Applicants

Welcome from the Department Chair - Darwin Conwell, MD

Two Tracks, 27 Total Positions

Our program has two tracks to which you can apply and match. All 27 positions are filled through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). All applications are through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

Categorical
21 positions per year
Program ID: 1848140C0

Primary Care
Six positions per year
Program ID: 1848140M0

Current Residents: Why UK?

Madison Tackett standing in front of wildcat statute with sign states "I matched. Internal medicine at University of Kentucky."

Madison Tackett, MD: [I]t felt like home to me!...UK is such an important medical hub for the region. I truly feel like I am making a difference for rural people while also learning in a rich academic setting.

Daniel Rospert, MD: I picked UK because I knew I'd be able to have close relationships with other residents and faculty members and the chance to work with a sick and underserved patient population!

Brant Cornelius, MD: UK Med-Peds is a family and it's a big one. From all the residents and faculty, plus all the former UK Med-Peds graduates on staff here at UK, you will find a Med-Peds friend wherever you go.

Mark Rudy and companion standing in front of Versailles Castle

Mark Rudy, MD: Safe town, interesting patients, fun people to work with!

Jeremy Swiney standing in a forested valley

Jeremy Swiney, MD: The training here is excellent and will prepare you to practice in any environment, our hospital system really does cater to any professional needs or goals. Lexington is also a great sized city to establish roots.

Selection

We select candidates to interview based on their complete application and seek a class that lives the values of this program.

Collegiality and teamwork—we care for one another
The richness of human differences—we all have unique paths
Connection to our complex patients—including the underserved and rural Kentucky

How we use program signals and review your application:

Our program has ~225 interview slots and 27 intern positions.

We first review applicants who signal our program. We plan to complete a holistic review of all US MD/DO/Caribbean applicants. For international applicants, we rely on program signals and a prioritized list of medical schools.

We prioritize our earliest interview invitations for applicants who signal our program.

We do not rely on geographic preference data (i.e. East South Central).

We take care of complex, high acuity patients, and have seen that applicants who perform well during intern year typically:

pass (or above) all of their medical school courses
perform strongly on IM rotations (assessed by IM SEL, LORs)
pass Step 1/Level 1 on their first attempt and score above/around average score for Step 2/Level 2

Our timeline:

We do not invite more applicants than we have open spots—therefore, you can take your time! Please accept or decline the interview invitation within ~48 hours.

October 9: First wave interview invitations released
October 20: Waitlist applicants will be notified of status

International Students

For international medical graduates, you must be Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)-certified by June 30 of the year you plan to start residency. We consider applicants who are less than three years out from medical school graduation or those who have been actively practicing clinical medicine.

UK only sponsors J-1 Visas, and the Office of Graduate Medical Education (not the department of medicine) makes all resident-related visa decisions.

Graduate Profiles

Meredith McAdams, MD: UK provided me with many great mentors in both the clinical and research realms...I do not believe I would have been as successful in my fellowship as I was if not for my residency training experience at UK.

Tim Saidi, MD: Altogether, the intensity and diversity of one's training and experiences at UK will leave you well prepared to both find a dream job and deliver excellent medical care.

Jay Shi, MD: [P]ursuing your training at an institution that is truly invested in your success will make a world of difference. From day one, I was surrounded by a tight knit family of residents focused on helping each other succeed.

Katrina Bidwell and Mohammad Mathbout, MDs

Katrina Bidwell. MD: I left feeling like I was truly prepared for anything: caring for the sickest of the sick in critical care, being an efficient and effective primary care doctor, or the undifferentiated illness in hospital medicine.

Matthew Mart, MD: Training in internal medicine at UK was one of the best choices I have made in my medical career. The residency culture is extremely collaborative and supportive, and I formed life-long friendships with colleagues and mentors.

Benefits

For information about stipends, vacation, health insurance, and more, please visit the Graduate Medical Education page here.