Midway College, a small private school first opened in 1847 and until just a few years ago served only female students, is located more than 100 miles from Paintsville, but Midway is bringing something to eastern Kentucky that the region’s leaders have sought for many years : A pharmacy school.
Midway officially will announce the creation of the pharmacy program at 11 a.m. Monday at Johnson Central High School. The Paintsville program will open in 2011.
U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers will be the featured speaker at Monday’s announcement with Midway College President William B. Drake Jr., Midway College Board of Trustee Chairman James J. O’Brien, Johnson County Judge-Executive Tucker Daniel, Paintsville Mayor Bob Porter and key legislators and community officials also attending.
While located in a small historic town about halfway between Lexington and Frankfort, Midway is following the lead of a number of other small Kentucky colleges that have attracted new students by going to where they are instead of luring them to their home campuses.
The only pharmacy program currently in Kentucky is at the University of Kentucky. While there is no overriding need for another state-supported pharmacy program, the program Midway will operate in Paintsville is not seeking state funds and it could provide a place for good students who are not accepted to UK’s pharmacy program to get the training they need to enter their desired career.
The Paintsville program also may convince its graduates to remain in this region just as the school of osteopathic medicine at Pikeville College is helping fill the need for more family doctors in the region. For that and other reasons, we hope the new pharmacy program proves to be a positive for both Midway College and for eastern Kentucky.
