A.T. Still University (ATSU) was founded in Kirksville in 1892 by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still as the world’s first college of osteopathic medicine. This folder covers the Kirksville, Missouri campus only — home to the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM), the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine, and Elsie’s Garden. ATSU also operates other campuses, including one in Mesa, Arizona; those are outside Kirksville Wire’s coverage area and are not included here.
Details below were gathered from ATSU’s own website and public listings as of September 2026 and may change.
Kirksville Campus Overview
Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM)
The founding college of osteopathic medicine, where ATSU-KCOM trains DO students on the Kirksville campus. For the third consecutive year, ATSU-KCOM ranked #1 nationally among medical schools for the share of graduates practicing in rural areas (U.S. News & World Report, 2026 Best Medical Schools), and placed #5 for primary care graduates and #22 for graduates working in health professional shortage areas. The college graduates roughly 170 physicians a year, with about half of incoming students from small-town or rural backgrounds.
(660) 626-2121 · 800 W. Jefferson St., Kirksville, MO 63501
The Museum of Osteopathic Medicine
ATSU’s accredited museum on the Kirksville campus preserves the history of osteopathy and its founder. Exhibits include a recreated Victorian-era parlor with A.T. Still family belongings, the Cranial Concept exhibit on cranial osteopathy, and a dissected human nervous system — one of only four such dissections known to exist. Admission is free; group tours can be scheduled by phone or email.
800 W. Jefferson St., Kirksville, MO 63501 · Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat by appointment
(660) 626-2359 · museum@atsu.edu
Elsie’s Garden
Formally Elsie’s Medicinal Garden, this is a memorial garden on the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine grounds, dedicated during ATSU’s 2022 Founder’s Day celebration. It honors Drs. Elsie and Ron Gaber — Elsie a master gardener, Ron a University supporter — and reflects osteopathic medicine’s “body, mind, and spirit” philosophy. Ron Gaber described it as “a place where the campus and visitors can explore history and find peace and solitude.” The garden is open to campus visitors and the public, with an endowed fund covering its ongoing upkeep.
Recent Kirksville Campus News
ATSU-KCOM Ranked #1 in Nation for Rural Physician Production, Third Year Running
U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Medical Schools rankings placed ATSU-KCOM first nationally for the share of graduates practicing in rural areas (23.5%), with #5 for primary care graduates (44.6%) and #22 for graduates in health professional shortage areas (58.1%). Dean Margaret Wilson credits heavy recruitment of Midwest and rural applicants and required rural/underserved clinical rotations.
JUN 23, 2026
ATSU-KCOM Honors Class of 2030 with White Coat Ceremony
KCOM welcomed its newest class of medical students on the Kirksville campus with the traditional White Coat Ceremony marking their entry into the osteopathic medicine program.
JUL 31, 2026
ATSU-KCOM Faculty and Staff Speak at Missouri Graduate Medical Education Annual Summit
KCOM educators presented at the statewide Missouri Graduate Medical Education Annual Summit, sharing expertise on osteopathic medical education.
AUG 3, 2026
ATSU-KCOM Celebrates Class of 2028 Transition to Clinical Years
Second-year KCOM students marked their advancement from classroom study on the Kirksville campus into hands-on clinical training as they begin their clinical years of medical education.
JUL 3, 2026
Hands-On Healing: How ATSU-KCOM Prepares Students for Osteopathic Medicine and Community Service
A feature on how KCOM’s Kirksville campus curriculum blends clinical training with community engagement to prepare future osteopathic physicians.
JUN 30, 2026
