Early Acceptance Has Coby Bessinger Ready for “the Finish Line”

Many medical students point to an event or moment while they were growing up when they knew they wanted to go into medicine, but Coby Bessinger’s interests in science and helping people have been a constant as long as she can remember.

“I’ve always loved science,” she said.

For the Allen County, Ky. native, the decision to be on a medical school track was not a grand event, but rather a natural progression of her academic journey. Bessinger was a double major at Georgetown College, studying biomedical science and political science. She participated in the college’s Oxford Honors Program and also studied abroad in Italy. The combination of the two sciences and her experiences abroad helped give Bessinger a well-rounded perspective of medicine and policy, and how so often health care issues boil down to accessibility.

“Even if health care is available, it can be expensive,” she said. “Becoming a doctor for me meant being able to provide a service to those who need it.” Eventually in her medical career, she would like to work with international medical organizations and non-profits, like the World Health Organization, which would put into practice the full scope of her background. She also wants to explore infectious diseases, an interest she had well before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bessinger will start at the UK College of Medicine-Northern Kentucky Campus with the Class of 2025. She was accepted through the Early Assurance Program (EAP), which is designed to provide students from partner colleges and universities with the opportunity to complete their college and medical school education in the region. Students apply to the EAP during the spring semester of their sophomore year and, if accepted into the program, will receive assured admission to the UK College of Medicine-Northern Kentucky Campus.

“EAP was so beneficial for me,” Bessinger said. “Knowing I had [assured admission] made me want medical school more.”

EAP students like Bessinger still have to successfully complete the program requirements and graduation from their university or college, but EAP helps keep them motivated. “I enjoyed getting to connect with other EAP students and the campus early on,” she said.

Although she has international aspirations after medical school, Bessinger still has Kentucky on her heart. “I would love to return, to give back to Kentucky just as much as I have taken,” she said.

Until then, she is simply excited to start at the College of Medicine and is ready to embrace the challenging and transformative years ahead.

“I’m ready to get to that finish line,” she said. “Let’s go!”