At the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, the spirit of medicine extends far beyond lectures, labs, and clinical rotations. It lives in the character of our students — in the way they encourage one another, seek connection, and choose compassion even in the smallest moments. These qualities reflect not only who they are as individuals, but who they are becoming as future physicians.
On a Friday evening in early November, while many people eased into the weekend, several medical students at our Northern Kentucky Campus gathered with a different purpose. House leadership organized a campus-wide effort to create holiday-themed cards for two groups of community members who often go overlooked: homebound older adults and teens living in Homeward Bound, a local shelter for emancipated youth ages 13 to 17.
The activity itself was simple — paper, markers, a table scattered with glitter and ribbon — but the intention behind it was not. In choosing to start the month of gratitude by serving others, our students demonstrated the heart of the college’s mission.
“Success here is measured not just by grades or test scores, but by the size of our students’ hearts and their commitment to serving others,” said Holly Danneman, MD, associate dean of the UK College of Medicine-Northern Kentucky Campus.
Moments like these remind us that the lessons shaping our students extend beyond textbooks and examinations. They learn to listen, to empathize, and to extend kindness without being asked — the same qualities that will someday comfort a patient facing uncertainty or bring dignity to a family in crisis.
