The Kansas City University (KCU) formerly University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine Orthopedic residency is based in Kansas City, Missouri. KCU is the oldest medical school in Kansas City, Missouri started in 1916 by George J. Conley DO. The orthopedic program was started in early 1950’s at Osteopathic Hospital. William Monaghan DO, under the tutelage of Thomas McGrath DO started this program training one resident a year. Dr. Monaghan started the AOAO award of fellow while executive director of AOAO 1975-1981.
The program had a rich history of working with the Oklahoma, Colorado, and Texas Osteopathic Orthopedic Programs in yearly MOOS (Midwest Osteopathic Orthopedic Society) Education Meetings. Our Osteopathic Program was formally aligned with the Kansas City Orthopaedic Society in 1980 associated with the two other allopathic orthopaedic programs in Kansas City (University of Kansas and University of Missouri Kansas City) for collaborative education events.
There have been four graduates serving as president of the AOAO and four graduates of this program were Program Directors of other orthopedic residencies including; Dean Nachtigall DO – York, Pennsylvania, William Luebbert DO – Normandy (Des Peres Hospital), Harold Battenfield DO – Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mike Mitrick DO – York, PA. Gordon Thorn DO and Charles Orth DO, FAOAO (OSI) have served on the Board of Directors of AOAO and support the mission for preservation of the Osteopathic Orthopedic Profession.
We currently have four residents per year and have trained over 100 residents. The program’s mission is training competent orthopedic surgeons and fostering an environment of lifelong learning. Our aim is train residents who are competent in general orthopedic surgery or seek a fellowship of choice. We have had residents go on to complete fellowships in sports, oncology, trauma, joint reconstruction, spine, shoulder & elbow and foot and ankle.
The primary site is Research Medical Center, which is a level one trauma designated hospital and with additional sites at two level two trauma designated hospitals in Kansas City Metro. Specialty training sites include Pediatrics at Children’s Mercy Hospital, Oncology at the Sarcoma Institute – University of Kansas, one ambulatory surgery center and one rural rotation site.
This is a community based orthopedic program with Orthopedic Surgeons Inc. (OSI) established 1971, now a 13-member group serving as diverse faculty proud to foster the next generation of orthopedic surgeons.
