Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) recently announced a new program partnership with the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCU), which is the largest medical school in Missouri and one of the oldest osteopathic medical schools in the country. The new pathway of opportunity creates a dual undergraduate and graduate degree and offers HSSU students guaranteed acceptance into medical school pending completion of a specialized four-year program and fulfillment of admission requirements.
“Harris-Stowe State University is committed to continuing academic excellence in all our programs and has been particularly focused on STEM-related curriculum for the past few years,” said Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, president, Harris-Stowe State University. “This newest partnership with Kansas City University is extraordinary because it guarantees our most capable students a direct path to medical school, preparing them for careers as physicians or medical researchers.”
Five eligible Harris-Stowe State University students will be selected to participate each year. The students will attend three years at HSSU and then attend their fourth and final year enrolled at KCU where they will matriculate in the one-year Biosciences master’s program on scholarship. Therefore, in four years students will receive an undergraduate degree from HSSU and a graduate degree from KCU. Graduates are guaranteed admission into the KCU-College of Osteopathic Medicine, pending fulfillment of all admissions requirements.
“We are excited to enter into a partnership with such a historic institution as Harris-Stowe State University,” said Dr. Marc B. Hahn, president and chief executive officer of KCU. “This partnership is not simply about enhancing diversity within our student body; it is about addressing intolerance, improving cultural competency in the next generation of physicians and most importantly, tackling the key issue of health disparities within the communities we serve.”
The universities recognize this collaboration as an aggressive and innovative opportunity for both institutions. Underrepresented students will have a chance to gain admittance into medical school, enter the profession of medicine and increase the presence of physicians of color in their communities.
Warmack, HSSU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Dwyane Smith and HSSU students attended a formal signing of the partnership on November 13 on the KCU campus.
