn more.

Our open house events provide prospective students with information about preparation for medical school, the application process, a Q&A panel and a tour of the campus. Can't make it in person? We've got virtual options, too. Learn more online and register for one of our October open house events: https://bit.ly/310GPzb

Researchers at KU Medical Center led the first comprehensive update in 15 years to a consensus paper on the role of physical activity in preventing weight gain and obesity published by the American College of Sports Medicine.

The paper presents guidelines for physical activity in the context of bariatric surgery and new weight-loss medications. It emphasizes that while physical activity is important for weight control, exercise also matters for multiple health outcomes, irrespective of any changes to an individual’s weight.

John Jakicic, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Physical Activity and Weight Management, and lead author on the consensus, says that the update asserts that different types of activity have different effects on health. "We're saying there's not one ideal type, that all activity matters."

Exercise and physical activity guidelines updated to reflect prevalence of weight-loss drugs and bariatric surgery Researchers at KU Medical Center led the update released by the American College of Sports Medicine, one of the world’s leading organizations in the field of exercise science.

Kimberly Templeton, M.D., FAAOS, FAOA, FAMWA, professor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, has been selected as the recipient of the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Women in Medicine and Science Leadership Award for an established individual.

Since the first award in 1995, the prestigious honor has recognized over 30 individuals and organizations. Dr. Templeton's dedication to advancing women in medicine and science of academic leadership demonstrates a career-long commitment to developing women leaders, and the impact of her efforts to support and advance women’s careers is far-reaching.

Join us in congratulating the KU School of Medicine 2024 Alumni Award honorees. The recipients will be recognized during Alumni Reunion Weekend at a luncheon on Sept. 27. Learn more about the honorees and join us in congratulating them online: https://bit.ly/3SPxMcH

🔹 Early Career Achievement in Medicine Alumnus: Justin A. Mills, M.D. '06, MPH, FAAP
🔹 Honorary Medical Alumnus: Mario Castro, M.D., MPH
🔹 Distinguished Medical Alumnus: Jack T. Stapleton, M.D. '80

Part of the National Institutes of Health, the All of Us Research Program is working to collect data from a million different people to drive new treatments and cures. Josh Denny, M.D., M.S., chief executive officer of All of Us, visited our Kansas City campus yesterday for events celebrating the launch of the four-state Heartland Consortium.

"We have to represent the full country as a resource to accelerate medical breakthroughs, discoveries that will be taking into account biology, environments and lifestyles that will be relevant to everyone. And this is what we were embarking on today, as we announce and launch the Heartland Consortium,” Denny said in his remarks at the public launch event, noting that the launch of the Heartland Consortium will help expand the All of Us Research Program into the Midwest.

KU Medical Center welcomed head of NIH’s All of Us Research Program to celebrate launch of the Heartland Consortium Part of the National Institutes of Health, the All of Us Research Program is working to collect data from a million different people to drive new treatments and cures.

Fourth-year medical students across our KU School of Medicine campuses in Kansas City, Wichita and Salina now have the opportunity to take a clinical elective in functional medicine, an option previously available at just two other medical education campuses in the country.

Medical students who take the new functional medicine elective will have an opportunity to study a “different approach to chronic disease treatment,” says Jennifer Jackson, M.D., FACP, associate professor and director of the Internal Medicine residency program at KU School of Medicine-Wichita

KU School of Medicine-Wichita now offers clinical elective in functional medicine Only two other sites in the nation have offered the functional medicine elective rotation, says Jennifer Jackson, M.D., FACP, director of the KUSM-W Internal Medicine Residency Program.

Shelley Bhattacharya, DO, MPH, professor of family medicine and community health and physician, spends much of her time seeing senior patients at the Landon Center on Aging. That work has inspired her research interest in older driving safety.

"I’ve enjoyed the life lessons older adults teach me, the appreciation they have for health care professionals and the smiles I see in their eyes. I feel honored to be able to guide them with their medical needs," she said.

Read a Q&A spotlight with Dr. Bhattacharya in the latest edition of the Kansas Medicine + Science magazine: https://bit.ly/3YsoAi6

A recent study led by J. Tom Mueller, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Population Health, has found that Medicaid expansion is unevenly impacting areas. The study shows that rural populations are seeing clear negative impacts, and urban populations are seeing only some benefits.

"What this means is that the rural health care system, which is already struggling and has long been facing issues of funding, resources and personnel, is not providing rural Americans on Medicaid with the safe and effective health care they need," said Dr. Mueller. Learn more:

Rural populations may experience uneven effects of Medicaid expansion Study points to differences in how people of different races and ethnicities may benefit from Medicaid expansion

Registration for the 2024 Alumni Reunion Weekend is officially open! Join the KUMC Alumni Association Sept. 26-29 in Kansas City for a fun-filled weekend with your fellow classmates. Enjoy class reunions, campus tours, open houses, the Alumni Awards luncheon and more. Learn more about the celebrations and register online today: https://bit.ly/3A8dGDH

Looking back at more of our favorite moments from last week's White Coat Ceremony 📷

For medical students, there is no precise path to choosing a medical specialty. After spending their first two years of school immersed in basic science disciplines, students spend their third and fourth years in clinical rotations across a range of disciplines. It is in these years that students decide on a medical specialty.

In the latest edition of Kansas Medicine + Science magazine, students and alumni reflect on their decision-making and what led them to their specialties.

The Art and Science of Choosing a Medical Specialty For medical students, one decision upstages all others — determining what kind of medicine they will practice the rest of their careers.

KU School of Medicine programs are among the top in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report rankings for 2024. In rankings released yesterday, KU is in Tier 1 of the best medical schools for primary care. KU School of Medicine also ranked 10th in the percentage of graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas and 12th in the percentage of graduates providing direct patient care in rural areas.

“We are pleased to rank in the top tier of medical schools for primary care,” said Akinlolu Ojo, M.D., executive dean. “We believe this reflects our contributions and ongoing commitment to educating the next generation of physicians to serve and care for communities across Kansas and beyond.”

KU Medical Center graduate programs earn high marks in U.S. News & World Report rankings for 2024 Nationally high rankings in primary care, physical therapy and in the nurse midwifery program all reflect a commitment to caring for Kansans and beyond.

KU School of Medicine welcomed first-year medical students at this afternoon's White Coat Ceremony. Faculty presented students with their coats, signifying the official start of their medical education journeys. Congratulations and good luck to the Class of 2028!

📣 KU School of Medicine is now on Instagram! The official page is a new place for us to engage with our community and share school, department and program news, research updates, events and community spotlights across our three campuses. Join in on the fun and follow .medicine on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/ku.medicine/

Current research at KU Medical Center’s Power of Music laboratory is combining neuroscience principles with a sophisticated understanding of elements in music to test if music be used as a medical tool to reduce pain, promote wellness or even slow the progression of some diseases.

“Our approach is to combine scientific methodology, imaging technology and music theory to learn how music impacts human physiology, psychology and overall well-being,” said Rebecca Lepping, Ph.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and director of the lab.

Exploring the power of music to treat pain and disease KU Medical Center researcher combines her education in music and cognitive psychology to study how music affects the brain

There are currently no FDA-approved drug treatments for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), an inherited disorder that affects 1 in 20,000 people. KU Medical Center is part of a multi-site clinical trial of a drug specifically designed to go into muscle and target the molecular cause of FSHD.

“The thing that is special about this trial is that it’s really our first proof of principle about this whole approach,” said Jeffrey Statland, M.D., professor of neurology and an investigator on the trial. “It’s the first molecularly designed, gene-targeted trial that has been specifically designed to go in the muscle and hit this DUX4 protein and knock it down.”

Preliminary drug trial results give hope to those with a common form of muscular dystrophy KU Medical Center is a site for the first trial of a drug specifically designed to go into muscle and target the molecular cause of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

Last week, we welcomed KU School of Medicine's newest group of residents and fellows! July 1 was the first official day on the job for this cohort, which includes more than 200 new residents in Kansas City, Salina and Wichita and 63 fellows beginning programs in Kansas City. We're excited to have these talented trainees at KU, and we look forward to seeing what the future brings. Best of luck to all of you!

Rural communities have some of the most significant shortages of health care providers, but the Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, a partnership between KU School of Medicine and the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Pittsburg, KS, is working to change that.

"We get one-on-one learning and experiences with the attendings here. It’s a more directed, goal-oriented and personalized learning experience,” said Brittany Elliot, M.D., MSD, one of the inaugural two residents in the program. Learn more in KWCH 12 News:

Rural residency program aims to bring more healthcare providers to SE Kansas It’s as rural communities have some of the greatest shortages of healthcare providers. That has one rural provider seeking to change the perception.

Lung cancer causes more deaths than any other kind of cancer, largely because it is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Researchers at KU Medical Center have developed a blood test that detects lung cancer 90% of the time, even in patients with early stage 1 disease, when the disease is curable.

“Lung cancer is one of these diseases where it makes a big difference when you detect it,” said Stefan Bossman, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Cancer Biology. “Chances of survival are so much higher when you find it at the beginning.”

Blood test developed by KU researchers can detect early-stage lung cancer Biosensor technology can detect lung cancer in blood when it is still curable and could be used to screen large populations at risk for the disease.

Kristina Bridges, Ph.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, is leading a new project that aims to overcome barriers to healthy food in six areas across Kansas.

Because so many farms in Kansas grow commodity crops like soybeans, wheat and field corn, there is little variety of fresh foods such as green beans, carrots and spinach available for purchase in the communities surrounding them. With residents’ limited access to healthier foods, chronic diseases are persistent in these areas.

Learn more about Dr. Bridges' project, funded by a grant from the Sunflower Foundation.

KU Medical Center researcher focuses on eliminating food deserts across rural Kansas New grant-funded project to address food insecurity issues in six areas across the state

Elizabeth Holmes, a rising fourth-year medical student, who will join the The Kansas City Chiefs for a clinical rotation thanks to an NFL program that aims to increase and diversify the pipeline of students interested in pursuing careers in sports medicine.

“Having the opportunity to work with the NFL, and such high-caliber athletes, this early in my education is an honor and a dream come true,” she said. “I am excited for all the learning opportunities to come with this experience.”

Learn more about the program: https://bit.ly/4eGWpBI

Earlier this year, Wen-Xing Ding, Ph.D., William Warner Abercrombie Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, received the Olin Petefish Award in Basic Sciences, one of the Kansas higher education system’s most prestigious awards for researchers.

Dr. Ding's groundbreaking research on the role of mitochondria in cell death and organ injury could lead to better treatments for liver disease. Hear from Dr. Ding and learn more about his research:

Wen-Xing Ding 2024 recipient of the Olin K. Petefish Award in the Basic Sciences Learn more about Wen-Xing Ding, the William Warner Abercrombie Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics at KU and the 2024 recipient of the Ol...

Continuous glucose monitors, wearable devices that enable people to monitor their blood sugar, are known to improve outcomes for children with type 1 diabetes. Research conducted by Daniel Tilden, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of endocrinology, diabetes and clinical pharmacology, shows that these devices are used much less by kids in rural areas, where the burden of type 1 diabetes is high.

The next step in the research is figuring out how to eliminate these disparities. “KU in particular is positioned to have a unique perspective,” said Dr. Tilden. “This is a large urban academic medical center, but we are in a state with a large portion of the population from rural areas, and there's a lot of expertise here to really dive into developing interventions for rural folks.”

Research shows rural children with type 1 diabetes less likely to use continuous glucose-monitoring devices These devices improve clinical outcomes, but study shows they are used much less in rural areas, where the burden of type 1 diabetes is high.

The KU School of Medicine Office of Admissions invites applicants and premedical advisors to the new JayhawkMD webinar series. Monthly sessions will dive into different admissions topics to help navigate the path to medical school. Learn more and register for the upcoming June 12 session:

JayhawkMD Insights: Navigating the Path to Medical School Webinars scheduled by the University of Kansas School of Medicine Office of Admission for premedical applicants and advisors.

Children in Kansas have elevated levels of lead in their blood at a rate more than twice the national average. The exposure rates are highest in southeast Kansas, which was part of a mining district that was one of the world’s major producers of lead and zinc for a hundred years.

Along with her partners in the Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) project, Christina Pacheco, J.D., MPH, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, is looking at ways to prevent lead exposure in this area, as well as the rest of the state.

KU Medical Center researchers working to address lead exposure prevention in southeast Kansas Lead exposure rates are twice the national average for kids in Kansas, especially for those in rural areas, indicating the need for prevention and remediation.

Curious about pursuing a life in medicine? Learn about KU School of Medicine's M.D. program at our upcoming virtual open house on Friday, June 21 at 2 p.m. Learn about the admissions process and hear from faculty members and current students. Register online today: https://bit.ly/310GPzb

On May 10, The University of Kansas announced the promotion and tenure of an exceptional group of faculty members and researchers. Join us in congratulating faculty across our KU School of Medicine campuses on this milestone.

KU announces promotion and tenure for 149 faculty and researchers The latest news and information for the University of Kansas.

On May 8, leadership from The University of Kansas and Wichita State University and officials from across the state came together to break ground on the new Wichita Biomedical Campus.

When it opens in 2027, future doctors, nurses, physical therapists and even emergency medical technicians will train within the 8-story building. The facility will house the Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy, along with health professions students from Wichita State and WSU Tech.

“This partnership to create the Wichita Biomedical Campus represents an innovative way to effectively advance our mission to educate the leaders of tomorrow and help build healthy and vibrant communities,” KU Chancellor Douglas A. Girod, M.D. said.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3USVOER

Last weekend, we celebrated the Class of 2024 at the KU School of Medicine Hooding and Recognition ceremony. Of the 284 students who graduated from our campuses in Kansas City, Salina and Wichita, 202 received M.D. degrees and 82 students earned advanced degrees and certificates.

Take a look back at more photos from the festivities and read a story about the event featuring some of our recent graduates: https://www.kumc.edu/about/news/news-archive/2024-commencement.html