Welcome to the Morehead location of the University of Kentucky Physician Assistant (UK PA) program. We are thrilled that you are interested in our rural campus location. Nestled in the beautiful Appalachian town of Morehead, KY, our modern facilities provide a dynamic and supportive learning environment. We are proud to offer the same high-quality University of Kentucky educational experience right here in Appalachia.
Since 1996, we have expanded the mission of the UK PA program by preparing future rural health care practitioners leaders to provide competent and compassionate care in our most medically underserved communities. We have built strong community partnerships for the purpose of equipping future PA’s to meet the challenges of practicing in rural communities. Students studying at the Morehead campus are fully integrated with students at the Lexington campus as one cohort, completing the curriculum synchronously via state-of-the-art technology. Dedicated faculty and staff, from the region, provide a welcoming atmosphere and bring years of experience in rural health and PA education. There are opportunities for faculty, staff, and students across both campuses to workconnect with each other and their communities.
We look forward to connecting with you and equipping you with the skills necessary to thrive as a rural PA.
Sincerely,
Shelley R. Irving, MSPAS, PA-C
Site Director and Assistant Professor
The Morehead Campus is a satellite campus created to accommodate individuals interested in enhancing medical care for rural Kentucky. Nestled in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky, this campus is only 60 miles via interstate from Lexington and located near Cave Run Lake.
Located at the Center for Health Education & Research (CHER) building, this campus is a unique collaboration with Morehead State University (MSU) and St. Claire Regional Medical Center (SCRMC).
The CHER building is a 30 million dollar building with state of the art technology for video conferencing capabilities. The building also boasts a fully functional Gross Anatomy lab only used by the University of Kentucky PA students. Programs included at the CHER building are MSU's Nursing and Imagining Sciences, UK's Rural Physician Leadership Program and Family Medicine Residency, SCRMC Family Medicine Clinic and the Northeast Area Health Education Center (NEAHEC).
The UKPAS Morehead campus students complete the same course curriculum as the Lexington campus students, however many classes are observed using the ITV telecommunication system on campus. The Morehead campus and curriculum track is under the administration of the University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Program. Therefore, there may be times when you will have to travel to Lexington as part of the program – orientation, commencement, etc. You will also have to travel to hospitals and outpatient sites as part of your clinical curriculum.
The Morehead campus has 2 full-time professors and 1 full-time staff member operating at the campus. In addition to having a UK student ID, students also receive an MSU student ID, allowing access to the MSU health clinic, recreation center and wellness center, and campus library.
When applying to Morehead, applicants follow the same application guidelines for the program as those applying to the Lexington campus. Both the CASPA and Graduate School applications must be completed. Please review the admissions tab for more information about applying to the program.
If you are interested in attending the Morehead campus and would like to visit for an admissions meeting, please contact Julia Berry. For more information about Morehead, Kentucky please click here.
Campus Faculty
- Professor Shelley Irving, Site Director
- Professor Joshua Burkhart
Campus Staff
- Julia Berry
- Kim Rice