Lookin’ at U – Patty Fugitt









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Patty Fugitt
Each Thursday, we meet a medical center employee. This week, we learn more about:

  • Name: Patty Fugitt
  • Hometown: George, Iowa
  • Number of months at UNMC: One and a half months

Tell us about what you do here at UNMC.

I am the SMDEP coordinator. UNMC is one of 12 sites of the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program, a national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. SMDEP is a six-week summer academic enrichment program that offers freshman and sophomore college students intensive and personalized medical and dental school preparation. UNMC’s SMDEP provides pre-dental and pre-medicine scholars with academic enrichment in the basic sciences and math, clinical experiences, career development activities, learning and study skills seminars, and a financial planning workshop. I coordinate the summer program and recruit students throughout the year. I work closely with the recruitment and student engagement team in recruiting students from underserved populations.

Commitment to excellence is one of UNMC’s brand values. Tell us of an example of how you’ve experienced a commitment to excellence here at UNMC.
In the short time I have been here, I have witnessed a great deal of teamwork and dedication to recruiting a diverse student base.

What is your favorite winter activity?

Having grown up in northwest Iowa, I am very fond of snow. I enjoy a good book & Netflix on a snowy day.

List three things people may not know about you.

  • I have lived in Boston, Chicago and New York.
  • I am a coffee snob. I own an inappropriate number of Starbucks’ coffee mugs.
  • I attended graduate school at Kansas State while working full time at the University of Kansas, but I am a diehard Husker fan.