UNMC, UNO team on opportunity for urban students

A new collaborative program between the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and UNMC is providing a unique opportunity for students seeking to be part of the next generation of physicians.

The Urban Health Opportunities Program, or UHOP, has announced its first four cohorts of students selected to help address a need for medical professionals with diverse backgrounds.

Beginning with the 2016-2017 academic year, student cohorts of UNO pre-med students at the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior levels will be provided a scholarship that covers their tuition with a guarantee of admission to UNMC’s School of Medicine upon graduation.

Each of the students in the first year of the UHOP program is either a current UNO student or incoming freshmen. All future additions will be high school students that will commit to enrolling at UNO and, eventually, UNMC.

“The UHOP program is another example of how two wonderful institutions, UNO and UNMC, can leverage their strengths and help address community needs by working together,” said Paul Davis, UHOP coordinator and associate professor of biology at UNO. “It’s a win on both sides.”

A 2014 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges identifies that only 4.4 percent of active doctors identify as Hispanic, 4.1 percent identify as African American and a mere 0.4 percent identify American Indian or Alaska Native.

Before UHOP, a significant number of Nebraska high school students interested in the medical field were leaving the state.

“Our metropolitan mission has always been to provide access to a premier education for students, regardless of their background, and UHOP is a great example of those efforts,” UNO Chancellor John Christensen said. “I am extremely excited to be working with our partners at UNMC to provide this opportunity to our students.”

“We are committed to creating a healthy future for all individuals and communities by providing innovative educational opportunities that open doors to those talented individuals who seek to commit themselves to a lifetime of service in the health care profession,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.

“We are very excited for the collaboration between UNMC and UNO in recruiting and training a diverse group of compassionate future physicians who want to serve and give back to their own local urban communities especially in North and South Omaha,” said Jeff Hill, M.D., associate dean for admissions and student affairs in UNMC’s College of Medicine.