LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — High school graduates from across the state recently learned about diabetes while attending a program at the University of Kentucky.
"During one lecture we were asked, 'how many of you know someone with diabetes?' and everybody in the room raised their hand,” said Boyle County graduate, Henry Hurley.
Diabetes is this year's topic for the Professional Education Preparation Program, or PEPP, in which 25 students heard lectures and completed projects to interest them in medicine. It's the first time PEPP is expanding thanks to funding from the Fort Logan Derby Wright Foundation.
Hurley explained, "I've been interested in the medical field for several years now. But I really just wanted to kind of further explore my options within it."
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First-generation students like Alondra Sorcia, who came from Mexico a year ago and hopes to become a dental hygienist, can have this opportunity at no cost.
"I won’t have to struggle to see if I can pay for food, or to pay for housing, or if I’m gonna be left in debt and that's really nice," Sorcia said. "So, that kinda like encourages other to attend this program as well."
She added that opportunities like this help open doors for her to study her profession and hopefully practice at home in Garrard County.
Sorcia expressed, "Coming from an immigrant household, my parents didn't have an education, they didn't even finish elementary school. So, this is kind of nice and it makes me feel proud of myself as well."
Many counties across Kentucky have health care shortages, and this program aims to fix that. Students finished up their final projects and heard from professionals who've been in their own shoes and come from rural counties.
"If we need more physicians our experience has shown its best to recruit our own students to go into medicine," volunteer professor at the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine, Dr. Michael Rankin, said.
Dr. Rankin noted that his farming family sold a cow to pay his tuition and further explained that programs like this help give rural students more chances.
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"Well I hope the message is to not let finances stand in the way. If you're good in school, you have good grades, you're interested in your stem classes, your stem courses, my gosh, the path's unlimited,” Dr. Rankin said.
These students said they've gained more experience than expected.
"These myths or these stereotypes that you get into med school, that you're the smartest person ever, you never struggle, you never got an F, it is okay to not beat yourself up over these failures because at the end you'll be where you always wanted to be," Sorcia said.
Hurley added, "It doesn't even have to be like your main goal, if you just want to explore it further and learn more about it, it's just a great opportunity to have."
