Approved Tracks

Contact: Keely Buesing, MD
Director and Mentor
Department of Surgery
Division of Acute Care Surgery

Additional faculty involved.

Jessica Veatch, MD -- Director and Mentor
Mark Hamill, MD -- Director and Mentor
Other ACS faculty, as identified by EMET track students and EMET directors to mentor research projects

The Acute Care Surgery EMET is designed to provide students with a comprehensive and immersive experience in Trauma, Emergency General Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care. This track will offer students the opportunity to engage with faculty and patients in high-acuity surgical environments, develop critical clinical skills, and participate in meaningful research.

 The objectives of this EMET include:

1. Provide Longitudinal Clinical Experience in Acute Care Surgery
2. Develop a Strong Foundation in Trauma and Emergency Surgery
3. Engage in Mentored Research Focused on Acute Care Surgery
4. Foster Longitudinal Mentorship with Acute Care Surgery Faculty
5. Gain In-Depth Understanding of Surgical Critical Care
6. Participate in Specialized Training and Simulations
7. Prepare for Residency and Career in Acute Care Surgery

Preview | Contact: Elizabeth Harlow, MD

Upon completion of the Aging and Integrated Medicine Scholars Track, the student will be able to:

• Independently manage complex illnesses;
• Communicate effectively with older patients;
• Work effectively in multiple venues of care; and
• Confidently care for hospitalized and community-dwelling older people throughout their spectrum of health.

Curriculum:

• Participation in Aging Interest Group, Senior Companion Program, Geriatrics Journal club;
• Mentorship by geriatric faculty throughout all medical school years;
• Preceptorships with geriatric faculty during Integrated Clinical Experience (ICE);
• Capstone project (paper or poster); and
• Geriatric clerkship rotations

Contact: Geoffrey Thiele, PhD

The primary goal of the Autoimmune Diseases Track is to expose the student to basic and/or clinical immunological aspects of autoimmunity.

The Autoimmune Diseases track offers a curriculum that will enable the student to:

• Develop an appreciation of research in autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases such as alcoholic liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis;
• Acquire clinical and research skills;
• Develop the ability to critically evaluate research (including the medical literature) and its application to medicine;
• Gain insight into the process by which research is performed (including the ethical conduct of research, protocol design, study implementation, data collection and analysis, report generation, and administrative issues); and
• Develop a more in-depth understanding of immunology; specifically, autoimmune disease.

Contact: Dr. Marley Doyle

This track supports the underrecognized yet vitally important problem of physician workforce shortages. Physicians are uniquely positions to address these issues from a systems level by leading interdisciplinary teams but are not often involved in solving these workforce issues because of perceived lack of education in workforce development and public policy. This track will bolster these skills so students can use their education to participate in systemic change.

1. Appreciate the behavioral health needs and status of the behavioral health workforce in the status of Nebraska.
2. Participate in programmatic and curriculum development to address unmet education and training needs.
3. Develop research models that study impact of workforce development programs.
4. Understand the role of public policy and obtain advocacy and government relations' skills.

Preview | Contact: Dr. Angela Hewlett

Experience with outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease as well as the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated the necessity of enhancing and maintaining biopreparedness activities. UNMC/Nebraska Medicine has very unique assets in both biopreparedness (Global Center for Health Security) and biocontainment (Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, National Quarantine Unit), as well as a dedicated group of internationally recognized experts in the field.  The goal of the Biopreparedness and Biocontainment EMET is to engage interested students in these concepts to prepare for future outbreaks and pandemics. 

Students participating in the Biopreparedness and Biocontainment EMET will have the opportunity to:

-Learn the concepts of biocontainment and biopreparedness, as well as clinical and operational considerations when caring for patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases through specialized didactic teaching.

-Take part in individualized tours of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit (NBU) and the National Quarantine Unit (NQU)

-Participate in hands-on biocontainment training sessions, including specialized personal protective equipment (PPE) training, drills and exercises with the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit team

-Engage in biopreparedness and biocontainment research

-Participate in educational activities and meetings involving other biocontainment units in the United States and around the world.

-Receive one-on-one mentoring and career advising from some of the world's experts in biopreparedness and biocontainment

Preview | Contacts: Dahn Clemens, PhD, and Dr. Douglas Stoller, MD, PhD

The main objective of the Cardiovascular Medicine EMET program is to expose students to scientific and clinical aspects of cardiovascular medicine and enhance their awareness and understanding of the cardiovascular disease.

Students participating in the Cardiovascular Medicine EMET will:

• Develop a deeper understanding of the practice of cardiovascular medicine
• Develop the skills needed to critically evaluate the scientific and medical literature
• Develop an understanding of how to initiate and execute a research project
• Develop an understanding of the skills required to conduct scientific and/or clinical research
• Gain insight into the ethical issues surrounding scientific and clinical research

EMET Preview | Contacts:  Jesse Bell, PhD, and Ellen Kerns, PhD, MPH

The Climate Change and Health Enhance Medical Education track will expose students to different types of research related to climate change and health with the anticipation that students will choose an area of focus for further studies during the M2, M3, and M4 years. The majority of the research and laboratory work conducted will be done during the summer break between M1 & M2. After which, the student will synthesize their research project into a poster board that will be presented at a National Meeting. Students will also join the Healthy Earth Alliance, participate in presentations, attend speaking engagements, participate in clinical shadowing, and attend events put on by the Water, Climate, and Health program. All throughout the experience students will be guided by their faculty mentor who will provide the support and expertise necessary to provide a rich learning experience on the topic of Climate Change and Health.

Preview | Contact: Joe Runge, JD

Students will join interdisciplinary teams of business students to evaluate medical inventions and build business strategy reports

• Gain real-world applications in business finance, and economics by serving as medical subject matter experts and ensure business strategies start with a core understanding of the medical problem the invention addresses
• Liaise with clinical inventors to learn the motivation behind and features of their inventions
• Bring a full understanding of healthcare innovation and entrepreneurial knowledge in your desired specialty. 

Medical Technology Prototyping Rotation:

• Gain skills in 3d modeling from UNeTech’s community partners (Metro Community College CAET and UNO Biomechanics) 
• Partner with University inventors to advance their inventions, produce physical prototypes, and assist in preliminary testing
• Bring designs to life through processes focused on market application. Work to optimize inventions for efficient production, FDA clearance, and actual utilization in a healthcare environment. 

Contacts: Brian Boerner, MD, and Dr. Abbey Fingeret, MD

The Clinical Educator Enhanced Medical Track will provide students interested in careers in academic medicine and clinical education with foundational knowledge, practical skills, and scholarship opportunities in health profession education. Through a four-year curriculum, the tracks students will:

• Demonstrate understanding of andragogy and instructional design as it relates to educating clinicians
• Construct and execute teaching exercises with meaningful techniques for evaluation of future learners
• Identify the role of simulation and technology in medical education
• Demonstrate understanding of the administrative elements of education in a university system
• Apply statistics and experimental design as they pertain to educational research
• Create a capstone research project or curriculum element and convert it into scholarship
• Develop longitudinal mentor relationships with faculty educators
• Develop fundamental skills in peer mentorship

Preview | Contact: Faruq Pradhan, MD

The Combined Medical and Surgical Integrated Track in Liver Transplantation will provide students interested in pursuing a career in either medicine or surgery with robust clinical experience rotating both with Transplant Surgery and Transplant Hepatology.

Through a four-year curriculum, students in this track will:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of the evaluation process for liver transplantation in adults.
2. Learn about the organ acquisition and transplantation process thus giving the student the knowledge to educate future patients in need of transplantation.
3. Observe the transplant operation in an adult recipient thus providing the student with the foundation to understand intra-operative care in this patient population.
4. Learn about the day-to-day management of post operative patients in the ICU and post ICU care.
5. Rotate with ancillary services including dieticians and pharmacists and learn about their role in pre- and post-transplant care.
6. Create a capstone research project and submit it for presentation at a national conference.

Overview | Contacts: Sara Bares, MD, Jennifer M. Davis, MD, and Deanna Hansen

The HIV medicine track offers:

• A practical and didactic 4 year curriculum in HIV medicine;
• An introduction to the principles of diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection and its complications; and
• An integral vision of HIV medicine including its scientific, clinical and psychosocial components.

Contact: Bethany Lowndes, PhD

The primary goal of the Engineering and Technology in Medicine Track is to expose the students to the design and implementation of engineering and technology in medicine.

The Engineering and Technology in Medicine track provides experiences that will allow students to:

• Develop the ability to critically evaluate the design, usability, and efficacy of biomedical devices/technologies and their application in medicine through patient safety and human factors lenses (including: user needs, usability, safety, implementation, and risk);
• Acquire the skills for systems-based approach to healthcare delivery and user-centered design in medicine;
• Build foundational skills in the assessment of technology and designs for clinical, research, and quality improvement applications throughout their medical career
• Actively collaborate on and conduct clinical or translational research with the goal of disseminating research results through a peer-reviewed manuscript.
• Build skills to foster innovation and implementation of user-centered design approaches

Preview | Contacts: Jim Medder, MD, MPH, Catherine Medici-Thiemann, PhD, Jenenne Geske, PhD, and Kitty Dybdall, MS, MA

This EMET is for all students regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation who want to:

• Obtain additional knowledge and skills beyond that provided by the current LGBTQ+ curriculum;
• Become clinically and culturally competent healthcare providers when seeing LGBTQ+ patients; and
• Become successful leaders and advocates for LGBTQ+ health promotion in their future careers and community settings.

Learning activities include:

• Monthly meetings and clinical/community service-learning activities in Phases 1 and 3;
• A two-week immersion experience during summer break between years 1 and 2;
• Participation in UNMC Student Pride Alliance and LGBTQ+ Employee Alliance meetings and activities;
• Blogging and reflections on LGBTQ+ curriculum content in Phase 1 and clinical experiences in Phase 2 clerkships; and
• A Capstone Project can be an individual or group activity in the academic, clinical, or community setting that identifies needs and implements a practical intervention to address those needs and improve LGBTQ+ overall resilience and well-being.

Preview | Contacts: Byers Shaw, MD, Mary Gallagher Jansen, MD, and Stephanie Hartman, MD

This track, in part, aims to strengthen and nurture students' interest in the humanities and arts through faculty mentoring and collaborative discourse with colleagues.

Track activities include:

• A strong mentoring component through tract activities, electives, and a capstone project;
• Support in clarifying professional values; and
• Small-group discussions in the form of book clubs, writing, or creative arts groups.

Preview | Contact: Melanie Menning, MD

Students will gain advanced training and experience in providing quality health-care to New American (refugees, asylees, immigrants) patients in a culturally respectful manner.

Track activities include:

• Three-year curriculum involving lectures, journal articles, and community activities to develop a knowledge of the unique medical conditions, challenges and social determinants of health faced by New American patients in our community and identify community resources to support New American patients
• Monthly hands on clinical experience through the New American Continuity program in the SHARING clinics and rotations at OneWorld
• The New American Project includes a literature review and quality improvement project involving a New American population of your choosing.

Contacts: Nathan Gollehon, MD, Jason Burrows, MD, and Nate Goodrich, MD 

The Pediatric Medicine EMET will provide students interested in pediatrics as a career with opportunities to engage and learn from pediatric faculty. The goal of this EMET is to provide students with opportunities to engage longitudinally with pediatric patients and faculty from the Department of Pediatrics in addition to providing students with a foundation in pediatric research.

The objectives of this EMET include:

1. Provide students the opportunity to work longitudinally with pediatric patients and their families.
2. Develop skills, knowledge, and abilities, including clinical and physical exam skills, that will prepare students for a career in Pediatrics.
3. Participate in a mentored research project that has a primary focus in some area of pediatrics, with presentation of this research in either a publication or at a local, regional, or national conference.
4. Engage students in longitudinal mentorship from identified faculty members from the Department of Pediatrics.
5. Develop foundational research skills under the mentorship and guidance of faculty mentorship.
6. To gain a more in-depth understanding of pediatric illness and the critical differences between pediatric healthcare and adult healthcare.

Contacts: Justin Mott, MD, PhD, Dr. Allison Cushman-Vokoun, MD, PhD, and Alfred Fisher, MD, PhD

This track will provide activities and training to foster critical thinking and adult learning combined with a rigorous collection of evidence to allow trainees to advance what is known and potentially challenge current paradigms in medicine. The physician-scientist track is designed for both MD-PhD students and medical students with a sincere interest in pursuing a career as a physician-scientist. MD-PhD students are not required to select this track and the track will not exclude non-MD-PhD students.

Students in this track will:

• Develop an integrated professional identity as a physician-scientist through reflection and networking with peers and physician-scientists.
• Advance biomedical knowledge through active participation in a research project including communicating the findings through abstracts and publications.
• Track your progress and academic development with a faculty advisor.
• Identify transferable and leadership skills through principles and practice.

• Workshops on leadership principles and communication, as well as grant crafting and scientific writing.
• Seminar series including research presentations and professional development topics.
• Mentored summer research experience and research electives, paired with opportunities to communicate findings.

Preview | Overview  | Contact: Bhavina Sharma, MD and Meghana Kesireddy, MBBS

• To provide an opportunity for medical students to broaden their educational experiences to the unique medical needs and problems of oncology patients.
• To expose students to the expanding molecular and genetic markers associated with different cancer and their implications in cancer treatment.
• To learn more about the different and emerging cancer treatment modalities: chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, cellular therapies.
• Acquire the clinical and research skills that will help the student throughout their future medical career.
  The student should develop the ability to critically evaluate research (including the medical literature) and its application to medicine.
• By completing a research project, the student should gain insight into the process by which research is performed (including the ethical conduct of research, protocol design, study implementation, data collection and analysis, report generation, and administrative issues).

Preview | Contact: Joe Lippert, MD

The goal of this track is to train graduating physicians to have the clinical skills required to successfully provide care in a pre-hospital clinic with very limited diagnostic and procedural resources. The track will also expose students to rural emergency medicine and prepare them for residency in this field.

The track will be run through the UNMC Department of Emergency Medicine. It will be interdisciplinary by facilitating training with EMS departments and off-site rural healthcare locations. We hope to form long-term partnerships with facilities outside of the UNMC network for student clerkships to ensure the longevity of this program. Education from other departments may play a smaller role in meeting the goals of the program. For example, OB/GYN faculty may train students in childbirth and obstetrics emergencies, and radiologists may provide X-ray education.

Preview | Contacts: Jim Medder, MD, MPH, and Jenenne Geske, PhD

In the Preventive Medicine track, students will expand their knowledge, attitudes, and skills in providing preventive care to individuals and population groups.

Some core concepts include:

• Performing appropriate prevention-focused history, physical exam, and screening tests;
• Motivational and behavioral change counseling and communication skills incorporating social and cultural environmental factors to improve the overall health of patients;
• Identification of risk factors and evidence-based interventions for clinical preventive services; and
• Identification and utilization of resources (formal and informal; private and public) that relate directly or indirectly to prevention and public health.

Learning activities include:

• Monthly preventive medicine clinics and seminars;
• A summer course in clinical preventive medicine;
• Electives in preventive medicine and public health; and
• The Preventive Medicine Project. It includes a literature review on a specific preventive medicine topic, an assessment of its current implementation in a healthcare setting, an intervention to improve its implementation, and an evaluation of the success of the intervention.

Contact: Jennifer Liu, MD, MPH

This track can enhance competency in providing care to underserved populations. Students will:

• Develop reflective skills by exploring personal attitudes and motivation while caring for this population;
• Acquire knowledge and skills to effectively and comfortably provide for their special health care needs;
• Effectively utilize available community resources required to provide comprehensive care and to address the challenges specific to the care of this population; and
• Develop competencies to become an effective social and political advocate for their special needs.

In addition to monthly seminars, learning/service activities include:

• Caring for patients in homeless clinics or shelters;
• Limited clinical experience visits and primary care block experiences in underserved clinics/sites including the SHARING Clinics;
• Underserved and/or international elective experiences; and
• The Underserved Project. It includes a literature review on a related topic, an assessment and prioritization of current needs, the development and implementation of an intervention, and an evaluation of the success of the intervention.