The UNMC College of Pharmacy’s historic first cohort matriculating at UNMC’s Kearney campus – in Health Science Education Center I, in the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex at the University of Nebraska at Kearney – has been hard at work since starting classes at the beginning of fall semester.
The enrollment of this inaugural Kearney class was a notable first day of school. But these nine students also quickly settled into business as usual, said Linda Sobeski, PharmD, pharmacy’s associate dean on the Kearney campus.
“Welcoming our first cohort of pharmacy students to the Kearney campus in August marked a proud and historic milestone for the college of pharmacy,” Dr. Sobeski said.
Their arrival also illustrates the latest step in UNMC’s continued expansion of health professions programs to Kearney. Highlights of UNMC’s commitment to expansion at Kearney include further work on Health Science Education Center II, currently under construction; the first medical school class at Kearney, set to enroll next fall; and other UNMC programs and outreach efforts.
Kyle Meyer, PhD, associate vice chancellor for health workforce initiatives, said, “The new class of pharmacy students on the Kearney campus represents a tangible step toward fully realizing the promise of the Kearney expansion. I commend the UNMC College of Pharmacy and these nine pioneering students on this milestone.”
Pharmacy joins established UNMC programs at Kearney in nursing and allied health professions.
“These students represent our commitment to expanding access to pharmacy education and strengthening health care across Nebraska,” Dr. Sobeski said. “Their energy and commitment to excellence is inspiring and already making a powerful impact. We are honored to support their journey as future leaders in the profession.”
These Kearney pharmacy students undertake the same curriculum as their counterparts in Omaha, often synchronously through the latest in distance-learning technology. Instructors conduct training from both the Omaha and Kearney UNMC campuses, giving students at each location a mix of in-person and blended technology-based learning.
Don Klepser, PhD, UNMC’s interim dean of pharmacy, likes to call it “two locations, one program.”
Dr. Sobeski is one of four UNMC pharmacy faculty based on the Kearney campus.