Seventeen Nebraska high school students recently attended a reunion for former participants of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s State Science Meet. The students, who were eighth graders in 2004 and 2005, are now juniors and seniors in high school.
From July 18 to 20, the students explored science and health care careers, visited UNMC departments and job shadowed with health professionals from UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center. While in Omaha, they learned about scientific research, clinical pathology, patient care, and emerging technologies in surgery and orthopedics.
“The whole purpose of the science meet is to introduce middle school students to health care careers in a hands-on, fun environment,” said Roxanna Jokela, director of UNMC’s Rural Health Education Network, which sponsored the visit. “The alumni meet allows us to follow up with our former participants and determine how many are interested in health care professions, and then offer the opportunity to explore their career interests.”
“The students were pretty dazzled by all the technology,” said Ann Kraft, coordinator of the meet, “but what really impressed them was the hospitality of the staff and faculty. It just amazed them that so many people took the time to show them a variety of careers and did it in such a nice way. It really turned them on to the Medical Center.”
For many students, the experience reaffirmed their career choice. For other students, the experience opened their eyes to additional possibilities such as public health or biomedical engineering, Kraft said.
The students who participated were:
Ainsworth Ainsworth Community School
- Seth Davis, junior
- Keanna Gross, junior
- Gina Imm, junior
- Kyle Klammer, senior
- Brandon Painter, senior
Bladen Silver Lake High School
* Mark Lutkemeier, junior
Clarkson Schuyler Central High School
* Angela Brichacek, senior
Grant Perkins County High School
- Lance Glunz, junior
Lawrence Blue Hill High School
- Amber Himmelberg
North Platte St. Patrick’s High School
- Danielle Wieseler, senior
Omaha Roncalli Catholic High School
- Connor Barnes, junior
Millard North High School
- Joe-Ann Moser, junior
- Suresh Pavuluri, junior
- Anne Wang, junior
Marian High School
* Ehiamen Okoruwa, senior
Ord Ord High School
* Riley Machal, senior
Wallace Wallace School 65-R
* Ray Bringewatt, senior
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources is now nearly $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes more than 460 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.