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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.
The University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) held its White Coat Ceremony for the class of 2023 on Saturday, April 10, 2021, via livestream. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was closed to the public. The White Coat Ceremony is symbolic within the health professions, reflecting a commitment to patient care. After two years […]
The University of Pikeville (UPIKE) is pleased to announce commencement ceremonies for the class of 2021 will be held in person. To safely host celebrations, there will be three commencement ceremonies held over the course of three days to recognize students earning degrees in undergraduate, graduate and health professions. Masks will be required at the […]
The University of Pikeville and the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) are partnering to provide professional school opportunities for students from Kentucky’s independent colleges and universities interested in optometry and medical careers. The relationship was conceived to provide enhanced access to medical education opportunities for students from AIKCU’s 18 member colleges and […]
The University of Pikeville – Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) has taken the lead nationally to remove financial barriers and increase diversity in the optometry profession by providing grants for potential students and covering the cost of taking the Optometry Admissions Test (OAT). KYCO has successfully managed to support 25 students in taking the OAT […]
UPIKE-Kentucky College of Optometry’s Assistant Professor Rachel Fitzgerald, O.D., was named Young Optometrist of the Year at the Kentucky Optometric Association’s 2020 Virtual Awards Ceremony held on December 8. This award is given annually to a doctor who has been practicing less than 10 years and has made significant contributions and commitments to the optometric […]
VSP Global announced that Morgan Rogers is the recipient of the 2020 VSP Vision of Hope Scholarship. The scholarship is funded by VSP and awarded annually by the Kentucky College of Optometry to one of its excelling, first-year students who intends to practice in the rural Appalachian region. Rogers received $5,000 toward her education. “Attending […]
For the third consecutive year, the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) hosted a summer camp aimed at providing pre-health and pre-optometry majors an introduction to the profession of optometry. The camp’s goal is to introduce an optometry school experience, help students understand the application process and map out an individualized pre-optometry preparation plan, […]
Two University of Pikeville–Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) graduates have been working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic during their residencies. Soon after COVID-19 cases began spiking in the U.S., Rachel Willimann, D.O., a third-year pediatric resident working at Nassau University Medical Center in New York, and Nate Hensler, D.O., a second-year family […]
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