College of Medicine

- Admissions Overview
- - MD Program
    UNMC's rigorous academics, diverse clinical experiences and supportive environment put you on the path to becoming a skilled, compassionate physician.
  - How to Apply
    UNMC prepares medical degree students to meet the needs of patients through clinical practice, biomedical science and research, problem-solving and compassion.
  - Contact Us
    Review contact information for the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs in the College of Medicine at UNMC.
  - Verification and State Licensure
    Review opportunities for state licensure following completion of the MD program in the College of Medicine at UNMC.
- - MD-MBA Program
    A combined MD-MBA degree equips you with the tools you need to become highly skilled in both management and medicine.
  - MD-MPH Program
    Pursue your passion for public health and medicine with a combined MD-MPH and help solve complex health problems.
  - MD-PhD Program
    Do you have a passion for caring for patients and for research? Consider the dual MD-PhD degree.
- Education Overview
- - Curriculum
    Our curriculum produces physicians whose foundation in basic, clinical, and health systems sciences prepare them to promote health and reduce patient suffering.
  - Graduation Requirements
    Review requirements for students pursuing an MD at the UNMC College of Medicine to graduate and receive their degree.
  - Objectives
    The objectives of UNMC's medical degree program are to prepare you for success in primary care or specialty fields.
  - Service Learning
    Active participation in community service provides critical opportunities to apply skills and knowledge gained in medical school and develop a sense of empathy.
- - Enhanced Medical Education
    Enhanced Medical Education Tracks offer medical students an opportunity to perform an in-depth study of an interdisciplinary field of medicine.
  - MD Honor’s Thesis Program
    The MD honors thesis encourages students to engage in scientific research during medical education and become eligible to graduate with honors.
- Research Overview
- Internal Grants
  The College of Medicine has a variety of research-related grant and award opportunities available to UNMC faculty.
- Comparative Effectiveness Research
  The Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) program identifies knowledge gaps in the effectiveness of clinical care and improves CER in these areas.
- Great Plains IDeA-CTR
  The Great Plains IDeA-CTR is a collaborative effort between nine regional institutions that provides training, resources. and funding to regional researchers.
- Research and Development Committee
  The Research and Development Committee handles funding opportunities for faculty, including the Bridge Funding program, and student research opportunities.
- Student Opportunities
  The College of Medicine provides a variety of research opportunities for both current and prospective UNMC students.
- Residencies & Fellowships Overview
- Graduate Medical Education Programs
  UNMC's dozens of programs--including nearly 20 in internal medicine--allow residents and fellows a variety of specialties.
- House Officer Resources
  Find information for residents and fellows, including salaries, benefits and nearby housing.
- House Officer Wellness
  Wellness resources for residents and fellows include an assistance program and a private wellness lounge.
- Research
  We aim to facilitate house officers’ involvement in research in the areas of patient safety, quality improvement, healthcare disparities and education research.
- Salary and Benefits
  Paid vacation and professional leave, health insurance and meal allowances are just a few of the benefits residents receive in addition to their yearly salary.
- Contact Us
  Reach out to the Graduate Medical Education office for information about benefits, contracts, orientation or graduation.
Departments

Awards, Presentations and Volunteer Activities

2025 – 2026

Venkatesh Varadharaj’s awards and volunteer activities
1. Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Studies Award – Awarded for recognizing exceptional academic performance, research excellence, leadership, and service contributions by a graduate student (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UNMC).
2. Teaching and Mentoring Badge – Graduate Studies (UNMC).
3. Leadership Badge – Graduate Studies (UNMC).
4. President, UNMC Graduate Research Exchange Club: Leading the Graduate Exchange Club, which promotes collaboration, networking, and professional development among graduate students.

Kirtana Arikath’s awards and volunteer activities
1. President of the International Student Association.
2. Graduate Student Senator-at-Large, UNMC Student Senate.
3. Research and Discovery Co-Chair for American Cancer Society on Campus.
4. Vice President, UNMC Graduate Student Research Exchange Club.

Neelanjana Gayen’s awards and volunteer activities
1. President, Healthy Earth Alliance, UNMC.
2. Secretary, Graduate Student Association (GSA), UNMC.
3. Vice-Chair, Membership Committee, Live Green Ambassador – Employee Resource Group, UNMC/Nebraska Medicine.

2024 - 2025

Venkatesh Varadharaj’s awards and volunteer activities
1. First Position – Oral Presentation (International Conference on Frontier Research in Life Sciences, University of Madras).
2. Third place – Poster Presentation (Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum, Nebraska).
3. Student Representative, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
4. President, UNMC Graduate Research Exchange Club: Leading the Graduate Exchange Club, which promotes collaboration, networking, and professional development among graduate students.
5. President, UNMC Healthy Earth Alliance: Leading the student organization in promoting sustainability and environmental initiatives on campus.
6. Sustainability Liaison and Senator at Large, Student Senate, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
7. Member, Executive Sustainability Council, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
8. International Student Ambassador, Office of Global Engagement, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
9. Live Green Ambassador, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
10. Peer Mentor, UNMC Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Program.

Nivedeta Krishna Kumar’s awards and volunteer activities
1. AACR-Barbara Campbell Creighton Scholar-in-Training Award For early-career scientists, in recognition of a meritorious abstract selected for presentation at the AACR Annual Meeting, Chicago, United States.
2. Stem Cell Graduate Awardee, UW-Madison Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center (SCRMC), Wisconsin, Madison, United States.
3. First-place Oral Presentation, Midwest Students Biomedical Research Forum Stemness Machinery in Pancreatic Cancer: A Novel Role of Glypican 6, 2024 Omaha, United States.
4. President, International Student Association, University Of Nebraska Medical Center.
5. Peer Mentor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program.
6. Senator-at-large, Student Senate, University Of Nebraska Medical Center.
7. Campus-culture liaison, Student Senate, University Of Nebraska Medical Center.

Kirtana Arikath’s awards and volunteer activities
1. Judge for the Metropolitan Science and Education Fair.
2. Vice President, UNMC Graduate Student Research Exchange Club.
3. Awarded the Derry-Crouse Emerging Campus Community Leader Award.
4. Awarded the Outstanding Community Service Award in BMB, UNMC BMB Annual Symposium.
5. Served as a global ambassador for incoming graduate students at UNMC.
6. Judge for the Metropolitan Science and Education Fair (MSEF).
7. Outreach Chair, Graduate Student Association (GSA), UNMC.
8. Leader and choreographer of the ISA Dance Team (BEATBOUND), organizing weekly practices.
9. Awarded Best Oral Presentation by a 3rd Year PhD Student, UNMC BMB Annual Symposium (August 2024).
10. Served as General Secretary, International Student Association (ISA).

Annant Bir Kaur’s awards and volunteer activities
1. BMB first place in oral presentation.
2. MSBRF 4th place in oral presentation.
3. UNMC Graduate Studies Derry-Crouse Campus community Leader Award.

Neelanjana Gayen’s awards and volunteer activities
1. Poster 1st Place Graduate award, 56th Annual Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum.
2. UNMC Graduate Fellowship.
3. Selected to attend the 2025 NCI-funded Workshop on “Big Data Training for Cancer Research.
4. Social Co-Chair, Graduate Student Association (GSA), UNMC.
5. International Student Ambassador, Office of Global Engagement, UNMC.
6. Secretary, Healthy Earth Alliance, UNMC.
7. Chair, Membership Committee, Live Green Ambassador – Employee Resource Group, UNMC/Nebraska Medicine.
8. Journal Club Chair, The Student Alliance for Global Health, UNMC.

Wyatt Petersen’s awards and volunteer activities
1. NCI Diversity Supplemental fellowship for R01CA273349-02.

2023 - 2024

Venkatesh Varadharaj’s awards and volunteer activities
1. Best Oral Presentation – Annual Symposium (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center).
2. International Student Ambassador, Office of Global Engagement, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
3. Live Green Ambassador, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
4. Member, Green Lab Focus Team, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Nivedeta Krishna Kumar’s awards and volunteer activities
1. Treasurer, International Student Association, University Of Nebraska Medical Center 2023 – 2024.
2. Annant Bir Kaur’s awards and volunteer activities.
3. Intramural Badminton doubles (first place).
Palanisamy Nallasamy’s awards and volunteer activities
1. The Chancellor’s Council Silver ‘U’ Award, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.

Dr. Moorthy Ponnusamy's Awards

Received the 2025 GSA Distinguished Mentor of Graduate Students award.
Received Distinguished Scientist Award (2021), UNMC.
Received Joseph P. Gilmore Distinguished New Investigator Award (2018), UNMC.
Received Distinguished New Investigator Award (2018), UNMC.
Received Chancellor's Council Silver "U" Award for the best performance in UNMC.
Awarded a Best Postdoctoral Scholar of the Year (2009-2010), UNMC.