High School Students Invited to ‘Day in the Life’ in CHS Event

By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

High school students and their families — as well as organized school groups — are invited to explore the many paths available in health care at the University of Kentucky’s College of Health Sciences during “A Day in the Life,” set for April 3, 2026, on UK’s campus in Lexington.

Hosted by the University of Kentucky’s College of Health Sciences, the event is designed to give prospective students an immersive look at undergraduate programs that prepare graduates to serve patients and communities across the Commonwealth and beyond.

“The future for healthcare professionals is bright – from administrators to speech language pathologists and audiologists to medical laboratory scientists and providers like physical therapists and physician assistants – the demand to provide care for the Commonwealth and beyond is high,” said Sarah Kercsmar, PhD, MHA, chair of the Department of Health and Clinical Sciences and certificate director for the Clinical Healthcare Certificate program. “As high school students, the best way to find your passion in health care is to experience it. A Day in the Life is designed to give students the opportunity to do just that. We want them to walk our halls, meet our faculty and students, and have a hands-on experience of what it’s like to be a student in the College and future healthcare professional.”

The day will feature welcome sessions introducing students to undergraduate programs in Clinical Leadership and Management, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Human Health Sciences and Medical Laboratory Science. Attendees

 will hear directly from current students during a panel discussion and have opportunities to ask questions anonymously.

Participants will also learn about living-learning programs, undergraduate research opportunities and education abroad experiences. Interactive choice sessions in the afternoon will give students a closer look at specialized facilities and clinical environments, including the Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI), the UK HealthCare hospital setting, the Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinic and the Medical Laboratory Science lab, where demonstrations such as blood typing may be showcased.

Two attendance options are available to accommodate both individuals and organized school groups. While the school groups are fully booked, organizers still have spots open for individual students. 

Those individual students and families will begin the day at 9:30 a.m. with a welcome session, followed by the student panel, a resource fair-style overview of programs and opportunities, and afternoon choice sessions. The day concludes with a wrap-up session where faculty and staff will be available to answer final questions.

School groups will follow a schedule tailored to field trips, beginning with arrival at 9:30 a.m., rotating through morning choice sessions, and participating in welcome and student panel sessions in the afternoon.

Registration is required and available online at https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8pup81TooYEoSTI.