New faculty spotlight: Leah Jesse, MD

Leah Jesse, MD, is a new faculty member at UNMC.

• Name: Leah Jesse, MD
• Title and department at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine: Assistant professor, UNMC Department of Psychiatry; psychiatrist, Nebraska Medicine
• Hometown: Omaha

Education:

• Medical degree, UNMC
• Residency in psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Medical interests: 

• Adolescents and young adult mental health
• College mental health
• Reproductive psychiatry
• ADHD, OCD and mood disorders  

How I fell in love with medicine and my specialty:

During my first two years of medical school, going into psychiatry wasn’t even on my radar. My first clinical rotation happened to be psychiatry, and after about a week working with psychiatric patients, I was completely fascinated by learning about the lived experiences of patients and the neuroscientific understanding of mental health disorders. I remember having an “aha moment” when I was working on an inpatient unit during a morning meeting; all of the patients and staff members sat around in a circle and shared their goals for the day. It was such an authentic, humanizing moment and made me feel like I belonged in this space. Earning the trust of a patient to support them in their goals, no matter how big or small they are, is such a privilege and pushes me to be the best version of myself.  

Professional memberships:

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
• American Medical Association
• Gold Humanism Honor Society
• Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society

Things people might not know about me:

• I grew up playing the cello.
• I played at the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Division III National Championships.
• I am directionally impaired, so if you see me wandering around the hospital, there is a good chance I’m lost.

Clinical location: Psychiatry Clinic at Poynter Hall

For appointments and referrals: 402-552-6007