PIKEVILLE, KY. (March 28, 2012) – The University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) earned high marks in rural medicine ranking 12th among all medical schools in the nation, both D.O. and M.D., in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2013 edition of Best Graduate Schools.
Rising in the rankings, KYCOM also moved from its fifth-place standing to second in the percentage of graduates who enter primary care. Just last year, a U.S. News & World Report publication ranked KYCOM fourth in affordability among the 10 least expensive private medical schools in the nation.
“It is gratifying to be recognized and ranked by our peers for excellence in rural medicine and our contribution to alleviation of the shortage of primary care physicians in rural areas,” said Boyd R. Buser, D.O., dean of KYCOM and vice president of Health Affairs at the University of Pikeville.
The University of Pikeville is nearing completion of a new $34 million home for the medical school.
“The Coal Building” named in recognition of an industry that has provided significant support to the institution for many years, will feature a clinical skills training and evaluation center, state-of-the-art robotic simulation, research and teaching laboratories, as well as classrooms, offices and student study spaces. It will also accommodate a larger class size, which is in keeping with KYCOM’s mission to alleviate physician shortages in Kentucky and Appalachia, especially in rural areas.
Medicine in the Mountains … Keeping the Promise: Since its inception in 1997, the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine has played an important role in preparing physicians to serve the healthcare needs of underserved populations in Kentucky and other Appalachian Regions. Of the nearly 700 graduates since the first class of physicians in 2001, 60 percent are serving in the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia, as well as rural areas of eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and New York. Currently, 69 percent of these physicians are serving in primary care.
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