Education

The Kentucky Medical Curriculum, a national model, relates scientific principles and concepts to the prevention of disease and to the delivery of modern, compassionate medical care. Because students with diverse backgrounds and interests pursue a variety of medical careers, the curriculum provides the knowledge and skills essential for further professional development. The Kentucky Medical Curriculum emphasizes early longitudinal clinical experiences, integration of the basic and clinical sciences, teaching in ambulatory clinic settings and primary care. UK’s curriculum uses many learning methods, including standardized patients, clinical training models, computer-assisted instruction, human-patient simulators, problem-based learning, small-group tutorials, interactive lectures and laboratory exercises.

Setting its sights even higher, UK is currently embarking upon an endeavor to further enhance its medical curriculum. Realizing that medical students rotate in and out of clinical experiences, UK recognizes that students often see glimpses or “snapshots” of chronic illness and do not witness how it affects the patient and his or her family. Expecting to transform its curriculum in 2007-2008, UK will begin grouping rotations to provide the opportunity for students to follow a patient’s care over a 16-week period.