Baker says she has always wanted to become a doctor but the process to get there “can be very overwhelming and stressful.” She says FutureDocs “aims to helps students better understand it all.”

SoAHEC’s FutureDocs targets students from Berea College, Centre College, Eastern Kentucky University, Union College, and University of the Cumberlands. Selected students receive help strengthening their medical school applications, which includes interview practice, guidance on crafting personal statements, and study support for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

During the five months, the cohort visits all the medical schools in Kentucky, as well as Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) in Tennessee. This gives the students opportunities to interact with physicians and current medical students. As Baker says, this helps them to “learn more about each school and what life as a medical student will look like.”

SoAHEC offers a variety of educational programs for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students, including the Summer Health Career Camp held annually at Union College. The aim of SoAHEC’s various offerings is to connect local students with health career opportunities. Ultimately, this helps to grow the workforce of health care professionals in the region, which improves access to health care in SoAHEC’s 15-county service area.

The fee for the FutureDocs program is $400. This includes a Princeton Review MCAT self-study course, which offers students a savings of roughly $1,200.

To learn more about FutureDocs and SoAHEC’s other opportunities for undergraduate students, see Post-Secondary Health Careers – Southern Kentucky Area Health Education Center (soahec.org) or contact Sherry Spragens at (606) 256-0950 or sspragens@soahec.org.