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Mission, Vision and Strategic Plan
Our Mission
The mission of the UMKC School of Medicine is to improve community health through:
- Innovative educational programs in medicine and biomedical science
- Cutting-edge biomedical research
- Leadership in academic medicine
We strive to implement this mission with the highest professional and ethical standards, in a culture of inclusive excellence, and in an environment that enables individuals to reach their full potential.
Our Vision
The UMKC School of Medicine aims to be the anchoring institution for a leading academic health center.
Vision background
The UMKC School of Medicine opened in 1971 after more than a decade of community effort to establish a medical school in Kansas City, Mo. The history, current mission and operations of the school are deeply rooted in the community at the local, state, national and international levels. As part of a growing academic health sciences campus in Kansas City's urban core, we advance the health of our community through:
- Education of physicians and other healthcare professionals
- Research and application of new knowledge to health conditions that affect our community
- Direct service in the community
- Economic development in our community
During our nearly four decades of existence, each of our four mission areas — education, research, service and economic development — have grown and matured along with our main campus on Hospital Hill. The University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public, urban-serving, research and doctoral university; both it and the School of Medicine are poised to make an even greater contribution to “Advancing the Health of Our Community” in the decades to come.
Strategic Plan
The School of Medicine's strategic plan outlines the goals and objectives of our institution under four core pillars for 2018-2028. Our plan is in alignment with the strategic plans of UM System and UMKC. Learn more about our pillars and review the full plan.
Pillars
1) Education
Celebrate and promote exceptional and novel education.
2) Innovation
Excel through innovation, research and discovery.
3) Connection
Foster an expanding and robust academic community benefiting all members.
4) Support
Pursue sustainable growth with responsible stewardship and resourcing.
Statements of Commitment
The School of Medicine, along with the Board of Curators and University of Kansas City-Missouri are committed to upholding human rights values and fostering a culture of respect. Review our statements of commitment.
Our Medical Education Programs
M.D. programs
The UMKC School of Medicine was founded on an innovative medical education system that continues to serve as the basis of our M.D. programs. The guiding principles include:
- Early and continuous clinical experiences
- Humanities woven throughout the curriculum
- Small group learning communities centered around a physician “docent”
- Continuous assessment of student progress
- Emphasis on applying the basic sciences in clinical medicine
Combined B.A./M.D. program
Unique to UMKC, this program accepts prospective medical doctors straight out of high school. Over six years, these students develop professional medical skills, clinical competency, humanism and altruism during a highly formative period of their lives.
M.D. program
Our M.D.-only program, which is tailored to more traditional medical students, admits students in the following categories:
- Students who already have a bachelor's degree
- They enroll as M.D.-only students, completing their M.D. degree in four years.
- Students who have a DDS degree
- They complete a combined M.D. and oral surgery residency.
- Transfer students who have completed their first two years of medical school at an accredited program
- They complete their M.D. degree through our unique program.
Program success
Our M.D. degree programs have produced about 90 graduates per year over the last decade. Of those graduates, about 40% enter the primary care fields of internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics and internal medicine, and approximately 45% stay in Missouri, practicing in the counties surrounding the state's two largest metropolitan areas of Kansas City and St. Louis.
Our community-based setting has freed us from fiscal and administrative concerns over the management of hospitals and practice plans. Our innovative concepts and the original design of the medical school, which was outlined in our first academic plan, have been proven over time. Our history and first 35 years of educational outcomes were recently published as a testament to our approach.
Graduate degree programs
Beginning in 2008, the school accepted its first class of graduate degree students. Our master's degree programs and other graduate offerings, especially in allied health, are another means to meeting pressing local and regional healthcare needs. We encourage prospective students to explore our programs and reach out with any questions they have.
Residencies and fellowships
The School of Medicine is the institutional sponsor for over 40 residency and fellowship programs, which are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and conducted at our affiliate hospitals. Currently, there are almost 500 residents and fellows in these programs at six area hospitals. Many graduates of these programs go on to work as physicians in Kansas City and the surrounding regions. Discover our residencies and fellowships to learn more.
Continuing education programs
In 2008, the School of Medicine became accredited by ACGME to offer continuing medical education (CME) programs. Previously, we relied on affiliated hospital CME departments to provide faculty with opportunities to earn CME credits. Looking into the future, we determined it was necessary for the growth of our institution to begin offering our own CME opportunities. These programs provide infrastructure for faculty development programs through scholarship in clinical practice, education and research.
Research
While the school's early efforts were directed toward growth and building medical education programs through strong clinical affiliations, over the past decade, research has become a major focus. The goals of our research include:
- Discovering and applying new knowledge to improve human health
- Maintaining a community of scholars to support a robust learning environment
- Providing economic development to the region
The UMKC School of Medicine now features 22 endowed chairs and professorships, which is more than any other academic division in UM System. Extramural funding in grants and contracts has increased over the past decade and is now at $23 million annually. Federal funding represents approximately half of that total.
Many of our research efforts are focused on providing a positive impact on community health, especially in fields that correspond to our areas of clinical strength. These efforts build and utilize large databases that go beyond “translational” research and are designed to have a positive impact on community health at the individual level through personalized medicine, or at the population level. Our research can also be directed at the prevention or diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Community engagement
Much has changed since the school’s founding, but our commitment to serving the community has never wavered. We strive to be an essential community partner, contributing to the health of our community through the methods outlined in our vision.