Next week, we’ll celebrate a historic ribbon-cutting for the expanded Mizzou School of Medicine campus in Springfield. This new, university-owned facility builds on our decade-long commitment to providing world-class medical education in southwest Missouri. The program has also grown from the final two years of medical school to all four years, creating even more opportunities for Mizzou students and faculty to serve throughout the region. 

Among those joining us for this milestone is Dr. Rachel Plate (MD ’19), a graduate from the second Springfield Clinical Campus class. Originally from the Kansas City area, Dr. Plate was so inspired by her time in Springfield that she returned with her husband and is now an emergency room physician at Mercy Hospital Springfield.

As a student, she saw firsthand the many ways Springfield serves as a hub for nearby rural communities. Her hands-on experiences and close faculty mentors made her time on campus important to her growth as a physician and to her eventual decision to practice locally. She continues to stay involved with Mizzou, including as a lecturer for current students completing medical school on the Springfield campus. Dr. Plate will be featured in a video during the ceremony that highlights the program’s ongoing impact. 

The new campus location will double the number of medical students in the Springfield program, preparing even more Tigers to work in rural communities. We are excited to launch the next chapter of the Mizzou School of Medicine in Springfield and to train talented physicians like Dr. Plate who are dedicated to saving and improving lives across Missouri.

— Mun