News

As part of our LCME Update series, we are highlighting how key processes across the College of Medicine support a consistent, transparent, and student-centered learning environment. Standard 10 focuses on how medical schools select, assign, and support students throughout their educational journey. 

Kidus Shiferawe’s path to medicine has been shaped by two places that might seem worlds apart — Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and eastern Kentucky. His experiences living in both, however, revealed the same urgent reality: for many rural communities, getting timely, specialized care can be difficult.  

As a medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine–Bowling Green Campus, Alicia Fields developed an early interest in skin health. Over the last four years, she has helped expand how it is understood, taught, and advocated for in her local community and across the Commonwealth. 

Outstanding Clinical Performance Awards (as determined by faculty):

The Paso Fino Learning Community spent its April house meeting blending service and fun. 

Peter P. Bosomworth Award

Arthur Lieber, M.D. Award

David B. Clark Award

Behind every lecture, clerkship, and clinical experience is a commitment to creating the best possible learning environment for our students. As we prepare for our upcoming LCME site visit, we are highlighting the ways the College of Medicine supports student learning, ensures safety, and promotes fairness across the curriculum. 

For Supriya Challa, the decision to pursue medicine didn’t begin in a classroom or clinic. It began in a therapy office, where a provider helped her rediscover her voice. 

Growing up in Okemos, Mich., Challa faced significant challenges in childhood that could have derailed her path. Instead, those experiences became the foundation for her future in medicine. 

Match Day is one of the most anticipated milestones in a medical student’s journey. This year, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine celebrated the Class of 2026 as they learned where they will continue their training as resident physicians. 

Megan Ward didn’t learn to tie her first surgical knot in a simulation lab. She learned it alone in a study room at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine–Northern Kentucky Campus, logged onto Zoom.  

As we prepare for our LCME accreditation site visit, it’s helpful to understand how our curriculum is intentionally designed and continuously evaluated. 

On Match Day, UK College of Medicine students Carly and Nick Lovely will stand side by side, envelopes in hand, waiting to learn where residency will take them next.   

For the fourth-year couple — who met, got engaged, and married during medical school — the moment represents more than a placement.  

Evan Smith kept noticing the same pattern while shadowing in the UK College of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. Patients qualified for hearing aids. They wanted to improve their hearing. But the conversation often ended the same way — with cost. 

Beyond the classroom, lab and hospital walls, University of Kentucky medical students continue to find meaningful ways to improve the health of their communities. 

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine–Northern Kentucky Campus reached an important milestone this fall with the launch of its first medical student research showcase. The event reflects how scholarship, mentorship, and opportunity are becoming an increasingly visible part of the student experience.  

At the UK College of Medicine–Bowling Green Campus, leadership begins early. Students are not only preparing for their future roles as physicians, but also actively shaping the learning environment for those who will follow.

In preparation for our LCME accreditation site visit, we want to highlight how our curriculum is intentionally designed to support students as they progress across the four years of medical school and to prepare them for each step in the journey. 

Growing up in a rural community, Autumn Glass observed how access to health care can be shaped by geography, transportation, and available resources.  

“I witnessed how delays in care, long travel distances, and limited resources affected individuals and families,” she said. “Those experiences have stayed with me.” 

When Elena Manauis left her hometown in Michigan to attend the University of Kentucky, she knew almost nothing about the Bluegrass State. A scholarship application submitted on a whim became a turning point in her life. 

“I didn’t know a single person coming down here,” she recalled. “It was a completely fresh start.” 

Second-year medical students across the UK College of Medicine put classroom learning into action during their final Nutritional Application Day in the Gastrointestinal and Nutrition class of the fall semester.