To Whom It May Concern,

We have all gone through a profound year starting medical school in the middle of a global pandemic and dedicated ourselves to improving the lives of those around us. This has been no small feat as we have taken challenges in stride, including being leaders in the community providing life-saving vaccines to those in need. As we begin the next semester, we are all eager to start school in person. Finally, a chance to really meet each other and start forging those life-long connections everyone talks about from their experience in medical school.

Unfortunately, our class was deprived of an orientation similar to previous years due to the pandemic. We understand, yet this has greatly limited our ability to mingle or really see each other face to face outside of the lab, which at best, always involved a face covering. On the rare occasions to meet outside of school, we made sure to follow the guidelines set by the CDC and university. Now, we have all been fully vaccinated and the school is opening up the campus to all students. Therefore, we ask to be given the opportunity as previous classes, sponsored by the school during orientation, to engage in some of these activities that we missed out on last year. We do not ask to have a full orientation like has been done for all first year students prior to our class due to the pandemic, but we ask that at least one or two days be taken to engage in these activities that would allow us to interact with our peers.

We appreciate the fact that 2020 tuition was not raised for our incoming class, but there was also a lack of in person orientation we so desperately desired after months spent in isolation. There must have been hundreds if not thousands of dollars saved in not providing lunches, outings, on campus activities, etc. for our incoming class this past school year. This year our tuition was raised and the class will finally be able to complete our postponed white-coat ceremony. We have graciously accepted these changes in stride in order to continue our commitment to education at KCU and service for the greater Kansas City community.

We hope that you will play a role in helping us make some great memories here at KCU along with helping to unite our class. We have all longed to solidify our friendships and have a chance to feel the camaraderie and social aspects other KCU alumni have come to know and love.

Sincerely,

KCU COM Class of 2024