WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -- The first Osteopathic Medical School in Kansas is slated to open its doors in Downtown Wichita this August. Right next to it on Broadway, WSU Tech is building its Institute of Culinary and Hospitality Education, also opening in August.
The two places of higher learning at their enrollment peaks could combine for over a thousand students, plus faculty, and staff. It's something that has Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple very excited. “You can't have that type of, I guess, activity in a central area like this without seeing a ripple effect of economic opportunity."
Whipple says many small towns are built around colleges that are similar sizes, and those colleges are the "economic engines" of the area. He says being able to put something is "a huge step in the right direction when it comes to diversified our economic blueprint for downtown."
President of the Kansas Health Science Center, Tiffany Masson, says that impact the school could have in downtown was absolutely part of the plan when figuring out where to put the school. "From the very beginning, we knew that we wanted to be part of revitalizing downtown and we made that commitment and that investment in choosing this particular area to do it.”
Both the Kansas COM and WSU Tech's culinary programs are taking applications. If you are interested in learning more, visit the links below.
Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
WSU Tech Culinary and Hospitality programs