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Kentucky Doctor Donates Millions To Fund A New Building And Scholarships At UK's College Of Medicine

Dr. Michael Rankin donated $22 million to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
Corinne Boyer
/
WEKU
Dr. Michael Rankin donated $22 million to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

A doctor from Lincoln County, Kentucky made a 22 million dollar gift to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. The gift will provide scholarships and a new building for medical students. 

Doctor Michael Rankin grew up in Lincoln County, Kentucky. His parents were farmers and he said in the 1950s and 60s, he was told medical school was for rich kids.  

“We sold a cow that paid for the first year's tuition. I don't think that would be possible now,” Rankin said on Tuesday at the University of Kentucky.

Rankin’s 22 million-dollar donation will help pay for medical school tuition for kids with financial need from rural Kentucky.

“So they can concentrate on their studies. They won't have to worry about things like food insecurity or where they're going to sleep for four years of medical school,” he said.

The gift will also be used to build a new facility that will increase capacity for medical students.

Copyright 2021 WEKU. To see more, visit WEKU.

Corinne Boyer is the health reporter for the ReSource. Previously, she covered western Kansas for the Kansas News Service at High Plains Public Radio. She received two Kansas Association of Broadcasters awards for her reporting on immigrant communities. Before living on the High Plains, Corinne was a newspaper reporter in Oregon. She earned her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and interned at KLCC, Eugene’s NPR member station. Corinne grew up near the South Carolina coast and is a graduate of the College of Charleston. She has lived in New York City and South Korea. Corinne loves running, checking out stacks of books and spending time with her rescue cat, Priya.
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