By Elana Gordon
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-979017.mp3
Kansas City, Kan. – Orientation starts this week for a class of eight at a new University of Kansas Medical School program in Salina. School officials say it's the smallest four-year medical training program in the country...in the smallest city to have a medical school (with the exception of a few major suburbs). And, they hope the campus - located nearly 200 miles west of KU Med Center's main campus in Kansas City, Kansas - will train more doctors to stay and practice in small Kansas towns. Meanwhile, the university is also expanding its two year training program in Wichita into a full, four year program.
Dr. Heidi Chumley, associate dean of medical education at KU, recently told KCUR's Elana Gordon that both programs are in response to the major shortage of doctors in a mostly rural state.
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