Match Day countdown: Jennifer Harney

Jennifer Harney and her friend Braxton

• Name: Jennifer Harney
• Hometown: Aurora, Neb.

What key events in your life influenced your path to medical school?
I was diagnosed via newborn screening at 3 days old with phenylketonuria, or PKU. It is a autosomal recessive metabolic disorder (1/10,000) in which I’m lacking the enzyme to break down the amino acid phenylaline. I’ve been on a low protein diet of less than six grams of protein per day since then and supplement my diet with amino acid formula (Just to put that into perspective, an order of french fries from McDonald’s has three grams of protein — there goes half my daily allowance!) As such, I quickly became familiar with the medical field. My PKU physician, Dr. Hobart Wiltse, who was a pediatrician specializing in metabolic disorders and has since passed away, had always said at my annual visit he wanted one of his patients to become a physician. So since a young age, this has always been my goal.

How will your experience influence you as a doctor?
Growing up in a small Nebraska town, most of the community was aware of my disease and would go out of their way to make accommodations for it, something you wouldn’t find in a larger setting. This, among many other reasons, has influenced me to practice rural medicine. I think having any medical condition or experience gives you a unique perspective and really allows you to exhibit empathy towards your patients you might not otherwise have. I therefore see my “disease” as a huge blessing rather than a hassle or a curse. It’s gotten me to where I am today. I’ve since been accepted into the accelerated Family Medicine residency program here at UNMC and plan to once again return to a rural setting once my training is complete.