Scholarships Help Medical Students Shine at UK College of Medicine

The Dean's CORE Scholarship Fund helps ensure our medical students can follow their passion without the added burden of a higher debt load upon graduation. The University of Kentucky College of Medicine will dedicate One Day for UK, the University of Kentucky's annual 24-hour day of giving, to supporting these important scholarships on Sept. 16. To learn more about how you can help this year, click here.

Three medical students at UK have shared below how the Dean's CORE Scholarship Fund has positively impacted their medical education experience.

Maxwell Rakutt

Class of 2023

Maxwell Rakutt’s introduction to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine – walking through the scenic campus, observing the impressive technology and infrastructure, and meeting the warm-hearted faculty and staff – all but solidified that he wanted to earn his medical degree on the Lexington Campus.

Then he learned he received the College of Medicine Dean’s CORE Scholarship, a current use scholarship fund provided by the generous support of our alumni community. Knowing that finances wouldn’t burden his journey toward a medical degree, Max decided in that moment to become a Wildcat. He immediately called his family to share the great news that he would be attending medical school at the University of his choosing – one that was both affordable and close enough for him to frequently visit them.

The scholarship, to Max, was reassurance that the time and effort he has already devoted to pursuing a career in medicine have been worth it.

“It can be all too easy to have the feeling of imposter syndrome looming over, but receiving this scholarship was a reminder that I’m on the right path and that I am doing what I need to do to succeed,” he says.

Max had always been intrigued by medicine. What excites him about becoming a doctor is that medicine continues to evolve and advance. Because of the Dean’s CORE Scholarship, Max has focused less on financial stressors in his first year and more on how he can best utilize his medical education.

He has developed an understanding that success in medical school, and in his future career, is all about process and not memorization. He compares it to a hobby he loves – cooking. Practicing and gradually learning how to prepare different foods cemented his knowledge on various techniques and how to use them. So now, he doesn’t always stick to the recipe, and he doesn’t have to because he’s able to adapt. The same goes for medicine, he says.

Max capitalized on the opportunities presented to him while earning his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Louisville. During his junior and senior years, he worked as a laboratory teaching assistant, applying what he learned in lecture to real-world situations. He looks forward to applying the content he’s learned in medical lectures to his day-to-day routine as a physician.

Now with more than a full year behind him, he has maximized his time at UK so far. He used time outside of class to shadow physicians in his first semester, and gathering that clinical experience so early has propelled Max forward, heavily influencing his development as a medical student.

“There are so many challenges associated with becoming a doctor. The medical journey requires an investment of time, attention, effort, and money, all of which can make the experience a challenging prospect,” he says. “The UK College of Medicine’s contribution to my medical tuition has alleviated a large portion of that financial burden, allowing me to focus more of my effort into doing well in school and exploring the different branches of the medical practice.

“Being recognized for my efforts with a scholarship into medical school was very impactful to me,” he added, “because it has given meaning to the hours that I have invested into my education.”

Anand Prabhu

Class of 2022

As a third-year medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Anand Prabhu has been able to follow his passions of research and technology. For example, a recent research project allowed him to produce a video to enhance patient understanding of the basic kidney stone removal procedure.

“I want to take my passion for learning how to use technology and really make a difference in the delivery of health care for future patients,” he says.

Anand has participated in research through the UK College of Medicine Department of Urology, and through this experience, he had three abstracts accepted for poster and podium presentations at the American Urological Association Conference last spring. He also finds great purpose in his involvement as treasurer for UK’s chapter of the American Medical Association.

Anand was able to begin pursuing his dream after receiving the Dean’s CORE Scholarship. Thanks to this investment in his education, he knows he has limitless possibilities for what he can achieve as a future physician.

Shannon Murray

Class of 2023

Rural Kentucky native Shannon Murray gained early patient care experience as both a nurse’s aide and a mentor for young single moms through Step By Step, a Lexington community outreach program. After those initial experiences, she discovered she wanted more responsibility to provide the best well-rounded care and to impact patients in all stages of their health journey. 

As a recipient of the Dean’s CORE Scholarship, Shannon has had the opportunity to work toward her medical degree, which will give her the knowledge and skill set to directly influence patient care. Now a second-year medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, she is involved in the OBGYN interest group and FamTrack, through which she has shadowed a family medicine physician.

When she completes her education, she hopes to return to rural Kentucky to practice and help find solutions to women’s issues in these communities.

To the donors who have helped her live her dream, she says, “Thank you for your support of a rising young female physician who still has the heart of that small-town girl. Thank you for enabling me to pursue my medical degree so that I might in turn be able to help others. I want to assure you that I pursue my studies with tenacity because I want to be the best doctor I can for my future patients.”