Medical Schools in Kentucky
Kentucky is a great place to become either an allopathic or osteopathic doctor. This article compares admission requirements, degree options and tuition rates for the three medical schools offering MD and/or DO degrees in the Bluegrass State.
<h2 id="section---UniversityOfLouisvilleSchoolOfMedicine">University of Louisville School of Medicine</h2>
<p>Louisville School of Medicine is located in the center of Louisville's medical center and prides itself on its cutting edge research. To this end, students within the program are well-positioned to participate in research projects and thus grow into medical leaders and innovators. High-performing students in the four-year standard medical school program can choose to earn a distinction in research, medical education, global health, or business and leadership by completing a scholarly project outside of their regular coursework. Alternately, students have the opportunity to work with departments outside of the school of medicine to earn a joint degree in medicine and business administration, bioethics and medical humanities or even a Ph.D. in a research topic of their choice.
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<h2 id="section---UniversityOfKentuckyCollegeOfMedicine">University of Kentucky College of Medicine</h2>
<p>The University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington strives to offer students an affordable education. They lock-in tuition rates for all four years of a student's MD program. Graduates often go on to provide primary care in underserved communities across the state. After completing basic academic coursework, students choose from a variety of departments for their clinical internship, including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, neurology, psychiatry, surgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and rehabilitation medicine. The school also offers joint MD/Ph.D., MD/MPA, and MD/MBA degree options.
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<h2 id="section---KentuckyCollegeOfOsteopathicMedicine">Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine</h2>
<p>The Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) is a private school that focuses on preparing graduates for primary-care residencies (over 70% of graduates go into primary care*). For the first two years of the program, students study basic and clinical science at KYCOM's beautiful campus in the Appalachian mountains. In the third and fourth years of the program, students travel to Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to complete 21 4-week clinical rotations. According to US News and World Report, KYCOM is the #5 most affordable private osteopathic and allopathic medical school.
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<p><i>Sources:*upike.edu</i>
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<table border="1"><tr><th> University </th><th> Programs Offered </th><th> Tuition for Academic Year (2019-2020)</th></tr>
<tr><td>University of Louisville School of Medicine</td><td>Doctor of Medicine (MD)<br />MD with Distinction in Research<br />MD with Distinction in Medical Education<br />MD with Distinction in Business and Leadership<br />MD with Distinction in Global Health<br />Joint MD and PhD<br /> Joint MD and MA in Bioethics and Medical Humanities<br />Joint MD and MBA (Master of Business Administration)<br />Doctor of Audiology (Au.D)</td><td>In-state: $40,760<br />Out-of-state: $61,982**</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Kentucky College of Medicine</td><td>Doctor of Medicine (MD)<br />Joint MD and PhD<br />Joint MD and MPA<br />Joint MD and MBA</td><td>In-state: $37,396<br />Out-of-state: $68,124***</td></tr>
<tr><td>Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine</td><td>Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)</td><td>$47,420****</td></tr>
</table><p><i>'Sources: **louisville.edu, ***meded.med.uky.edu, and ****upike.edu
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<h2 id="section---AttendingMedicalSchoolInKentucky">Attending Medical School in Kentucky</h2>
<p>To attend the four-year medical school programs in Kentucky you will need to first complete a bachelor's degree and take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Students must have demonstrated success in college-level science courses like biology, physics, organic chemistry, anatomy, physiology, immunology, cell biology and genetics. Admitted students take a range of core courses including:
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<h3 id="section---IntroductionToClinicalOrOsteopathicMedicine">Introduction to Clinical or Osteopathic Medicine</h3>
<p>Whether you choose to study traditional clinical medicine or osteopathic medicine, first year students generally begin by taking academic classes to become familiar with the basics of their discipline. Units within this course may include medical history, terminology, guiding principles, and academic literature of the field. These classes may also include units on best-practices to prepare students to jump into the field during their internships and clerkships.
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<h3 id="section---AdvancedAnatomyAndPhysiologyCoursework">Advanced Anatomy and Physiology Coursework</h3>
<p>In the first two years of medical school, students take classes to advance their understanding of the function and interaction of human internal systems. While osteopathic programs focus on the interaction of systems, both programs will train students to turn academic knowledge of the human body into responsible healthcare practice. Students learn about the human body with the goal of being able to diagnose abnormalities and diseases and provide basic healthcare.
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<h3 id="section---ClinicalClerkships">Clinical Clerkships</h3>
<p>In the second two years of medical school students move out of their classrooms into hospitals, clinics and other healthcare settings. Each program offers students the chance to observe and work in various medical disciplines including family medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery.
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<p>Kentucky universities offer both MD and DO degrees. Because Kentucky's medical schools offer a variety of specializations and research focuses, you can choose the best program to fit your unique research and career goals.</p>