University of Kentucky partners with Fort Logan Derby-Wright Foundation to give rural students opportunities in Professional Education Preparation Program

The University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine partnered with the Fort Logan Derby-Wright Foundation in order to expand one of its existing offerings, the Professional Education Preparation Program, to include opportunities for students in the rural Kentucky counties of Boyle, Garrard, and Lincoln.

According to an article on the University of Kentucky’s website, Wendy Jackson, M.D., who is the associate dean for admissions at the University of Kentucky, was quoted as saying of the Professional Education Preparation Program, “The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is intentional in its efforts of fulfilling the mission of creating a diverse and inclusive environment that promotes excellence in education, equitable health care and transformative research to improve the health and wellness of Kentucky and beyond. Our pathway programs are just one approach to the overarching plan to improve access to health care across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. These talented program participants are part of the solution for a healthier Kentucky.”

The College of Medicine’s Professional Education Preparation Program is a weeklong on-campus experience that gives rising college freshmen who are considering pursuing medicine the opportunity to become immersed in the atmosphere of college and speak to and get to know the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine faculty. This year’s program took place from June 2 to June 7 and featured lectures regarding the presence of diabetes in Kentucky, a tour of a cadaver lab, and networking events with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and public health officials, as well as gave the spotlight to College of Medicine alumni who themselves came from rural backgrounds.

The Fort Logan Derby-Wright Foundation is an organization that intends to support healthcare in rural Kentucky, including in Lincoln and its surrounding counties. The College of Medicine partnered with the foundation because of its efforts in this regard, as the school’s alumni data shows that students who come from rural communities will often go back to those communities. Rural Kentucky has historically faced a lack of quality healthcare thanks to a continual shortage of healthcare providers. This has led to residents ignoring health issues or putting off treatments, contributing to many issues for rural communities. The idea of the partnership between the Fort Logan Derby-Wright Foundation and the College of Medicine is that by drawing in more future medical students from rural areas, they will bring their medical expertise back to their hometowns and bring quality healthcare to the area. 

Of this idea, Michael Rankin, M.D., who is an alumni of the College of Medicine who hails from a rural area, and a board member of the Fort Logan Derby-Wright Foundation, said, “In my personal experience, that’s true. Our alumni data certainly supports this. If you’re from a rural area, went to high school in rural Kentucky, did your undergraduate work at UK then medical school and residency at UK, chances are greater than 70% you’re still in Kentucky.” 

Rankin also highlighted the dire need for more healthcare providers in rural Kentucky: “We have seven counties with no physicians and six more counties with only one physician. We desperately need more physicians.” 

He added, “I feel fortunate to be able to give back to make it easier for some of our students coming in my footsteps years later. Back in my day, we didn’t have the scholarships, we didn’t have the ability to shadow or the mentors to show what medicine was all about. Hopefully, we can provide that opportunity through the PEPP program.”

In 2026, the Michael D. Rankin MD Health Education Building will open on campus, which will increase the school’s ability to train more qualified healthcare professionals that are needed to populate the rural areas of Kentucky.

In addition to the PEPP program, the University of Kentucky offers further specialized summer programs that will introduce students to medical education, such as the PEPP MD program for rising college sophomores and the UKMED program for rising juniors.

For more information about the University of Kentucky, visit the school’s website.