Updated · 6 min read
Preparing for the University of Kentucky College of Medicine interview
Key facts (2026-27)
You interview in person at the campus you ranked first: Lexington, Morehead, Bowling Green or Northern Kentucky. An offer binds you to that interview site.
- Format
- Two one-on-one interviews
- Where
- In person, at your first-choice campus
- Stations
- 2 individual interviews
Dates for 2026-27
From July, rolling (MSAR lists August)
Interview invitations
Early Decision August to mid-September 2026. Regular-cycle dates not posted
Interviews
Earliest regular offers October 15, then rolling after committee review
Offers and decisions
Checked October 2026 against UK College of Medicine: How to apply, UK College of Medicine: Dates and deadlines (Cycle 2027) and AAMC MSAR 2027 interview report. Confirm details in your invitation.
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine gives each invited applicant two one-on-one interviews, held in person at the campus you ranked first: Lexington, Morehead, Bowling Green or Northern Kentucky. It is not an MMI.
Invitations start in July and continue on a rolling basis (the MSAR lists August). UK's Early Decision page lists interviews from August through mid-September for the 2027 cycle; regular-cycle interview dates aren't posted.
The earliest regular admission offers go out October 15, and an offer binds you to your interview site.
The UK College of Medicine interview: format and experience
According to the AAMC's MSAR (2027 edition), UKY COM interviews applicants in two individual, one-on-one interviews. The same entry says the interview day also includes lunch, a tour and time to talk with current students.
UK's own How to Apply page says the College of Medicine conducts in-person interviews, and the MSAR entry says all interviews are in person for the 2026 cycle. It is not an MMI.
How the process works
What the school says about the process:
- Invitations. Completed files are reviewed for interview consideration. Interview invitations start in July at the earliest and continue on a rolling basis (the AAMC MSAR entry lists August in its "invitations sent" column).
- Campus. You interview at the site of your first-choice campus (Lexington, Morehead, Bowling Green or Northern Kentucky). You choose your first and second campus on the supplemental application, and the campus sends you interview instructions by email with an online system for picking a date.
- Decisions. Admission decisions come after you have interviewed and the Admissions Committee has deliberated. Because interviews and offers are rolling, UK recommends completing your application promptly. If you accept an offer, you sign an agreement that binds you to your interview site.
What UK doesn't publish
UK does not publish how long each interview lasts, who the interviewers are (faculty, students, community physicians), or whether interviewers see your application. We therefore can't tell you whether it is open-file or closed-file.
Prepare for both: be ready to explain any item in your application in detail, and make each story stand on its own.
Mission and culture fit
UK's Mission and Eligibility page states the college's mission as promoting an environment that encourages excellence in education, access to high-quality health care, and transformative research to improve the health and wellness of Kentuckians and beyond. It also lists these considerations beyond grades and MCAT:
- Commitment to the state. As a state school, UK gives preference to Kentucky residents. Non-residents with strong ties to Kentucky (for example, prior attendance at a Kentucky college or university) may be considered.
- Commitment to underserved populations. UK says certain geographic areas (rural Appalachian counties) and patient populations (low socioeconomic status, underrepresented) have challenges receiving safe, effective, timely care, and that it values individuals who have shown interest in serving them.
- Identity. UK says it strives for each class to represent the people of Kentucky, and considers each applicant's educational background, life experiences and socioeconomic background.
Showing fit
Show fit with specifics from your own life. If you are from Kentucky or have worked there, say what you saw.
If you are not, say what connects you to the state and to the kind of practice UK trains for.
UK's Morehead campus page describes the Rural Physician Leadership Program: the first two years start in Lexington and years three and four are based in Morehead, with a strong emphasis on primary care. Mention it only if you are genuinely interested in rural practice.
Kentucky health context
UK does not publish a list of health policy topics that interviewers expect you to know, and we could not verify any specific Kentucky statistic worth quoting in an answer. What UK does say is that it cares about rural Appalachian and underserved communities, and the college runs a Center of Excellence in Rural Health in Hazard, Kentucky.
If you bring up a Kentucky health issue, pick one you have seen up close, such as rural access to care, substance use treatment, or chronic disease, and describe what you observed. If you cite a number, take it from a primary source such as the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the CDC or KFF, and know what it measures.
Interviewers respond better to a reasoned view of a problem you have experienced than to a recited statistic.
Current issues
UK does not publish which current issues come up in interviews. Plan for the usual categories: a health care issue you care about, an ethical dilemma, and a question about how you handle disagreement or uncertainty.
For each, have a position, one piece of evidence and one limit on your view. Where possible, tie them to Kentucky communities you know, and be willing to say "I'm not sure, here is how I would find out."
UK College of Medicine practice questions (written by us, not UK)
UK does not publish its interview questions. These were written by us, not by UK.
- Why medicine, and what have you done to test that decision?Practice this question now
- Why the University of Kentucky, and why that campus?Practice this question now
- What draws you to caring for patients in a rural or underserved community? What would be hard about it?Practice this question now
- Describe a time you adapted to a setting with limited resources.Practice this question now
- A patient refuses a treatment you recommend because of a past bad experience with the health system. How do you respond?Practice this question now
- Tell me about a time you worked on a team that was not working well. What did you do?Practice this question now
- What is a health care problem you have seen firsthand, and what would you try first to address it?Practice this question now
- Tell me about a time you received feedback that was hard to hear.Practice this question now
- What would you do if a classmate was cutting corners on patient care?Practice this question now
- If you aren't a Kentucky resident, what ties you to Kentucky, and would you stay to practice here?Practice this question now
- UK wants each class to represent the people of Kentucky. What part of your background would you bring to your class?Practice this question now
- What questions do you have for us?Practice this question now
Preparation checklist
- One-on-one mocks. Run mock interviews in a one-on-one format and practice answering without notes, scoring yourself on clarity, empathy and structure.
- Scenario drills. Drill scenario prompts on patient refusal, limited resources and team conflict, and practice structured answers under time pressure.
- In person. Since the interview is in person, practice with someone across the table, and plan your travel to your first-choice campus.
- Why Kentucky. Write a one-paragraph answer to "Why Kentucky and why this campus?" using facts you can source from UK's pages, and rehearse it out loud.
- Service stories. Prepare two or three stories that show service to a community, and rehearse each so it makes sense to someone who has not read your application.
FAQ
Is the UKY COM interview an MMI?
No. The AAMC's MSAR lists two individual, one-on-one interviews for UKY COM, and UK's How to Apply page says interviews are conducted in person.
Is the interview open-file or closed-file?
UK does not publish this. Prepare to discuss any part of your application, and make each story stand on its own so it works either way.
How long is each interview, and who are the interviewers?
UK does not publish interview length or the interviewer makeup. Your invitation email from your first-choice campus gives the details for your day.
Does UKY favor applicants with Kentucky or Appalachian ties?
UK says it gives preference to Kentucky residents, and that non-residents with strong ties to the state may be considered. It also says it values applicants who have shown interest in serving rural Appalachian and other underserved populations. Applicants without ties can still make the case through specific experience and a clear reason for wanting to train and practice in Kentucky.
When are interviews and decisions?
For the 2027 cycle, UK's Dates and Deadlines page lists June 30 as the start of application review, October 15 as the earliest admission action for regular MD applicants, a November 1 AMCAS deadline, a November 30 secondary deadline, and June 11 as the commit-to-enroll date. Interview invitations begin in July on a rolling basis.
Confetto isn't affiliated with the University of Kentucky. School details here come from the College of Medicine's public admissions pages and the AAMC MSAR, checked in October 2026.
Formats can change between cycles, so go by your interview invitation.