The Alliance in Focus: Meet Noah Yoshida

Fifty-five members of the UNMC High School Alliance are among the students taking classes at UNMC.

The alliance students come from high schools around the Omaha area and take college-level classes at UNMC to prepare for health careers. Each month, UNMC Today will profile an alliance student.

Today we meet :

• Name: Noah Yoshida
• High school: Omaha Central
• Year: Senior

How did you get involved in the UNMC High School Alliance?
I first noticed the UNMC High School Alliance during my sophomore year when choosing courses for junior year. During my junior year, I had decided that I really wanted to have a job in the medical field; more specifically, become a trauma surgeon. I decided that the Alliance program was the best way to get an upper hand in health science. I applied, was interviewed, and before I knew it I was slipping on that UNMC HSA polo and eager to begin my classes.

What sparked your interest in science?

I wasn’t really a science person until I took physics my junior year. I don’t know if it was the teacher or simply the course, but I had finally found a science course that was actually interesting and fun to learn. This year, I continued into A.P. physics and began the Alliance biomedical research class. After completing the microbiology portion of biomedical research, I thought to myself, “Who knew that learning this stuff was actually fun?” My physics teacher and the UNMC HSA program are to thank for my high level of interest in science.

What are your career aspirations?
My goal is to find a job where I am always helping others. I am interested in trauma surgery because I know I can handle stress well and am able to maintain focus during tense moments. I may later be interested in another specific health occupation, but I know I want a job where I can help people feel better both physically and emotionally.

What has been the best part of your UNMC High School Alliance experience?

My favorite part is being able to shadow real professionals. This allows me to get a taste of many different fields of health science. I’ve had the opportunity to shadow a physical therapist, a thyroid cancer specialist, and explore a biocontainment unit. I consider myself lucky to have had such a great experience.