University of Kentucky plans more rural branches, more students for its medical school

The University of Kentucky's College of Medicine will develop regional training centers at state universities in Morehead and Murray in an effort to bring more doctors to rural areas, reports Karla Ward of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. announced the plan, which would increase the size of the size of the medical school's incoming classes from 103 students to 130 over the next few years. Beginning with the class of 2008, each class would have 10 students spend time in their third and fourth years training at Morehead State University, in the northeastern part of the state. The plan is dependent upon receiving $2 million more in funds from the state legislation to accommodate more students and pay faculty and staff at Morehead. If the program works there, UK hopes to add another site at Murray State University by 2012, which would bring 10 students from each class to the southwestern part of the state.

Last week, the Herald-Leader reported that Kentucky was in dire need of more doctors, especially in rural areas. The state has 8,981 doctors serving a population of 4 million, or a ratio of 213.5 doctors per 100,000 residents, according to a report from the Kentucky Institute of Medicine. The national average is 267.9 doctors per 100,000 people, which means the state needs 2,298 more doctors right now. (Read more)