Appointed consultant to UMKC chancellor on health affairs, E. Grey Dimond, M.D. works to establish the School of Medicine and its non-traditional docent system of learning.
1968
Richard K. Noback, M.D., is named dean of the new UMKC School of Medicine.
Aug. 30 marks first day of class; 18 students begin their medical education.
The school signs Research Medical Center as one of its partner teaching hospitals.1971
Children’s Mercy Kansas City signs affiliation agreement to be a primary teaching hospital of the school.1972
Nine students admitted with “advance standing” are the school’s first M.D. graduates.1973
The new $13.2 million School of Medicine building opens.1974
The school begins a long-standing relationship with the People’s Republic of China, accepting a formal invitation to visit for a “study and analysis of the Chinese health care system.”1975
Truman Medical Center opens, replacing General Hospital as one of the school’s primary teaching hospitals.
1976
The Friends of the UMKC School of Medicine is founded to provide support to the school and its students.
1977
Harry Jonas, M.D., becomes dean.
1978
The school welcomes Dr. Hsu Chia, the first exchange physician from the People’s Republic of China to come to the United States, as the first Edgar Snow Professor.
1979
Summer Scholars is established to expose minority and disadvantaged youth to careers in health care.
1980
Faculty from the School of Medicine and the School of Dentistry develop one of the country’s few combined oral and maxillofacial surgery/M.D. programs.
1985
The Eye Foundation is founded by Felix Sabates, chairman of the school’s Department of Ophthalmology, to support patient care and vision research.
1986
James Mongan, M.D., is appointed dean.
1987
The school and its docent system of learning is named a Model Education Program by the National Fund for Medical Education.
1988
School of Medicine and Saint Luke’s Hospital finalize their primary teaching hospital affiliation agreement.
1989
Construction of the Mary Clark and E. Grey Dimond Scholars’ Center – known as Diastole – is completed.
1991
The school signs agreement with the Center for Behavioral Medicine, making it a primary teaching hospital.
1994
Stuart Munro, M.D., is appointed interim dean. E. Ratcliffe Anderson Jr., M.D., is named dean later this year.
1996
Marjorie Sirridge, M.D. accepts a two-year appointment as dean.
1997
The school forms a new Basic Medical Science division, bringing medical student classes in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and microbiology under the direction of the medical school.
1998
Michael Friedland, M.D., is appointed dean.
1999
The UMKC and University of Kansas schools of medicine partner to create Saturday Academy, a free program for middle and high school students interested in health careers.
2000
The school’s Shock/Trauma Research Center is established, one of the first in the Midwest.
2002
Betty M. Drees, M.D., is appointed dean.
2003
The school’s medical students establish the Sojourner Clinic, providing free health care to the homeless.
2004
Kansas City VA Medical Center signs agreement to serve as a primary teaching hospital for the school.
2005
The school’s Youngblood Medical Skills Lab opens, equipped with human simulators to provide a realistic learning environment for future health care professionals.
The school’s Vision Research Center opens, serving as the Department of Ophthalmology’s research arm.
2007
The school welcomes the first students to its Master of Science in Anesthesiology program, one of only a handful across the country designed to help address the shortage of anesthesia services.
2008
The Master of Science in Bioinformatics is offered through a joint effort by the UMKC School of Medicine, School of Biological Sciences and School of Computing and Engineering.
2009
In collaboration with UMKC’s School of Graduate Studies, the School of Medicine launches its new Interdisciplinary-Ph.D. program in Biomedical and Health Informatics.
School of Medicine founder E. Grey Dimond, M.D., passes away at the age of 94.
2013
Steven L. Kanter, M.D., is appointed dean.
The school welcomes 14 students into its new Master of Medical Science Physician Assistant program.
2014
The school’s family medicine residency is recognized as a top program by U.S. News and World Report, ranking No. 7 in the Midwest.
School receives $1.9 million grant from National Institute of Mental Health to continue research leading to new drug therapies and treatments for depression.
2015
Mary Anne Jackson, M.D., is appointed dean.
(interim dean since 2018)
2020
Alexander Norbash, M.D., is appointed dean.
2024
