How to Apply

Step 1: AMCAS Application 

The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) — provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) — enables applicants to simplify the application process by creating a unified way to apply to many medical schools with one single electronic application. AMCAS will be your first formal step into the applicant pool. Application to the UK College of Medicine must be made through AMCAS. When working on your application, please pay close attention to detail and make sure that all the information is correct. See AMCAS Updates and FAQs for more information.

A. AMCAS Application Deadline. The verified AMCAS application deadline for UK College of Medicine is November 1, 2024. Due to the fact that AMCAS may take 4-8 weeks to verify your application, we strongly suggest applicants submit applications as early as possible to ensure meeting the above stated deadline. All sections (application, a valid MCAT score, and all evaluation letters) of the AMCAS applications must be completed by the deadline. 

B. Transcript Submission. Instead of submitting transcripts to multiple medical schools for review, you must send your transcripts to AMCAS for the verification process. AMCAS requires that your college transcripts be sent to their offices for review and validation of your academic record prior to the release of your AMCAS application to the schools to which you are applying. Verified applications are then forwarded to medical schools to which an individual has applied. A final transcript with your degree posted will be requested later by the UK College of Medicine prior matriculation and will be part of your permanent medical school record.

C. Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). For the 2025 application cycle, the oldest score accepted is January 2022. All MCAT test scores taken are sent automatically by AAMC to the medical schools.

Step 2: UK College of Medicine Supplemental Application 

After the AMCAS application screening, selected applicants will be invited to submit a supplemental application from UK College of Medicine via email. Please contact us at kymedap@uky.edu if you have not received any email from us 4-8 weeks after your completion of the AMCAS application.  

A. Campus Choice. On the electronic supplemental application, students will have the opportunity to select their first and second campus locations. 

• Lexington Campus
• Morehead Campus -Rural Physician Leadership Program
• Bowling Green Campus
• Northern Kentucky Campus

Applicants will also be asked to explain in a brief essay why they chose their first-choice campus. 

B. Supplemental Application Deadline. For entering class of 2025, the deadline for the UK College of Medicine Supplemental Application is Nov. 30, 2024 (11:59 p.m. ET). It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required materials arrive by the deadline, including the supplemental application form, application fee, and all required evaluation letters (see letter requirements under item D).

C. Application Fee. There is a $50 fee that accompanies the supplemental application. For applicants who are awarded AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP) Benefits, your UK College of Medicine application fee will be waived once you forward your official award email to kymedap@uky.edu. 

D. Evaluation Letters.

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine requires letters of evaluation, and only accepts letters submitted through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) letters service. The committee will not consider letters sent directly to the University or college. Letter requirements can be fulfilled by one of the three following options:

1. Committee letter: If the applicant is an undergraduate student at a school that has a premedical committee or is less than five years from graduation at the institution, the applicant must use their recommendation process and forms. 

2. Letter packet: A premedical advisor may furnish a composite evaluation compiled from contributing faculty at the applicant’s school.

3. Individual letter: If there is no committee or advisor, the applicant is required to provide three letters of recommendation:

• A faculty member in their major who taught and evaluated them in a classroom setting. Lab or practicum courses may not be submitted. This letter shows the Admissions Committee that the student can handle the rigor of the first two years of medical school. 
• A faculty member in a BCPM course (biology, chemistry, physics, or math), who taught and evaluated them in a classroom setting. Teaching assistants and graduate assistants are not acceptable. This letter shows the Admissions Committee that the student can handle the rigor of the first two years of medical school. More information on what constitutes a BCPM course can be found on the AMCAS Course Classification Guide page. 
• One letter from anyone of the applicant’s choosing. Frequently, these letters are either professional or personal references, but can also be additional faculty letters.

Please Note: 

• All letters should be from individuals who know you well through professional interactions and can attest to your character and abilities.
• All letters must contain the authors’ clear and current contact information as well as a wet signature.
• If you have been enrolled in a post baccalaureate/graduate program or professional school for one year or greater, one of your letters must be from a faculty member at your current program or school.
• If you are five years or greater from undergraduate/graduate studies, the option to provide two letters from professionals that can speak to your skills and knowledge in science or medicine will be permissible in lieu of the two faculty letters above. The third letter requirement still applies.
• Applicants who have previously applied and supplied letters of evaluation must submit two new individual letters of evaluation with their revised and updated AMCAS application.

Step 3: Interviews

Completed application files will be reviewed for consideration of interviews. Invited applicants will be interviewed at the site of their first-choice campus. The earliest notifications regarding an interview invitation will be sent in August and continue on a rolling basis. UK College of Medicine Office of Admissions will inform each candidate whether or not an interview will be granted.

Invited applicants will receive detailed interview instruction from their respective first-choice campus via email and will use our online system to select a date. UK College of Medicine will conduct in-person interviews for the 2025 cycle. See Dates and Deadlines for interview dates at each campus.

Step 4:  Selection Process

Applicants who have completed an interview will receive an admission decision after the Admissions Committee deliberation. If offered admission, an acceptance agreement form binding the applicant to the site where they interviewed must be signed and returned to the UK College of Medicine Office of Admissions. Completion must occur within two weeks of receipt of the acceptance decision letter.

Please note: Since interviews and acceptances are offered on a rolling basis, timely completion of your application is strongly recommended. 

Deferral of Matriculation

The accepted applicant must submit a written request to Office of Admissions at kymedap@uky.edu to apply for deferment. The letter should document the justification for deferral. The Admissions Committee will vote on deferment requests.

Deferrals are typically considered for one year. Once the application cycle opens for the subsequent year, the applicant must reapply to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine before the application deadline.  The “Delayed/Deferred Matriculation” program type must be selected. This is a restricted action which allows the applicant to only apply to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.