USMLE & COMLEX Tutor in Kentucky

Kentucky's oldest medical school is the University of Louisville School of Medicine, a public MD school. It was founded in 1846; the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington (public, MD) followed in 1960 and the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (private, DO) in 1997 (school list). Lexington also lists Bowling Green, Morehead and Highland Heights as sites, and Louisville lists Madisonville.

In 2025-26 the University of Kentucky received 5,766 applications for 208 places, about 28 per place, and Louisville received 5,317 for 168, about 32; 75.5% and 75% of their entering classes came from Kentucky (AAMC FACTS, Table A-1). The CMS list counts 22 teaching hospitals in 15 Kentucky cities, four each in Lexington and Louisville (CMS teaching hospital list).

Medical schools in Kentucky

Several of these schools teach students at more than one site: University of Kentucky College of Medicine also lists Bowling Green, Kentucky, Morehead, Kentucky, Highland Heights, Kentucky; University of Louisville School of Medicine also lists Madisonville, Kentucky.

School list: LCME and COCA accreditation lists, via the list of medical schools in the United States, checked October 2026.

Teaching hospitals in Kentucky by city

• Lexington: Saint Joseph Hospital; University Hospital; Baptist Health Lexington; Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital
• Louisville: Uofl Health-Louisville; Norton Hospitals INC; University of Louisville Hospital; Central State Hospital
• Ashland: Kings Daughters Medical Center; Our Lady of Bellefonte
• Whitesburg: Whitesburg ARH
• Bowling Green: The Medical Center
• Glasgow: T.J. Samson Community Hospital
• Morehead: St. Claire Medical Center
• Hazard: Hazard ARH
• Edgewood: St. Elizabeth Healthcare
• Owensboro: Owensboro Health Regional Hospital
• Pikeville: Pikeville Medical Center
• Harlan: Harlan ARH
• Henderson: Deaconess Henderson Hospital
• Madisonville: Baptist Health Madisonville
• Somerset: Lake Cumberland Regional Hosp

Facts about Kentucky

Accreditation: LCME directory; applications, places and in-state share: AAMC FACTS, Table A-1.

ABIM internal medicine certification exam by residency program: ABIM residency program pass rates; ABIM says to read rates from under 25 takers with caution.

• The University of Kentucky College of Medicine trains medical students on four campuses: Lexington; Bowling Green, run with Med Center Health and Western Kentucky University, where all four years are taught on site; Northern Kentucky, with Northern Kentucky University and St. Elizabeth Healthcare; and Morehead, where Rural Physician Leadership Program students finish their clinical training after preclinical years in Lexington. (University of Kentucky College of Medicine)
• The UK College of Medicine says approximately 40% of its Class of 2025 chose to practice in Kentucky, and its physicians train in more than 70 residency and fellowship programs at regional sites across the state. (University of Kentucky College of Medicine)
• Since 1998 the University of Louisville Trover Campus in Madisonville has let UofL students complete the last two years of medical school in a rural community; it is designed for up to 12 third-year and 12 fourth-year students. (University of Louisville School of Medicine)
• KYCOM students must sit COMLEX Level 1 before entering the third year, and only after scoring at least 450 on an approved COMSAE form. (University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine)
• KYCOM allows at most three attempts at each required COMLEX exam, and a retake must come within 90 days of learning of a failure. (University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine)
• KYCOM students take Level 2-CE after finishing their core rotations and the Capstone course, at any point from NBOME's eligibility notice to December 1 of the fourth year. (University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine)

Sources: LCME, directory of accredited U.S. programs (checked October 29, 2026); AAMC FACTS, Table A-1, 2025-2026 (checked October 29, 2026); University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Campuses (checked November 1, 2026); University of Kentucky College of Medicine, About the College (checked November 1, 2026); University of Louisville School of Medicine, Trover Rural Track (checked November 1, 2026); University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, COMLEX-USA policy 11.4(a)-1 (checked November 1, 2026); ABIM, residency program pass rates 2023-2025 (checked October 29, 2026).

Kentucky trains doctors well beyond Lexington and Louisville

The University of Kentucky runs four campuses for medical students. Bowling Green, built with Med Center Health and Western Kentucky University, teaches all four years on site; the Northern Kentucky campus works with Northern Kentucky University and St. Elizabeth Healthcare; and Rural Physician Leadership Program students do their preclinical years in Lexington before finishing their clinical training in Morehead and the towns around it (UK College of Medicine campuses).

Louisville has its own rural route. Since 1998 its Trover Campus in Madisonville has taken UofL students for the last two years of medical school, and it is built for up to 12 third-year and 12 fourth-year students (UofL Trover Rural Track). A Kentucky student can therefore sit every shelf exam and Step 2 CK from a small-town rotation a long way from the main campus, which is one reason we tutor entirely by live video (Zoom or Google Meet).

Most of these students stay. The UK College of Medicine says approximately 40% of its Class of 2025 chose to practice in Kentucky, and its physicians train in more than 70 residency and fellowship programs at sites across the state (UK College of Medicine). For those residents, Step 3 and the Kentucky rules below are the next stop.

Pikeville sets tighter COMLEX rules than the state board

The University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) publishes its own COMLEX policy, and it is stricter than Kentucky's licensing rules. Students sit Level 1 before entering the third year, and only after scoring at least 450 on an approved COMSAE form; the school allows at most three attempts at each required COMLEX exam, and a retake must come within 90 days of learning of a failure (KYCOM COMLEX policy).

Level 2-CE follows the core rotations and the Capstone course, at any point from NBOME's eligibility notice to December 1 of the fourth year (KYCOM COMLEX policy). So a Pikeville student plans against two clocks: the school's three attempts and 90-day retakes, and the board's four attempts per Level (FSMB).

With a Pikeville student we work backward from the COMSAE gate. We set practice forms on a calendar that leaves room for a second COMSAE before the Level 1 date the school approves, and if a result comes back short we build the retake plan to fit inside the 90 days rather than the open-ended timeline most guides assume. Our COMSAE guide and COMLEX attempt limits page cover the details.

Which board exams Kentucky students take

Kentucky's two MD schools, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and the University of Louisville School of Medicine, send students down the USMLE route: Step 1, Step 2 CK and, after graduation, Step 3 (USMLE). LCME has accredited the Lexington school since 1960, with its next full survey due in 2026-27, and Louisville's since before 1942, with its next in 2028-29 (LCME).

The University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine grants the DO, so its students sit COMLEX-USA instead: Level 1, Level 2-CE and Level 3 (NBOME). Pikeville is also one of the 15 Kentucky cities with a CMS teaching hospital (CMS teaching hospital list).

Kentucky also trains internists. In 2023-2025, 94% of 69 first-time takers from the University of Kentucky's Lexington program and 89% of 71 from the University of Louisville's program passed ABIM's internal medicine exam (ABIM). The combined medicine-pediatrics tracks report 100% of 18 in Lexington and 93% of 15 in Louisville, and ABIM says to read rates from under 25 takers with caution (ABIM).

Kentucky licensing rules that affect your exam plan

Kentucky's FSMB entry is short. It asks for two years of training before a first license (FSMB). It counts four attempts at each Step or Level, USMLE or COMLEX, with no time limit on either series, so the rules turn on training and attempts, not on a deadline (FSMB).

Source: FSMB state licensure requirements, checked October 2026; confirm with the board before relying on them.

What Kentucky's rules mean for how you study

• Four attempts at each Step or Level is both Kentucky's cap and the USMLE program's, so a first fail still leaves three tries (FSMB, USMLE eligibility rules). Our guide for students who did not pass covers the rebuild.
• Kentucky sets no deadline for the USMLE or COMLEX, so a pause between Step 2 CK and Step 3, say for a research year, runs no Kentucky clock (FSMB).
• Kentucky wants two years of training before a first license, so aim to have Step 3 passed by the end of the second year; the attempts line covers Step or Level 3 as well (FSMB).
• DO graduates of the Pikeville college plan against the same lines: FSMB words the attempt rule as “Step or Level”, so COMLEX Levels count beside USMLE Steps (FSMB). While still at KYCOM, though, the school's own limit is three attempts per required exam (KYCOM COMLEX policy).

Many Kentucky students rotate, interview or match next door. Kentucky's neighbors on our list: Illinois (8 MD, 2 DO), Indiana (1 MD, 1 DO), Missouri (4 MD, 2 DO), Ohio (6 MD, 1 DO), Tennessee (5 MD, 2 DO), Virginia (4 MD, 2 DO), West Virginia (2 MD, 1 DO).

How much Kentucky searches for board prep

Kentucky's best result is “USMLE Step 2”, 15th of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) over the five years to October 2026, with “shelf exam” next at 16th (Google Trends).

“COMLEX” is 22nd, ahead of “USMLE Step 1” at 31st and plain “USMLE” at 34th (Google Trends). So Kentucky's interest sits with the clinical-year exams and COMLEX more than with the umbrella term.

Source: Google Trends, United States, past 5 years, retrieved October 2026; ranks show relative interest, not student numbers.