JOPLIN, Mo. — Joplin’s medical school hosted a much bigger student body than normal on Wednesday. Student doctors are getting a jump start on their future job through free health checks for younger Joplin students. It’s a program called “Score 1 For Health.”

Kids from Dover Elementary School are learning more about their vision and dental health, while KCU Joplin students get the chance to work with living patients.

“Win win – and it truly is because you know as future doctors, our students need that opportunity, not just to interact with a live patient. But to really understand what’s going on in the lives of these kids and how life impacts health,” said Annette Campbell, Score 1 for Health.

“Provides a service to the parents and the school in identifying some conditions that may have been missed. But really we see this as an opportunity because these students all live here in Joplin. And we would love for a number of those students to actually be a student here in the future,” said Dr. John Paulson, KCU Joplin Primary Care.

This was the first of a series of wellness checks — which will eventually involve kids from all 11 Joplin grade schools.