Union’s Hannah Baker named SoAHEC FutureDoc

Last week, the Southern Kentucky Area Health Education Center (SoAHEC) announced that Union College junior Hannah Baker is one of nine students selected for the FutureDocs Pre-med Prep Program.

Over a period of five months, Baker and the other students will meet at Rockcastle Regional and Respiratory Care Center in Mt. Vernon, as well as over Zoom, and receive resources and support to help them prepare for the medical school application process.

“I believe this program will be, and already has been, very beneficial in my personal journey of pursuing medicine,” Baker said.

A graduate of Corbin High School, Baker is a biology major set to graduate in December of 2024. In addition to her academics, she serves as a tutor, peer mentor, and president of the science club. Recently, she completed a Ledford Scholars research project with a competitive grant she received from the Appalachian College Association (ACA).

Baker said she has always wanted to become a doctor but the process to get there “can be very overwhelming and stressful.” She said FutureDocs “aims to helps students better understand it all.”

SoAHEC’s FutureDocs targets students from Berea College, Centre College, Eastern Kentucky University, Union College, and University of the Cumberlands. Selected students receive help strengthening their medical school applications, which includes interview practice, guidance on crafting personal statements, and study support for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

During the five months, the cohort visits all the medical schools in Kentucky, as well as Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) in Tennessee. This gives the students opportunities to interact with physicians and current medical students.

As Baker said, this helps them to “learn more about each school and what life as a medical student will look like.”

SoAHEC offers a variety of educational programs for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and undergraduates, including the Summer Health Career Camp held annually at Union College. The aim of SoAHEC’s various offerings is to connect local students with health career opportunities. Ultimately, this helps to grow the workforce of health care professionals in the region, which improves access to health care in SoAHEC’s 15-county service area.

The fee for the FutureDocs program is $400. This includes a Princeton Review MCAT self-study course, which offers students a savings of roughly $1,200.