Rockhurst to Offer Early Admission Through A.T. Still University

Rockhurst University students looking to enter medical school will have a new way to do so, thanks to an agreement the University finalized with A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Mo., last week.

Similar to existing agreements with Saint Louis University and Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience, the newest early admission program gives students an advantage in applying for medical school. And by partnering with ATSU’s Still Scholars program, Rockhurst’s students will be eligible for early admission to the founding school in the field of osteopathic medicine.

“ATSU-KCOM is a founding school in osteopathic medicine, and Rockhurst University is now a proud partner institution,” said Laura Salem, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the biology department at Rockhurst. “It has been apparent through our interactions with admissions representatives and students that ATSU provides a student-centered learning environment with a focus on cutting edge technology.”

Undergraduate students who complete three semesters of coursework can apply for the Still Scholars program during the second semester of their sophomore year. Applicants must carry an overall 3.40 GPA and a 3.40 GPA in the sciences, have demonstrated a commitment to osteopathic medicine, submit three letters of recommendation, demonstrate involvement in extracurricular activities at Rockhurst and have roughly 50 hours of clinical exposure in a health care environment. In addition, program candidates are expected to remain involved with community service throughout their college careers. With osteopathic medicine’s focus on treating the whole patient, it’s that focus on the value of community service that drew ATSU to seek out a partnership with Rockhurst in the first place, according to Andrea O’Brien, associate director of residential admissions at ATSU.

“It’s not something we do because we need to boost numbers,” O’Brien said. “It’s really about trying to find students with similar values, from different institutions whose values match ours and who also have that service mission. Rockhurst has good quality students, good quality programs and quality advisers. They recruit the type of students that we want to recruit as well.”