Rural health professions programs prepare students for rigors of UNMC

Peru State College undergraduate students are enrolled in the Public Health Early Admissions Student Track (PHEAST).

Peru State College undergraduate students are enrolled in the Public Health Early Admissions Student Track (PHEAST).

One hundred forty-two undergraduate students and their faculty advisors representing four rural health academic pipeline programs spent three days exploring their future as health profession students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center on March 28, 29 and April 4. 

The students, who are enrolled in the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP), the Kearney Health Opportunities Program (KHOP), and the Public Health Early Admissions Student Track (PHEAST), came to UNMC to get a glimpse into their future as a UNMC student. 

During the visit, students have the opportunity to learn more about their future careers in the allied health professions, dentistry, dental hygiene, medicine, nursing, pharmacy or public health. Students also get to connect with current students in their declared health profession training programs and gain information and tips on how to be prepared to thrive at UNMC. 

"The annual visit to UNMC is an outstanding opportunity for our future students to visualize themselves in their health profession training program, and as a future health care provider," said Nikki Carritt, director of Rural Health Initiatives. "After two years of ‘virtual visits,’ we were excited to welcome students back for the in-person opportunity – long marked as a cornerstone of their program experience." 

"It is also an opportunity for faculty and staff across UNMC to demonstrate our commitment to their success in becoming Nebraska's rural health care workforce of the future," she said. 

While at UNMC the students met with faculty in their training program, learned from presentations on how to prepare academically to meet the rigors of a health professions education, leadership, inclusivity, and well-being and stress management. 

Students from Chadron State also had the opportunity to meet faculty and staff at the Health Science Education Complex (HSEC) in Kearney on their return trip. Several of the students will matriculate to the allied health professions and nursing training programs on that campus. 

Below is a listing of the students by college and hometown. 

Peru State College  

Ashland — Rebecca Wilson  

Falls City — Claire Niemeyer  

Fremont — Holly Hansen  

Hastings — Daniela Lagunas 

Mead — Delaney Patocka 

Nebraska City — Jasmine Pineda and Jessenia Hincapie  

Odell — Camaryn Gydesen 

Palmer — Brooke Bruland 

Chadron State College 

Ainsworth — Mackenzie Kovar  

Arnold — Lydia Connell  

Big Springs — Kristie Hill  

Brainard — Micaiah Vrbka 

Columbus — Kelli Schoch and Emma Stewart  

Dunning — Bryan Zutavern  

Gothenburg — Jamie Graff 

Gurley — Joshua Kruse 

Hastings — Grace Redinger and Brooke Becker  

Hershey — Carlee Brownawell  

Indianola — Johanna Sughroue 

Loup City — Ashley Dearmont and Creighton Harrington 

Madrid — Quinn Koop  

Mitchell — Blake Thyne 

Nebraska City — Aubrey Bando 

Norfolk — Jalen Hoffman and Katherine Meuret  

North Platte — Caleb Tegtmeier 

O’Neill — Brooke Benson  

Ord — Sage Konicek 

Sidney — Jaylee Shaw 

Scottsbluff — Ian Papenfus and Logan Moravec 

Tryon — Aubrey Shultis 

Wausa — William Hagge 

Wayne State College 

Ansley — Laney Stunkel 

Arlington — Mary Helms  

Aurora — Kane Fiala 

Bennet — Sarah Vorderstrasse  

Broken Bow — Grayson Garey  

Carroll — Austin Fernau  

Callaway — Cheyney Loper  

Cambridge — Amelia Sayer  

Clarkson — Quintessence Indra 

Columbus — Jaden Johnson, Emmitt Broberg and Briana Drueppel  

Creighton — Ashtyn Fritz  

Crofton — Connor Dahl  

David City — Bridget Sisco  

Duncan — Elizabeth Blaser  

Falls City — Tanner Cromer  

Fremont — Katelyn Geaghan  

Fullerton — James Lesiak  

Funk — Brooklyn LeClair 

Grand Island — Linden Sack and Seerat Balraj 

Gretna — Olivia Thompson  

Hastings — Logan Johnson  

Henderson — Benjamin Mestl 

Hildreth — Abby Quadhamer  

Holdrege — Madelyn Moore  

Hooper — Jennifer Garcia  

Humphrey — Ashley Schemek and Triniti Gembica  

McCool Junction — Lindsey Stuckey 

Merriman — Grace Anderson  

Milford — Jackson Lautzenhiser 

Norfolk — Hannah Mills, Alison Stineman and Grace Spieker 

Orchard — Brandi Ruzicka  

Phillips — Luke Jacobs 

Pierce — Janae Arens 

Scribner — Kendra Paasch  

Spalding — Mariah Marisch  

Syracuse — Jenna Siefken  

Trenton — Kassidy Kisker  

Verdon — Ciara Catlin 

Wahoo — Emily Coufal and Hadley Chvatal 

Wakefield — Gabriel Peitz  

Wausa — Ruth Johnson 

Waverly — Audrey Sorensen 

Wayne — Kelsey Heggemeyer and Hallie Chin  

Windside — Alex Carlson  

Wisner — Cole Jacobsen 

Wood River — Lauran Thorp and Trey Zessin  

York — Abbey Seevers 

University of Nebraska at Kearney 

Ainsworth — Benjamin Arens  

Albion — Destiny Umbarger  

Alda — Rachel Rodriguez Sanchez  

Ayr — Jordyn Barbee  

Bennington — Anna Law and Cassidy Johnson  

Blair — Chase Clausen  

Bridgeport — Kyler Watts  

Broken Bow — Samuel Schendt and Mykael Stoddard  

Cairo — Nolan Gleason  

Central City — Austin Wells  

Columbus — Lauren Benck, Caden Pelan, Blake Edzards and Tristan Colford  

David City — Allison Daro  

Edison — Danielle Eidson  

Fairbury — Isaac Robertson  

Firth — Kaitlyn Otto  

Glenvil — Hannah McDaniel  

Grand Island — Riley Krolikowski and, Kate McFarland  

Gretna — Hilary Vaughn  

Hartington — Marie Rokusek  

Kearney — Mason Casper, Nicole Messbarger, Sarah Lucht and Riley Cope  

Lawrence — Allison Miller and Madison Menke 

Lexington — Vanessa Lo  

McCook — Madeline Hinze and Jacquelyn Hinze  

Minden — Jensen Rowse  

North Platte — Bethany Burklund  

O’Neill — Abigail Everitt, Andrew Alder and Makayla Hilker 

Petersburg — Faith Kinney  

Phillips — Taryn Smith  

Rushville — Mikayla Jaggers  

Saint Paul — Marissa Baker  

Superior — Trenten Theis and Lacey Langer   

Tecumseh — Samuel Buss  

Utica — Aurora Junge  

York — Andrea Saxer 

We are Nebraska Medicine and UNMC. Our mission is to lead the world in transforming lives to create a healthy future for all individuals and communities through premier educational programs, innovative research and extraordinary patient care.  

Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  YouTube  |  Flickr