Pawnee Elementary students visit the medical center

Pawnee Elementary School fourth-grader Jayce Krammer reacts to the bitter flavor he experienced during a lesson on human taste at UNMC on May 8. Krammer and other Pawnee fourth graders visited the medical center for a day’s worth of activities designed to introduce the youngsters to careers in health care.

Using table salt, sugar and cayenne pepper, Maurice Godfrey, Ph.D., an associate professor of pediatrics at UNMC, recently demonstrated to 72 fourth-grade students from Pawnee Elementary School exactly how the human sense of taste works.

“Plug your nose then eat one of the red jelly beans in your cup,” Dr. Godfrey told the students. “All you should taste is the sugar. Now unplug your nose, what do you taste?”

“Cinnamon,” one student answered.

“Cherry,” another said.

“That’s right — taste plus smell gives you flavor,” Dr. Godfrey said.

The exercise was part of a day-long health careers workshop the elementary school students attended on May 8.

During the workshop the students listened to a variety of presentations and took part in several hands-on activities.

“It’s been fun learning about the different health careers,” fourth-grader Eden Koeppel said.

The event is designed to introduce the students to health careers at an early age.

Glenn Fosdick, CEO of The Nebraska Medical Center, welcomed the students in the morning, as did Tina Flores, M.D., assistant professor of family medicine at UNMC, Annette Fideler of The Learning Network at The Nebraska Medical Center, child life specialist Debbie Conklin and Sarah Emanuel, a health and fitness instructor.

The afternoon was then spent in rotations, during which the students learned about physician assistants, pharmacy and organ donation.