Wildcat Wednesday: Carl Watson, 1st Black UK College of Medicine Graduate
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 23, 2022) - To commemorate Black History Month, University of Kentucky Public Relations and Strategic Communications is highlighting alumni from the UK Alumni Association’s Pioneer Project throughout the month of February. Be sure to check UKNow each "Wildcat Wednesday" this month to learn more about a UK alum who left an important legacy at our university.
On this “Wildcat Wednesday,” UK honors Carl Watson, M.D. — the first Black student to attend and graduate from the UK College of Medicine.
Watson excelled during his time at UK while breaking down barriers as the first Black medical student. In 1963, he was among five handpicked students to take part in an experimental study tour abroad. Watson spent three months in Jamaica learning preventative medicine.
He also completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at UK and graduated in 1964. After completing his education, he successfully operated his own practice in California.
Prior to his time at UK, Watson was valedictorian at Lexington’s Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School in 1955.
In 2019, the College of Medicine’s Faculty of Color Network (FCN), honored two legends and pioneers of the college, one of which was Watson. In an interview in 2019, Watson explained how being admitted to medical school was something he had been working towards for years. “The door was open and I was prepared to walk through it,” he said.
Learn more about how the university is celebrating Black History Month here.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.