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We are practitioners of the healing arts defining the standard for excellence in optometric education and vision care.
Our D.O. medical school is nationally ranked and recognized for a reputation of excellence in rural medicine and family healthcare. UPIKE’s osteopathy program gives you a clear path to success in the medical field.
Explore our online undergraduate and graduate programs and learn more about earning your degree at UPIKE.
Located in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) is the only college of optometry in Kentucky. Become part of a community of medical professionals providing vision care to those who need it most, and learn in an environment built with the future of optometry in mind. At KYCO, faculty, staff and administration embrace the expanded scope of optometric practice in Kentucky with unique clinical experiences and a challenging curriculum. KYCO students are afforded an abundance of rewarding clinical opportunities serving patients in need.
All equipment, textbooks and technology are provided at no additional cost to students.
Students serve patients from the blindest region in the U.S. in community clinics and hospitals.
Practice with new and advanced equipment and technology in KYCO’s innovative 103,000 square foot facility.
More than 400 University of Pikeville (UPIKE) students celebrated their achievements by earning their degrees during the spring commencement ceremonies for undergraduate, graduate and health professions on Saturday, May 7, at the Appalachian Wireless Arena. Graduates and families were able to attend the in-person ceremonies or watch virtually via livestream. The twenty-second commencement of the […]
The University of Pikeville announced a $25 million gift, the largest single donation in its 133-year history, on Saturday, May 7, during its Health Professions Commencement Ceremony. The gift will enable the founding of a college of dentistry to be brought to the mountains of Appalachia and dramatically help give greater access to health services. […]
The University of Pikeville – Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) held its first-ever awards luncheon honoring graduates on May 5 in the Health Professions Education Building. Taylor Runyon, O.D., of Belfry, Ky., received the Dean’s Award. The award is presented to a graduating student who has shown outstanding leadership while maintaining a high academic score. […]
The University of Pikeville – Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) welcomed its fourth class of optometry students with a White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, April 9, in the Health Professions Education Building. The invitation-only event for family members was live-streamed via Facebook for the community. KYCO Dean Michael Bacigalupi, O.D., M.S., FAAO, FNAP, was among […]
University of Pikeville (UPIKE) leadership recently traveled to Livonia, Mich., a Detroit suburb, to host the first UPIKE Alumni and Friends dinner event in Michigan. President Burton J. Webb and First Lady Kay Webb welcomed UPIKE and Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) alumni and friends to an intimate dinner at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse. President […]
New Jersey native Hunter Smith has always been interested in being of service to others. Soon the second-year University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) student will be taking that service to a whole new level. Thanks in part to his earning a full-ride scholarship through the F. Edward Hébert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship […]
Each year, VSP Global® selects a Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) student to receive its $5,000 Vision of Hope Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to an excelling first-year student who intends to practice in rural Appalachia. This year’s recipient, Alexus Cline, KYCO Class of 2025, is from Honaker, Va. Cline was selected by a scholarship […]
Last year, the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) began a grant program to help remove financial barriers and increase diversity in the optometry profession. Since the program’s implementation in August 2020, KYCO has covered the cost of the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT) for 43 potential optometry students, many of whom are attending optometry […]
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