Leaders At Rockhurst, Kansas City University Sign Agreement Opening New Accelerated Path to Medical Degrees

On Friday, leaders from Rockhurst University and Kansas City University signed a pivotal new agreement establishing and accelerated pathway for high school students and others to earn KCU's medical and health care degrees.

Starting in fall 2025, the Rockhurst University-Kansas City University Early Acceptance Program (ROKC-EAP) offers high school students an opportunity to earn their seat in one of three programs at KCU upon their acceptance to Rockhurst, where they will complete undergraduate studies, meaning they can earn their undergraduate and medical degree in seven years. The three available paths are the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), and the Master of Health Science - Anesthesiologist Assistant (MHS-AA) programs.

In addition to a seat in these programs, students accepted into ROKC-EAP will also receive automatic acceptance into the Rockhurst University DO/MBA in Health Care Leadership dual degree program and pre-admission to the dual DMD/MBA in Health Care Leadership program for students pursuing the dental pathway.

In a separate agreement also signed Friday, the two institutions established a new post-baccalaureate pathway designed to enhance career readiness and educational enhancement in health sciences. That program will allow students who have completed their bachelor's degree to take necessary coursework at Rockhurst University before pursuing their medical degree at KCU.

In addition to being an incredible opportunity for incoming students, the ROKC-EAP is an innovative partnership between two of Kansas City's prestigious educational institutions. With more than 200 combined years of education in the community between them, Rockhurst and KCU share a focus on shaping leaders prepared to enter their careers with a sense of purpose and a commitment to help others. In remarks delivered prior to the signing Friday morning, leaders of both schools invoked their history, with Sandra Cassady, Ph.D., president of Rockhurst, recalling the past and the present of the building in which those gathered were standing, Sedgwick Hall. The first building on campus, Sedgwick has been used for many purposes - from housing to a library, classrooms and the campus theater. In 2022, it was reimagined into the home of health sciences on campus.

"I mention this because this was a project that allowed us to dream big," she said.

Marc B. Hahn, DO, president and CEO of KCU, said his institution also channels its past into a present in which it is the fourth largest medical school in the U.S. by class size and the largest producer of physicians in Missouri, particularly successful in supplying physicians who serve rural and underserved populations. The new partnership with Rockhurst is poised to add to that impressive track record.

"This program is going to expand opportunities for students who come from widely diverse backgrounds through this early admissions program, helping to create a more inclusive health care workforce for Missouri, for Kansas, and, really, for the broader region and the nation," he said. "There's a commitment to the future of health care here."

And it comes at a perfect time, Cassady said, with a continuing need for highly skilled, compassionate professionals in health.

"With Rockhurst's Jesuit core value of 'cura personalis,' or 'care for the whole person,' and KCU's osteopathic emphasis on patient-centered care, students who complete this program will bring a deeper understanding of the human condition to their professional lives in health care," she said.

Learn more about ROKC-EAP here.