Early Assurance Program
The University of Kentucky Early Assurance Program (EAP) provides outstanding sophomore students in the Lewis Honors College with the opportunity to apply for provisional acceptance into the UK College of Medicine in Lexington. Students apply during their sophomore year Program activities begin the summer following acceptance and culminating the following summer prior to application to the UK College of Medicine. Students accepted into the program will participate in enhanced academic/pre-med advising and targeted preparation for medical school during their junior year. Medical school admission is contingent on meeting all program requirements.
Eligibility Criteria for the Early Assurance Program
Competitive students for the program must demonstrate high academic achievement, involvement in extra-curricular activities, and a commitment to the medical profession. Students wishing to apply for the program must meet the following criteria:
- Enrolled in the UK Lewis Honors College (or will be enrolled after acceptance to the EAP program)
- Expected completion of four full-time semesters by the end of the spring semester at the University of Kentucky.
- Anticipated completion of the undergraduate academic program within 3-4 additional full-time semesters.
- Appropriate preparatory coursework for a medical career including:
- Five full-semester science courses, including but not limited to the disciplines of biology, chemistry, physics and/or mathematics and not including associated laboratory courses.
- Two semesters of humanities coursework emphasizing written or spoken communication skills
- A cumulative grade point average of a 3.60 or higher in both science coursework (biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics) and overall.
- Dedication to the state of Kentucky
- Commitment to participate in all elements of the Early Assurance Program Activities.
Application Process
The application for the Early Assurance Program can be found HERE. Please check the College of Medicine’s website regularly for updates regarding the application availability and due dates.
Interested students must submit a completed application to the College of Medicine by the posted deadline. A completed application includes the following:
- Completed Application Form
- Two faculty letters of recommendation
- Unofficial transcripts for all college-level coursework
The application form requires students to enter the the names and contact information for faculty letters of recommendation. Faculty will be contacted with a link to upload student letters. Please do not send letters to the Lewis Honors College.
In the application, you will be asked to answer the following short answer questions.
- Why are you interested in the Early Assurance Program? (Please limit your response to no more than 4,000 characters including spaces)
- Given that many of Kentucky’s health outcomes are below national averages, the mission of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine is to provide excellence in education, equitable health care and transformative research to improve the health and wellness of Kentuckians. Please describe how your career goals could contribute to this mission. (Please limit your response to no more than 700 characters*)
- Physicians can improve their patient health outcomes when they appreciate their patients’ cultural backgrounds. Please describe how your background, life experiences and/or cultural identity will enable you to care for the diverse population of Kentucky in the future. (Please limit your response to no more than 700 characters including spaces*)
- Open Response: In the space below, please include any additional details about yourself and/or an experience that you think is important for the committee to know. (Please limit your response to no more than 700 characters including spaces)
- List Extracurricular Activities (Organization, Role, Dates, Description) (Please limit your response to no more than 700 characters including spaces)
Medical School Acceptance
Formal acceptance into the UK College of Medicine is contingent upon full participation in all Early Assurance Program activities, successful completion of academic requirements for an undergraduate degree, completion of Honors requirements, continued high academic achievement and demonstration of the personal attributes necessary to become a competent physician. Students must complete their current academic program, including Honors, and be ready to matriculate into the UK College of Medicine within the two academic years following the Early Assurance Program application.
Students applying Early Assurance to the UK College of Medicine must meet the following criteria:
- Completion of all prerequisites for the UK College of Medicine
- Full participation in all Early Assurance Program Activities
- Cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher
- Cumulative science GPA of 3.50 or higher
- MCAT total score of 504 or higher with all subscales of 124 or higher
- Demonstration of the personal attributes necessary to become a competent physician during College of Medicine admissions interviews
Students must adhere to the following timetable for provisional acceptance to the UK College of Medicine:
Spring Semester Junior Year: Take the Medical School Admission Test (MCAT)
June 1 before their Senior year: Complete and submit American Medical School Application Service (AMCAS) application, applying as “Early Assurance within seven calendar days of the first day that AMCAS allows application submission. Applications submitted after this date may not be processed by August 1. Students should not wait for their MCAT scores to submit their application.
Complete secondary application by August 15 designating UK COM Lexington campus as the first selection
September: Interview with the UK College of Medicine.
October 1: Notification of acceptance in the UK College of Medicine.
Any student not meeting program requirements may still apply to UK College of Medicine but must do so by applying “Early Decision” or “Regular Decision” depending upon the applicant’s preference.