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Lindsey Wilson Alumna Reagan Grider Receives Medical School Award

Standout medical student earns Medical Student of the Year award from the University of Kentucky Bowling Green Campus chapter of the American College of Physicians.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (11/21/2025) — Reagan Grider '22 is not one to embrace the spotlight.

That's why the Lindsey Wilson University alumna was more than a little surprised when she was recently honored with the Medical Student of the Year award by the University of Kentucky Bowling Green Campus chapter of the American College of Physicians.

Grider was selected for the award, given by one of the oldest medical societies in the U.S., based on a vote by residents in the program.

"It was such an honor to receive the award because we have so many talented students in our program," said Grider. "It was not something I expected at all."

Grider is in the fourth year of medical school, which means after she graduates in May 2026, she will be off to a three-year residency.

The Burkesville, Kentucky, native has applied to 25 residencies, and she hopes she will wind up at one in Kentucky or Tennessee. Her long-term career goal is to be a doctor at a hospital in a rural area, such as in her native Southcentral Kentucky.

Regardless of her next career step, Grider said she's enjoyed her four years of medical school in Bowling Green.

"It's been tough, but looking back I have enjoyed it. It's been great," said Grider, who is a 2018 graduate of Cumberland County High School. "I've learned a lot, and I'm excited for what's to come."

When Grider was a Lindsey Wilson freshman in fall 2018, she did not intend to become a medical doctor. Instead, she planned to follow in the footsteps of her mother, Candace, who is a nurse. But after Grider shadowed a few doctors, her professional plans took a turn.

"I always wanted to work in healthcare," said Grider, who is also the daughter of Jessie Grider Jr. "I've always admired the physicians in my life and in my family's life."

Grider said she is glad her professional plans took that turn.

"I'm where I'm supposed to be," she said. "I'm really happy with my decision. It's been a lot of hard work, of course, but it's all been worth it. I would do it again."

Grider said she was also happy with her decision to attend Lindsey Wilson, where she majored in biology and minored in chemistry.

"Lindsey Wilson really prepared me for medical school," said Grider. "Our courses are very rigorous at Lindsey Wilson. A lot of students have to change their studying style from undergraduate to medical school, but I developed good study strategies at Lindsey Wilson because I had such tough courses."

Grider said she is especially grateful for the support she received at Lidnsey Wilson from Director of Student Success Krystal Cundiff, who served as her adviser during freshman year, along with biology professor Melissa Clauson and chemistry professor Andrew Johnson.

"I had so many great opportunities at Lindsey Wilson, and I felt really well-prepared for medical school," she said. "I got a great education, I made great friends and I had wonderful mentors. I developed long-lasting relationships that I wouldn't have built elsewhere."

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

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Reagan Grider of Burkesville, Kentucky -- a 2022 Lindsey Wilson University graduate -- received this year’s Medical Student of the Year award by the University of Kentucky Bowling Green Campus chapter of the American College of Physicians.

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