The University of Kansas School of Medicine has two clinical campuses on which the last two years of medical education is conducted. The Wichita campus is approved to take 55 students. The Kansas City campus is approved to take 120 students.

Goal

The goal of the clinical campus lottery is to assign medical students to the 55 slots available on the Wichita campus and the 120 slots available on the Kansas City campus (based on 175 student count). Each student at the School of Medicine will have an equal opportunity to pursue their clinical education on the campus of their choice. The process for this lottery is designed to insure equal opportunity for all students.

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Process

During the admission interviews, applicants will have the opportunity to meet with Academic and Student Affair’s representatives from both campuses. Students will be notified at the time they receive their letter of acceptance that they will need to select a clinical campus and the following process will be described to them. They will also be told that if either campus does not meet its required number, there will be mandatory assignment to one of the campuses by lottery. The students will also be given instructions on how to tour the campuses and to meet with students at each campus before matriculation if they so choose.

Upon admission, students will be informed that they may select a campus if they have specific approved hardship conditions that make it essential for them to stay on or return to a specific campus. Once approved, their selection will be honored if a lottery should be necessary.

A Wichita campus visit will be held during orientation. Individual tours can be arranged with the office of Academic and Student Affairs on either campus.

All students must select a campus by November 23 during their first year after matriculation unless they are on official leave of absence either semester of the first year. Each student will be asked to complete an on-line (Web-based) form that indicates their preference for Kansas City, Wichita, or either campus. Those that choose either or do not file a choice by the specified time will be assigned to the campus that has not filled its required number of student positions. There are two possible outcomes from this selection process:

The number of students required by one campus will be met. The process will then go no further.
The number of students permitted by one campus will be exceeded. A lottery process will result.

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The Lottery Process

Students need to clearly and completely describe on the lottery form the specific hardship case that would require assignment to a particular campus. Criteria for hardship is defined as:
1. A serious personal medical condition whereby leaving Kansas City would potentially compromise care and/or continuity of treatment or
2. An immediate family member dependent on the student for direct support/care or
3. Custody issues
Lottery forms for students on the over-subscribed campus will be reviewed. Hardship cases will be assigned to the requested campus and removed from the lottery.
Between November 25 and December 2, 2009, the students will be surveyed to see if any wish to voluntarily change their campus choice and move to the under-subscribed campus. The number of students to be chosen by lottery from the over-subscribed campus will be determined and publicized along with the date of the lottery.
The entire remaining pool of students on the over-subscribed campus will be subject to a random lottery, the results of which will number all students in the pool in a descending fashion from 1 to the end according to the random selection process.
The vacancies at the under-subscribed campus will be filled by moving from student #1 down the list until the minimum number of students for that campus has been achieved. The lottery process will be completed on December 3, 2008.

Students may change campuses until November 1, 2010 as follows:

Students who wish to move from the previously over-subscribed campus to the under-subscribed campus must contact the office of Student Affairs in Kansas City to arrange a swap of positions on the lottery list beginning with student #1.
Students who wish to move from the previously under-subscribed campus (that should now have the correct number of students) may appeal their situation to the medical school administration by writing a letter to the Associate Deans for Academic and Student Affairs on both campuses stating the hardship reasons for desiring a change of campus assignment. The request may or may not be granted.
Change requests after November 1st will be considered by the medical school administration on a case-by-case basis.

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Timeline

Monday, November 23, 2008 Clinical Campus Preference forms due by 5:00 pm
Tuesday, November 24 Clinical Campus Preference results announced
November 25 - December 2, 2009 students can choose to go to under subscribed campus before a lottery is held
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 lottery meeting
Thursday, December 3, 2009 students lotteried to under subscribed campus are notified of the results
Friday, December 4, 2009 lotteried students meet with Dr. Minns and Dr. Meyer
Clinical Campus assignments are sent to all first year students
November 1, 2010 All campus assignments are final - additional changes must be approved by medical school administration

For more information

Laura Zeiger, lzeiger@kumc.edu, Executive Dean's Office in Kansas City
Karen Drake, kdrake@kumc.edu, Academic and Student Affairs in Wichita

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