University of Kentucky's College of Medicine is set to graduate its biggest class of physicians in history as the state and nation face a physician shortage, Northern Kentucky Tribune reported April 26.
Among all of the UK College of Medicine sites — which include Lexington, Morehead, Bowling Green, and Northern Kentucky campuses — a record-setting class of 190 medical students will soon graduate and begin practicing medicine.
Additionally, University of Kentucky's initial match rate for medical students was 97 percent this year. The national initial match rate for medical students is roughly 92 percent.
The school system has also doubled its number of graduates electing to stay and practice in the state since 2017, with 42 percent intending to do their residencies in Kentucky this year.
"The biggest factor for a physician practicing in Kentucky is both going to medical school and doing a residency in Kentucky," Charles Griffith, MD, dean for the UK College of Medicine, told the publication. "Nearly 9 of 10 physicians who do both will remain in state to practice when residency is finished."
By 2025, Kentucky is expected to have an estimated shortage of 960 primary care physicians, the third largest shortage in the U.S., according to the Commonwealth of Kentucky's "Health Care Workforce Capacity Report" published in 2013.
A 2021 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges estimated that nationwide demand for all physicians will exceed the existing supply by 37,800 up to 124,000 by the year 2034.