Office of Medical Education

Welcome

Some students know early that a career in medicine is in their future, and their level of commitment to this goal, their maturity, and their academic achievements set them apart. For those students, the B.S./M.D. Accelerated Course of Study offers them the chance to complete both a B.S. degree in Biology as well as an M.D. degree in only seven years. This pilot program gives gifted and talented high school students who are certain that they want to become physicians or physician scientists the opportunity to combine their undergraduate and professional education at the University of Kentucky. The goal of this innovative program is to produce highly qualified medical doctors in a shorter period than would be required for completion of the two degrees separately.

Overview

The B.S./M.D. Accelerated Course of Study is a special track developed for a small number of motivated, mature high school students who intend to pursue a career in medicine. Students accepted into this program complete the first three years of the recommended undergraduate curriculum followed by the traditional fours years of Medical School. Students are awarded the B.S. degree after successful completion of the first year of Medical School, and are then awarded the M.D. degree after successful completion of all Medical School requirements.

High school students interested in the B.S./M.D. Accelerated Course of Study must apply to both the University of Kentucky (declaring Biology as their major) and to the B.S./M.D. Accelerated Course of Study. In their second year, students must take the MCAT and then apply to the UK College of Medicine in the summer following year two for admission into the UK College of Medicine after year three. While there is no guarantee of admission in the UK Medical School, successful completion of the curriculum, exceptional performance on the MCAT, demonstrated maturity, and continued commitment to the medical field will make students very competitive applicants for admission.

The Department of Biology and the College of Medicine are committed to providing students in the B.S./M.D. Accelerated Course of Study every opportunity available at the University of Kentucky. Students in the program will enjoy a wide array of benefits including:

• A rigorous, challenging undergraduate career.
• Critical academic and career advising from select undergraduate faculty and medical school faculty members, as well as professional advisors, whose qualifications and expertise will ensure that their educational experience will be of the highest caliber.
• A peer group of other highly motivated students facing similar challenges and experiencing similar opportunities.
• Enrichment experiences in the College of Medicine designed to acquaint the student with research, clinical, and community service opportunities during the student’s undergraduate experience.
• A high degree of visibility, along with exclusive access to high-level UK administrators and the UK College of Medicine.
• A dditional time to explore research, fellowship, service, or personal opportunities.

Undergraduates in the B.S./M.D. Accelerated Course of Study will also have many exciting opportunities to be on the cutting edge of research. There are numerous summer research opportunities in the Department of Biology as well as the College of Medicine beginning as early as the summer after graduation from high school. And for those students who want to combine their research interests with their medical careers, these research opportunities make this an ideal program for students contemplating future combined degree programs such as the M.D./M.S. program or the M.D./Ph.D. program.

This B.S./M.D. Accelerated Course of Study grew out of the combined efforts of Dr. Chuck Staben and Dr. Darrell Jennings. Dr. Staben served as chair of the Department of Biology from 2000-2004 and is currently Associate Vice President for Research. Dr. Jennings is the Senior Associate Dean for Education in the College of Medicine and the Director of Immunomolecularpathology. He is also a Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Toxicology.