About Medicats

Medicats is a University of Kentucky campus-approved, student-run organization which was formed during the COVID-19 pandemic by two pre-med students.

The purpose has been to help fellow pre-med students acquire interactive time with practicing physicians—along with the occasional medical student—in order to better understand the medical field at a time when in-person meetings were extremely limited or even unavailable.

The club is active on a weekly basis during academic semesters and welcomes new members who meet the academic criteria. For more information on how to join, click the button below.

Academic Advisor

Membership

Expansion

All campus-approved organizations and clubs must have an academic advisor. We are lucky enough to have the support of Dr. Peter Mirabito, an outstanding educator who believes in our work and helps ensure positive outcomes.

Membership in Medicats is currently open to all full-time University of Kentucky students who meet the minimum academic criteria. Please click the Join Medicats button above for more information.

As of Spring Semester 2023, we have begun working towards outreach in the Lexington/central Kentucky area to provide volunteer opportunities from all our members. More information is forthcoming.

Pre-Medicats

Kentucky High School Expansion Initiative

We have begun a 3-phase expansion to include Kentucky high school seniors in our process of in-depth learning about the field of medicine through interactive events with current doctors, medical students, and—to specifically benefit high schoolers—undergraduate pre-med student mentors.

We want to help high school students learn about careers in medicine, what it’s like to be a medical student, the hurdles of being a pre-med undergraduate student, successful study habits, using the university system to students’ benefits, and more.

Phase 1: Pike County

Phase 2: Appalachia

Phase 3: All of Kentucky

This phase is trial in select Pike County, KY high schools. We have asked the schools’ leaders to assist us by reaching out to those students who (A) perform at a level which indicates they may have the capability to become medical students, (B) have a strong interest in a career in medicine, (C) intend to attend UK, and (D) want to join Medicats.

If Phase 1 is a reasonable success or can be modified to ensure outcomes that benefit both Medicats and Pre-Medicats members, we will move to Phase 2. At that time, we would expand the invitation to join Pre-Medicats to high school seniors in all of Kentucky’s Appalachian counties, as defined by the ARC: Appalachia Regional Commission.

Phase 2 would be a large undertaking. But if we are able to successfully include applicable high school seniors in the state’s Appalachian counties into Pre-Medicats, we would then conclude the process by adding all remaining counties, thus ensuring we could include each high school senior who meets the criteria as a potential member.