In addition to the traditional curriculum, the University of Kentucky offers alternative pathways to earning a medical degree which are as follows:
Rural Physician Leadership Program
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine has developed an educational program to identify and train physicians who desire to serve as practitioners and leaders in rural settings. This program is in response to the growing health care needs evident in rural areas of Kentucky and the rest of the nation. Such areas have limited access to physicians and other health care professionals. The Rural Physician Leadership Program (RPLP) is unique to the University of Kentucky and is designed to produce physicians in all specialties who can provide health care leadership. As an important outcome of this special educational pathway, graduates of RPLP will gain knowledge and experience necessary to work with other civic and community leaders to improve the general health of their communities.
In order to train these rural physicians, UK College of Medicine has partnered with health care providers, hospitals and clinics, and institutions of higher education to develop RPLP sites located in and serving both Eastern and Western Kentucky. Each of these two sites will accept up to ten students per year. For more information, please visit the RPLP website.
M.D./Ph.D. Program
For more than a decade, the UK College of Medicine M.D./Ph.D. Program has trained men and women for careers as independent physician scientists and leaders in academic medicine, industry, and government. Our students are distinguished by talent, creativity and commitment to becoming the very best physician scientists. For this reason, our students hail from across the United States and around the world, presenting us with a mosaic of intellectual and social diversity.
Students choose the UK College of Medicine MD/PhD Program to pursue a combined degree because we work hard at providing our students with a nurturing and supportive environment, responding to the students' needs as they progress through this challenging program. In addition, our students can choose from a wide array of outstanding research opportunities available in the six basic science departments and two graduate centers. Finally, we continue to adapt the program to the special requirements of our students. We also encourage the active participation of our students in developing our unique program.
Our program integrates the medical and graduate curricula. Students typically complete the first two years of medical school and then begin their graduate studies. Once they have earned their doctorate, students complete their final two years of the medical school curriculum. Most students complete the combined degree in seven years. For more information, please visit the M.D./Ph.D. Web site.
M.D./M.P.H. Program
Students admitted to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine are eligible to apply to the M.D./M.P.H. program. The combined degree will provide well-trained physicians with additional skills and knowledge in public health policies and procedures, enabling them to provide service to individuals within the context of a healthy community and its unique population characteristics. The M.D. and M.P.H. program is designed for completion in five years.
In addition to being admitted to the College of Medicine, students applying to the M.D./M.P.H. program must meet the admissions requirements for the Graduate School of the University of Kentucky and for the College of Public Health. All applicants must submit an application to the Graduate School, http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/, and to the College of Public Health through their on-line application service, www.sophas.org. The prerequisites for the M.P.H., as part of the combined degree, are the same as those for the College of Medicine.
Students in the M.D./M.P.H. program will complete the majority of the M.P.H. courses during the third year of the five-year program while enrolled solely in the College of Public Health. However, students in good academic standing may take up to one M.P.H. course in the second semester of the first year and in each semester of the second year. Students in the fourth and fifth years of the joint degree program are enrolled full-time in the College of Medicine, but time may be available during those years for the M.P.H. practicum experience, which will be recognized for credit toward both the M.D. and the M.P.H. degrees.
Before beginning the MD/MPH course of study, students should meet with the College of Public Health Director of Admissions, and the College of Medicine student dean to map out a sequence of courses. Coursework is subject to change based on course availability and satisfactory student performance.
Master of Public Health Course of Study
The Master of Public Health curriculum includes six areas of concentration: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Gerontology, Health Behavior, Health Services Management, and Environmental Health. The M.P.H. degree requires 42 credit hours of study for completion. All students must complete 18 semester hours of required core course work, 15 hours of specialty work in one of the five areas of concentration, 3 semester hours of research, 3 semester hours of field practicum experience, and 3 semester hours of a capstone project paper and oral defense.
Program Year
College Year
Curriculum
Credit Hours
Pre-M.D./M.P.H.
Students may take courses prior to medical school (potentially fall, spring and summer before medical school)
Up to nine hours may be transferred
Years One and Two
First and Second Years of Medical School
Spring semester of first year and both semesters of second year, students may take M.P.H. courses in place of medical school electives
Up to six hours, total possible
Year Three
Dedicated to Master of Public Health Studies
M.P.H. year, students will take 15 credit hours each semester
Class work for M.P.H. capstone course* initiated, and capstone project completion deferred until the end of Year Five.
Summer between M.P.H. year and the third year of medical school, may take M.P.H. Practicum* in the four-week session (would not fulfill Area Health Education Center requirement)
30 hours
three hours
Year Four
Third Year of Medical School
Dedicated to medical school only
Year Five
Fourth Year of Medical School
M.P.H. Practicum* in Fall (if not taken before)
M.P.H. Capstone* in spring semester
three hours (if not taken previously
three hours
*The M.P.H. practicum and capstone course may be recognized for credit toward both the M.D. and the M.P.H. degree. If the practicum is taken during the fourth year of medical school, it may fulfill one of the medical school AHEC requirements.
Application Process
Students accepted to the College of Medicine entering class should indicate their interest in being considered for admission to the M.D./M.P.H. program by letter no later than April 1st to:
Dr. Carol Elam
Associate Dean for Admissions and Institutional Advancement
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
138 Leader Avenue
Lexington, KY 40506-9983
Phone: (859) 323-6161
The deadline for receipt of application materials to the College of Public Health is April 1, 2012. For additional information on the College of Public Health please contact:
Ms. Laverne R. Carter
Director of Admissions
College of Public Health
121 Washington Ave., Room 120
Lexington, KY 40536-0003
Phone: (859) 218-2066
Fax: (859) 257-5624
E-mail: lrcarte@uky.edu
The B.S./B.A./M.D Accelerated Course of Study
For students who know his or her future involves a career in medicine, the The B.S./B.A./M.D Accelerated Course of Study offers a chance to complete both a bachelor of science degree in biology as well as a medical degree in only seven years. Admission into the program is highly competitive as no more than five to ten undergraduates are accepted into the program each year. Accepted students complete the first three years of recommended undergraduate curriculum, and then apply for and complete the traditional four years of medical school. The The B.S./B.A./M.D program also may be tailored to an individual’s desire to explore research, fellowships, study abroad, or personal opportunities. More information about the program can be found at the The B.S./B.A./M.D Web site.
