Ohio County High School
Major: Chemistry
Accepted to University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington
Kiah Gledhill described his four years at Kentucky Wesleyan as “a super big blessing.”
He chose Wesleyan because he was focused on becoming a physician, and he knew the College’s stellar reputation for preparing students for medical school. He was named a Brown Scholar and had the opportunity to play baseball, too.
“Wesleyan was a good fit for me,” reflected Kiah. “Every year has been great in many ways. I’m leaving with gratitude and great memories, and I’m ready for medical school.”Kiah said the sense of community and camaraderie helped him thrive. “I know everyone says that, but I’m saying it again because it is true and so important.” He appreciated personal relationships with professors, and in addition to those important connections, he also got to know others across campus of different ages and levels of authority. “All of these relationships helped me grow, and such relationships would not have been possible at a large university,” he remarked.
Kiah did research on Beta-lactam antibiotics and bacteria that have grown immune to certain antibiotics his junior year, and he continued the research as a Wesleyan Fellow his senior year.
“All of my professors had open doors,” said Kiah. “They were always approachable and available and gave me a lot of encouragement as I prepared for the Medical College Admission Test [MCAT]. Dr. Watson provided the research opportunity and the chance to be a supplemental instructor in Organic Chemistry, and Dr. Krystal Hamorsky [Chemistry] offered real-world applications to my studies and helped me develop critical thinking skills.”
Kiah says his most challenging courses were Physics with Dr. Lawrence Armendarez and Inorganic Chemistry with Dr. Whitney Schmidt. “There was a lot of material, and they were like graduate level courses, but they were great professors who supported me and were available when I needed anything.”
His favorite class? “’Readings in World Literature’ with Professor Joey Connelly, because it took my mind out of Western culture and introduced me to other cultures and approaches to thinking.”
A fun memory? “Playing baseball as a utility player and winning the GMAC championship my sophomore year. We had the most wins in school history my freshman year. Succeeding as a team was great!”
Kiah said although it is common for students and alumni to mention the value of personal relationships at a small college, there is another benefit that helped him, too. “In small classes, you can’t just blend in – you have to take part, and you have to be involved in discussions. That’s how I developed communication skills and gained confidence. Everything I’ve experienced and everything I’ve learned, including teamwork on the baseball field, will help me become a pediatrician.”