News

While completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky, Jonathan Davies, MS, found himself at a crossroads. He had stretched himself too thin with involvement in organizations and programs, and he started suffering burnout. He then missed the window to take his medical school entrance exam junior year.

The UK College of Medicine is excited to announce that Sarah Hall, MD, PhD, and Eleftherios Xenos, MD, PhD, have been elected to represent the college on the University Senate.

The University Senate is the faculty voice in the governance of our college and the University and determines broad academic policies of the University. Dr. Hall and Dr. Xenos will serve as College of Medicine representatives for three-year terms beginning in August.

In 2020, high-profile murders of Black civilians by police garnered national attention, shining a light on the growing need for social change. Learners at the UK College of Medicine collaborated to compose a letter to their leadership, advocating for solutions to combat systemic racism. The College of Medicine administration engaged with learners to implement strategies and initiatives that would address their concerns.

Rob Brooks is from Bedford, Ky., a town of fewer than 600 people in Trimble County. He grew up knowing that rural areas like his hometown are typically underserved in regards to health care, so he planned to become a doctor who could be part of the solution.

Through the UK College of Medicine Rural Physician Leadership Program (RPLP), Rob received two years of education at UK’s large academic medical center in Lexington, Ky., followed by onsite rural medicine experience and training in Morehead, Ky.

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is excited to announce the appointment of faculty members Sarah Marks, MD, MA, and Jordan Clay, MD, to serve on its committees. The electeds have been endorsed by the College of Medicine acting dean and Faculty Council. They will serve three-year terms on their respective committees.

Dr. Marks has been appointed to the College of Medicine Admissions Committee. Dr. Clay has been appointed to the College of Medicine Medical Student Curriculum Committee.

The UK College of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs and Development is pleased to announce that Caryn Sorge, MD, and Rachèle Yadon, MD, have been selected as fellows for the 2022 Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium Academic Leadership Academy (BHEC-ALA).

A Frankfort, Ky., native, Josh Karsner originally planned to attend the UK College of Medicine’s main campus in Lexington. Near the start of medical school, he learned about the college’s new regional campus in Bowling Green that would offer the same curriculum but smaller class sizes, as well as a chance to pave the way for future physicians-in-training in western Kentucky.

His first thought: “Why not?”

When Emmanuel Dike-Udensi was a first-year student, his peers in third and fourth year would always give him the same warning – that medical school goes by quickly. But Emmanuel was skeptical.

“I didn’t believe them,” he said with a laugh. “Back then, I had so much to study, I couldn’t imagine that.”

Now, as Emmanuel approaches the end of medical school, he said reflecting on the past four years – and how fast they have gone by – is surreal.

Kent Lewis, MDiv, plays a vital role at the UK College of Medicine-Bowling Green Campus as the student affairs officer, helping ensure holistic student success from matriculation to graduation. As a staff member who has been with the Bowling Green Campus since its beginning, he shares how the campus and its students have made an impact.

Q: How has the Bowling Green Campus changed since it started four years ago?

Bowling Green native Caitlyn Galloway always felt right at home in a small town, but that posed a challenge when she made plans to apply for medical school. She wanted to stay close to home, but in her third year of undergraduate studies at Western Kentucky University, there were no four-year medical schools where she grew up that would allow her to stay near her small, close-knit community.

She soon found out that was about to change.

Graduates say the online certificate program is “1,000-percent worth doing.”

Cathryn Benson, APRN, has worked 13 years in health care, most recently in hospital medicine and anesthesia. She wanted to learn how she could further help her patients with nutrition, but as a mom who worked 14-hour days, she never thought additional schooling would be an option.

Then she heard about an online program offering flexible scheduling and a well-rounded nutrition-related curriculum – that was also, conveniently, run on the University of Kentucky’s campus.

Bowling Green, Ky., native Caitlyn Galloway always felt right at home in a small town, but that posed a challenge when she made plans to apply for medical school. She wanted to stay close to home, but in her third year of undergraduate studies at Western Kentucky University, there were no four-year medical schools where she grew up that would allow her to stay near her small, close-knit community.

She soon found out that was about to change.

Match Day is always a special event for the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. This year, the college added to the excitement by celebrating an incredible milestone in its mission of training more physicians in Kentucky, for Kentucky.

The college’s first regional campus in Bowling Green, Ky., which opened in 2018, celebrated its first Match Day on Friday, March 18. Because of the regional campus celebration, the Class of 2022 was the College of Medicine’s largest group of students recognized at this annual event.

As a former college basketball player, March has always been exciting for Rachel Potter. This year, as she prepares to graduate from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, the month holds even more significance.

Instead of March Madness, Potter’s focus is on Match Day, an annual celebration recognizing medical students across the country as they simultaneously learn which residency program they “matched into” and will pursue.

Potter is excited to reach this pivotal career milestone, which she compares to college basketball’s Selection Sunday.

Scott Mair, MD, is a professor of orthopaedic surgery at the UK College of Medicine. He is also one of the physicians who cares for players on the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team. In the spirit of March Madness, Dr. Mair answered questions about what a typical day as a team physician looks like, memories he has gathered over the years, and how this role impacts how he teaches residents and fellows.

Q: As team physician, what are your roles with the basketball team?

Sylvia Ofei, MD, MPH, is an assistant professor of pediatrics and a gastroenterologist in the division of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition. She also serves as the medical director for patient experience at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. For National Nutrition Month in March, Dr. Ofei shares more about the important role nutrition plays in her practice, as well as some helpful tips for incorporating nutrition into your daily routine.

Q: How does nutrition play a part in your job as a physician?

Shulin Zhang, MD, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, began his career as a clinical molecular geneticist when the famous Human Genome Project was in its final stages. A 23-year international research effort, the project was revolutionary as it determined the full DNA sequence of the human genome.

Stephanie Leung, MD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. If you are a medical student and would like to connect with Dr. Leung, you can reach her by email here. 

You can also learn more about other ADDs and see a full listing of them here. 

Q: What do you do clinically?

James Hawthorne, MD, is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry. If you are a medical student and would like to connect with Dr. Hawthorne, you can reach him by email here. 

Jordon Burdette, a senior neuroscience and psychology major, was minutes away from presenting to a crowd of University of Kentucky scientists when the nerves set in. Her presentation, focused on cellular regeneration and spinal cord injury, was a culmination of a year of research she had worked on with her mentor, Warren Alilain, PhD, associate professor of neuroscience.

Burdette pushed through those nerves, and Dr. Alilain said she “crushed” it. She left feeling proud of her accomplishment and thankful for the opportunity to study a topic she didn’t expect to ever pursue.