There are ongoing efforts to see more Appalachian college students pursue a medical profession in eastern Kentucky. The University of Kentucky is focusing some of that interest in the area of cancer research and care.
Appalachian Kentucky Career Training in Oncology, or ACTION, got going in 2016. UK Sophomore Caylee Caudill of Prestonsburg has seen the effects of cancer in her family, including the deaths of both grandparents. Caudill said she was sad, but the cancer part seemed normal.
“So, it wasn’t like weird that they died cause there were so many people that passed from that. So, it was just run of the mill situation and when I joined the high school program, I was like Ok, this is not like shouldn’t be the norm for me,” said Caudill.
ACTION Director Nathan Vanderford said 34 of the students are in medical school and ten in residency. Markey Cancer Center Director Marc Evers said students get hands on experience in cancer research and clinical care.