UNMC Hosts Health Professions Career Day to Educate Rural High School Students About Health Professions

The University of Nebraska Medical Center Student Association for Rural

Health, made up of students from rural areas studying at UNMC, held Rural

Health Professions Career Day Oct. 4. The event introduced students with

an interest in health careers to the multitude of careers available in

the health sciences.

About 165 high school students and teachers from 64 rural communities

learned about opportunities in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry,

physician assistant, physical therapy, medical technology and other fields.

They watched presentations, visited with health professionals and toured

UNMC and University Hospital

Students met with UNMC representatives from the colleges of dentistry,

medicine, nursing and pharmacy, the school of allied health professions

and financial aid.

In the afternoon, each student attended three 45-minute informational

sessions from among nine topics: nursing, physical therapy, medical technology,

financial aid, medicine, physician assistant, dentistry, radiography or

pharmacy.

About one-half of the physicians, pharmacists, dental professionals

and allied health professionals practicing in Nebraska were trained at

UNMC. The Rural Health Professions Career Day is one of many UNMC efforts

to assist in Growing Our Own future health professionals for Nebraska.

We see events like this as a chance to connect with high school students

throughout the state and get them interested or acquaint them with UNMC

and its educational programs,” said Roxanna Jokela, Rural Health Education

Network coordinator.


Below is a list of high school students, as well as some high school

advisors, and their hometowns.

BLUE HILL HIGH SCHOOL Jessica Hubl


BURWELL JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL Linda Senn (advisor), Keri Reiter, Sarah

Brinkman, Lindsay Gross, Maggie Piper and Ricky Rowse  (All from Burwell)


CENTENNIAL PUBLIC SCHOOL Andrea Swanson (Utica), Keely OHare (Beaver

Crossing), Tim Wilbeck (advisor/Utica), Terri Menze (Gresham) and Korinna

Tomes (Utica).


CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Jennifer Cihacek, Heather Steffen, Nichole

Franzluebbers, Cheryl Kreikemeier (advisor), Jennifer Burger, Jennifer

Schuetze and Emily Hotovy. (All from West Point). Front row, left to right:

WEST POINT JR/SR HIGH Rebecca List, Mandy Brodahl, Brandi Roeber, Libby

Conrad, Richard Johnson (advisor) and Jessica Cox.


DAWSON-VERDON HIGH SCHOOL Jessie Heim (Dawson) and Jacob Fritz (Verdon)


DONIPHAN HIGH SCHOOL Joe Sochor, Debbie Vavra, Shauna England, Brooke

LaBrie and Angie Hartman.  Back Row, left to right: Tanya Schultz,

Adam Hinrikus (Prosser), Darrel Weis (advisor) and Rachel Deitemeyer. (All

from Doniphan, except where indicated)


EAST BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL Lisa McGee (Brainard)


ELKHORN VALLEY SCHOOLS Bethany Bossard (Meadow Grove), Rhonda Collins

(advisor), Kristin Taake, Chad Thompson and Bridget Fox. (All from Tilden,

except where indicated)


ELMWOOD MURDOCK HIGH SCHOOL Sarah Jordan (Murdock), Kristin McLaughlin

(Elmwood), Amy Willadsen (Greenwood), and Kristi Satterthwaite (Murdock).


FAIRBURY JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL Holly Heidemann (Daykin), Leanne Ebbers

(Daykin) and Lloyd Scarrow (advisor/Fairbury)


FALLS CITY HIGH SCHOOL Katie Parsons, Tiffany Clark (Dawson), Cody

Merz, Wendy Schawang, Noala Fritz (advisor) and Kellie Andreesen 

(All from Falls City, except where indicated)


GIBBON PUBLIC SCHOOL Cassie Cain, Annessa Stalder, Anna Sikes (Kenesaw),

Trisha Madsen, Rhonda Heffelfinger (advisor) and Jessica Lamkins 

(All from Gibbon, except where indicated)


HEBRON PUBLIC SCHOOL Lacey Cline, Whitney Peters, Cassie Werner,

Renee Else, Jamie Powell (Alexandria) and Katie Bauhard  (All from

Hebron, except where indicated)


LITCHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL Eric Kittoe (Hazard), Maris Bentley (advisor),

Mitch Feldman, and Colby Howard. Back row: Matt Kucera, Lisa Siegel, Hester

Reitz (Pleasanton) and Jessette Bentley (Amherst). (All from Litchfield,

except where indicated)


MILLIGAN HIGH SCHOOL Chelsey Capek (Milligan), Julie Suda (Tobias),

Becky Hayek (Friend) and Stacey Roit (Milligan)


NELIGH-OAKDALE PUBLIC SCHOOL Randi LeComte (Oakdale), Erin Kester

(Clearwater), Teri Legate, Angie Boschult and Rita Wagner (advisor) 

(All from Neligh, except where indicated)


NORTH BEND CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL Jill Hines (Morse Bluff), Beth Minarick

(Morse Bluff), Katie Poulas (Ames), Michelle Settles (North Bend), Amber

Blanchard (North Bend) and Carrie Capron (North Bend)


ONEILL HIGH SCHOOL April Johnson (ONeill), Maria Wietzki (Inman),

Eldar Mursaqulov (ONeill), Monica Scheinost (Page), Amy Wiseman (ONeill),

Delbert Whiting (Page) and Anna Thompson (Page)


ORD HIGH SCHOOL Jodi John, Betty Wieck, Fran Galey (advisor), Chris

Longo and Natalie Shepperd (Comstock). Back Row, left to right:  Brenda

Hansen, Jennifer Petska, Danielle Tolfa, Dawn Schade and Matt Breitkreutz.

(All from Ord, except where indicated)


OSCEOLA HIGH SCHOOL Crystal Smith, Laura Gustafson, Katie Kempkes,

Heidi Zelasney, Hollie Neujahr and Roger Trumper (advisor). Julie Peterson,

Erica Turek, Erica Armogost, Cindi Kumpf, and Kylie Watts. (All from Osceola)


PALMYRA HIGH SCHOOL Tiffany Fischer (Bennet), Katey Ostrander, Brook

Mapson, Klare Chapman, Rachelle Royal (Unadilla) and Natasha Gerstenschlager. 

(All from Palmyra, except where indicated)


PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL Amanda Droescher (Hadar), Heidi Bruening (Norfolk),

Nicholl Micek, Stacie Koehler and Peggy Venteicher.  Back Row, left

to right:  Jessica Retzlaff (Norfolk), Jamie Watson, Jessica Fehringer,

Brandy Lueshen, Deb Koehlmoos (advisor) and Kallie Seier. (All from Pierce,

except where indicated)


PLATTSMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL — John Bouska (advisor), Julie Ingwerson,

Emily Hurd, Kristin Hall, Rebecca Bogle and Paul Ewing.  (All from

Plattsmouth)


 SCHUYLER CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL Phil Krzycki, Caroline Jensen,

Barbara Raya, Jessica Odvoby, Latisha Konz, and Joey Wisington. Back row,

left to right: Tammy Kment, Nealy Wachal, Dan Cogdill and Megan Caba (Clarkson) 

(All from Schuyler, except where indicated)


SEWARD HIGH SCHOOL David Greathouse (advisor), Heather Noxon, Joshua

Ferguson, Erica Helge, Tamera Robotham and Joel Gabriel  (All from

Seward)


SILVER LAKE HIGH SCHOOL Amanda Hall (Campbell), Ron Faber (Holstein),

Justin Gunnare (Upland) and Sarah Klein (Roseland) and Jessica Hemberger

(Roseland)


VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Jason Monroe and Hethe Berg (Both from Valley)


WAHOO HIGH SCHOOL Miranda Swanson, Audra Babcock and Molly Tillman 

(All from Wahoo)


 WAYNE HIGH SCHOOL April Wicks, Amy Magnuson, Mandy Hansen,

Dustin Schmits, Kristin Wilson, Elizabeth Campbell, Terry Munson (advisor)

and Becky Brumm  (All from Wayne)


WILBER-CLATONIA HIGH SCHOOL Melissa Baxa, Elizabeth Chrans, Adam

Helgren, Glenna Heller (advisor), Charlene Kastanek, Kelsi Ripa, Preston

Selleck and Sara Stubbs. (All from Wilber)

UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.

Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,

UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for

cancer research and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than

$32 million in research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists

annually. In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for

training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other

institution.