Supporters of a new osteopathic medical school in Joplin are looking forward to late July, when the first class of 162 students is scheduled to arrive.
The Joplin campus of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday. It is the first medical school to open in Missouri in nearly a half century.
The Joplin Globe reports a local steering committee raised nearly $30 million to contribute to the school, and the property and school building were donated. The school is in the former temporary home of Mercy Hospital, used after a 2011 tornado that killed 161 people.
After four years, the school expects to enroll 600 students, with a goal of improving access to health care in rural areas.
