Baptist Health Paducah will offer its tenth Pre-Med Academy this summer

PADUCAH, KY (Jan. 27, 2026) – Baptist Health Paducah is excited to continue its Pre-Med Academy for the tenth year for college students interested in attending medical school. The goal of this program is to provide valuable support and guidance to college students pursuing a career in medicine, while allowing them to build relationships with current physicians.

“This program gives students a meaningful, inside look at medical careers, helping them discover not only what they want to pursue, but why,” said Brad Housman, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Baptist Health Paducah. “By shadowing a variety of medical professionals, students gain a unique perspective as they rotate through hospital departments, build valuable connections for future job opportunities, and strengthen their applications for graduate and professional programs.”

The paid internship begins June 3 with a thorough orientation and continues for about eight weeks. During this time, students will rotate with physicians and other medical professionals across various departments, including emergency, cardiology, family medicine, neurology-neurosurgery, obstetrics-gynecology, oncology, pathology, radiology, surgery and vascular services.

”I started Pre-Med Academy to give college students on the pre-med tract a look inside different medical fields,” said physician recruiter, Connie Overstreet. “With the help of many providers, we can give students a unique perspective as they shadow different hospital departments and medical offices. It is great preparation for medical school interviews and for building relationships with our providers and staff.”

This comprehensive summer program allows undergraduate and pre-medicine students to shadow physicians, advanced practice clinicians and other providers, providing them with a well-rounded experience. All students who complete the program will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

To be eligible for Pre-Med Academy, application must meet the following criteria:

• High school completion.
• Enrolled in a university with at least one semester of college work completed.
• Submit a transcript from the latest semester indicating a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Three reference letters.
• A 400-word essay on why the student feels they should be selected for this opportunity.

Applications for this year’s program are due Tuesday, March 31. To apply, visit Pre-Med Academy Baptist Health Paducah. Please note that resumes, essays and references can be added under the education tab as attachments when accessing the link provided.

For more information regarding the Pre-Med Academy, contact physician recruiter, Connie Overstreet, or visit Pre-Med Academy (baptisthealth.com).