Our Mission
Our Mission
Our program is offered through the Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Together we are striving to diversify the health care workforce statewide and nationwide; one student at a time. As our population grows and increases in diversity, there's a great need to diversify the health care work force and to have more culturally competent health providers.
Kentucky has 120 counties and approximately 80 of them are health professional shortage areas (HPSA) http://hpsafind.hrsa.gov/. There are numerous counties without hospitals or specialists, requiring its residents to drive to the cities of Louisville, Lexington, etc., which in many cases are miles and hours away.
It's not just a Kentucky issue. Nationwide there are rural and urban medically under-served areas, whether it be entire counties or portions of counties, that do not have enough health care providers to meet the health care needs of their population. More physicians, especially primary care physicians, are greatly needed to practice in medically under served areas to help improve the quality of life and access to health care for its residents.The need for more primary care physicians; family and general practitioners; internal medicine practitioners and pediatricians continues to grown nationally. These physicians serve as the first point of contact for most patients and through them referrals are made to specialists if necessary.
We're not in this mission alone, there are numerous Area Health Education Centers or AHECs in Kentucky and throughout the United States diligently working to help remedy this situation. There are numerous post-bac pre-med and pre-professional programs with the same mission.
Our program has a linkage with the University of Louisville School of Medicine granting assured admission for our students who are qualify. We are producing competitive applicants for medical school consideration in Kentucky, throughout the United States and abroad. Our ultimate goal is for our students to matriculate to medical school and become the physician they always wanted to be.
Brandi Jones, M.D., Class of 2018, University of Louisville School of Medicine
Amorkor Sogbodjor, M.D., Class of 2019, University of Louisville School of Medicine