Inspired by Family, John Cornelius is Ready for the Challenges of Medical School
John Cornelius remembers in kindergarten being asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. His response was always, “doctor.”
A major inspiration was his aunt, a trailblazer who was one of the first female doctors in his hometown of Mount Vernon, Ky., in Rockcastle County. She battled cancer for decades while treating patients.
“She was very well-known in the community,” Cornelius said. “She was helping a lot of patients that weren’t even as sick as she was, and she was always willing to do that with a big smile on her face.”
Cornelius carried his dream of medicine through grade school into college, and now it’s a reality. This fall, he will join the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
Cornelius is enrolled in the Rural Physician Leadership Program (RPLP), which provides students specialized medical training for practicing in rural settings. As a student in RPLP, he will complete his first two years of medical school at the main campus in Lexington and his last two years in Morehead, Ky., gaining clinical experience through St. Claire HealthCare.
From his early years, Cornelius has been attracted to challenges. Part of this desire is fueled by his interest in sports. He loves taking on any athletic test – weightlifting, basketball, hiking, baseball. He even played college golf at the University of the Cumberlands, where he was a Hutton Scholar and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology.
Growing up a fan of University of Kentucky sports, Cornelius had always wanted to attend UK. As a rising freshman, he completed the UK College of Medicine’s Professional Education Preparation Program (PEPP), a pipeline program that exposes high school graduates to health professions in hope of solidifying their commitment to a career in medicine or dentistry. The program allows scholars to observe, network, and volunteer within the health care setting.
Back in his hometown, Cornelius shadowed clinicians and volunteered in the area hospital. “I got really connected to a lot of people in the community, I saw the connections the doctors made with patients, and I wanted to continue that,” Cornelius said.
His next challenge begins at orientation to follow in his aunt’s footsteps and earn his medical degree so he can help fulfill the health care needs for a tight-knit community.
