this year. Alek Erickson is a second year graduate student in the labor- atory of Dr
. Andrew Dudley and. Joseph Rohr, a UNMC MD/PhD stu- dent, is a first year ...
UNMC High School Alliance
A Health Sciences Enrichment Program
The UNMC High School Alliance Begins Fourth Year in 2013‐2014 As the UNMC High School Alliance pro‐ gram begins its fourth year, we take a look back at how the program started and where the program is today.
The program opened its doors to the inaugural class in the fall of the 2010‐ 2011 school year. That first class was comprised of 36 high school juniors and seniors from eight school districts, 17 high schools, and one educa onal ser‐ vice unit. During this inaugural year all of the students took the same courses: Biomedical Research and Medical Deci‐ sion Making in the fall; and Anatomy in the spring. The success of the first year a racted addi onal school districts, the need to
Infec ous Disease: Microbes, The Good, the Bad, the Ugly The Infec ous Disease course welcomes Ms. Marnie Imhoff to work alongside Ms. Linsey Donner in lecture as well as in the lab. Both instructors have kept the students on their toes with the implementa on of reading case studies that involve the organisms being studied. This year more organisms to study were added, giving the students a wider range of microbiology topics.
Alexis Reza (Bellevue East) creates a protein bracelet in the Biomedical Research Class. (See story on page 5).
see Infec ous pg 6
expand the number of students for the second year, and another full‐ me cer ‐ fied high school teacher. More classes were offered and students were able to select the classes that interested them the most. The classes that were added include: Infec ous Disease, Gene cs, and Community Health. Building upon the success of the first two years, the UNMC High School Alli‐ ance program expanded the number of students to 55 for the third year and added one more class, Health Science Fundamentals: Pa ent Centered Care.
see Fourth Year pg 6
Pathology: Fundamentals of Disease The pathology course, instructed by Dr. Geoffrey Talmon, is well underway. The High School Alliance students thoroughly enjoy Dr. Talmon’s enthusiasm and pas‐ sion for science. The students have been learning about the study of histology, immunology, and inflamma on. They can iden fy various disease states at both the cellular and ssue level and they understand how this iden fica on process plays a role in pa ent diagnosis.
see Pathology pg 7
Volume 1, Issue 1 | Fall 2013
From the Program Coordinator Welcome to the first edi on of the UNMC High School Alliance Newsle er! We intend to send a newsle er twice a year — once in the fall and once in the spring to update you on what is happening at the UNMC High School Alliance Program. As we begin our fourth year of the program, our mission re‐ mains to be an academic enrichment program that immerses highly mo vated secondary students from varying educa onal and socioeconomic backgrounds into an environment that in‐ troduces them to healthcare professions. Our students have come from 21 different high schools and 10 different school districts since we began the program in the 2010‐2011 school year. Anna Spethman (Millard North) works on a project in the Infec ous Disease class.
Newsle er Fall 2013 Volume 1, Issue 1 This Newsle er is produced by the UNMC High School Alliance at the Uni‐ versity of Nebraska Medical Center. Editor: Heidi Kaschke Photographers: Jaynie Bird, Teri Hart‐ man, Tonya Janke, Heidi Kaschke, and Ashlie Nelson Contributors: Jaynie Bird, Tonya Janke, John Keenan, and Ashlie Nelson For addi onal informa on, please contact: UNMC High School Alliance 985330 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198‐5330
We would like to thank The Sherwood Founda on, all of the UNMC faculty, staff, and students for their con nued support and commitment to this program. We would also like to thank the school districts, their superintendents, counselors, and sci‐ ence teachers for sending us such inquisi ve, passionate stu‐ dents. To our teachers and UNMC High School Alliance staff, thank you for making the program successful. And of course, we want to thank the parents and the students who made the decision to be a part of the program. We hope that you enjoy the informa on in this newsle er. If you would like to see other aspects of the program, please let us know. We are happy to showcase our program and the UNMC campus whether in person or adding more pages to our newsle er.
(402) 559‐3027
Heidi Kaschke
www.unmc.edu/alliance
Program Coordinator
[email protected]
Newsle er | 2
“It’s important to get people interested in health care careers early on, to expose them to all the different diversity of careers available.” ‐ Bill Lydia , MD UNMC High School Alliance students shadow Captain David Mann at the City of Omaha Public Safety Training Center on Friday, September 27, 2013.
Me and My Shadow: High School Alliance Seeks Mentors By John Keenan, UNMC Public Rela ons
He says the ac vity offers advantages not only to the students, but to the par ci‐ pa ng professionals.
Bill Lydia , MD enjoys working with the young students of the UNMC High School Alliance.
"As physicians and health care profession‐ als, we become accustomed to fairly re‐ markable experiences," he said. "We get to take part in very cri cal events in people's lives. We get to see them express incredi‐ ble gra tude, but also fear and a whole range of emo ons."
Dr. Lydia highly recommends the mentor‐ ing experience. There's li le me commit‐ ment, and the students are HIPAA‐trained and prepared to act professionally.
The reac ons of the students, Dr. Lydia said, can remind professionals of the won‐ der and gravity of their work.
"They are respec ul, apprecia ve and very bright, and they will bring a different and new insight to your daily experience."
"It's nice to see that, to think about what it is like to witness this event as someone who's had li le to no experience in these situa ons," he said. "It reinvigorates your interest in what you do; it brings back some of the awe of experiencing what we get to experience as physicians and health care workers."
For addi onal informa on or to become a shadowing host, please contact the UNMC High School Alliance program at (402) 559‐ 3027 or
[email protected]
He thinks his colleagues and other medical professionals would enjoy it as well, and the program is invi ng them to try. The program is seeking professionals to allow the students to shadow them during a regular working day. An instructor in the program since it began four years ago, Dr. Lydia is enthusias c about the alliance.
"It's important to get people interested in health care careers early on, to expose them to all the different diversity of ca‐ reers available," he said. "It's important to expose diverse youth, as well ‐‐ kids from different backgrounds." One of the high points of the program for students is the opportunity to shadow a health professional. Dr. Lydia has been a "shadow mentor" with the program since its incep on.
"In class, and in the wri ng assignments, I have come across very insigh ul, wise ob‐ serva ons," he said. "Students will o en draw on a major experience they saw in clinic ‐ a person with an end‐of‐life issue, or a person newly diagnosed with cancer."
Since the High School Alliance has only been in existence for four years, it's s ll too early to judge its impact. However, Dr. Lydia already has seen signs that the in‐ volvement of health care professionals leaves its mark. Dr. Lydia allows students to shadow him throughout the school year.
Volume 1, Issue 1 | Fall 2013 page 3
Community Health Class Takes Field Trips The Community Health course welcomes Ms. Ka e Brandert and Mr. Brandon Grimm as the new lead instructors this year as Dr. Andy Jameton prepares for re rement.
Students in the Community Health class visit the Papillion Creek Water Pollu on Control Plant on September 11, 2013.
Under Ms. Brandert and Mr. Grimm’s guid‐ ance, the students have taken field trips to both the Papillion Creek Water Treatment Plant and The University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Feedlot near Mead, Nebraska. The students were able to get up‐close and personal with items that impact their day to day lives. Hearing the cows conduct a chorus for the students, along with learning how the animals are treated as humanely as possible were the highlights of the trip. The students also par cipated in different ac vi es that took the idea of health care from the individual to the community, bring‐ ing the class towards the concepts of public health. They had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Adi Pour the Director of the Douglas County Health Department on the results of the de‐ partment’s latest survey for the county, indi‐ ca ng the biggest issues facing Douglas County. With that informa on the students are now working on different research pro‐ jects that involve areas of concern. The students will work in pairs to complete a formal wri en paper and conduct a presen‐ ta on that address ac ons that can be taken place in the community to help with an area of concern. By: Jaynie Bird, Cer fied High School Teacher
Students in the Community Health class learned about grain processing at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln Feedlot during a field trip on October 4, 2013.
Applica ons for the 2014‐2015 UNMC High School Alliance pro‐ gram will be available in December 2013. Please check our web‐ site: www.unmc.edu/alliance to download the applica on and for more informa on. The deadline for submi ng applica ons will be February 28, 2014.
Newsle er | 4
Biomedical Research Class Brushes Up On Skills The biomedical research course welcomed two new UNMC gradu‐ ate studies students as instructors this year. Alek Erickson is a second year graduate student in the labor‐ atory of Dr. Andrew Dudley and Joseph Rohr, a UNMC MD/PhD stu‐ dent, is a first year grad student in the laboratory of Dr. John Chan. The High School Alliance students started the school year off brushing up on cell biology, the metric sys‐ tem, and mathema cal conver‐ sions. Their fine motor skills have been tested me and again when using their micropipe es in the lab. Molecular biology concepts were
the main focus of the month of September. The students are now be er prepared for their post‐ secondary science course work!
The students will present on their experiences in December, culmi‐ na ng an exci ng semester of bio‐ medical research!
A highlight of the course is that the students will spend four a ernoons in various UNMC biomedical re‐ search laboratories this semester. From those experiences, the stu‐ dents will have a be er under‐ standing of the world of biomedical research in terms of the vast spec‐ trum of molecular research, the integrated techniques u lized, and the state of the art technology that advances research and the delivery of health care.
By: Ashlie Nelson, Cer fied High School Teacher Pictured above from le to right are : Quinn Nelson (Westside), Alex Goodman (Omaha Burke), Brianna Shaw (Omaha Burke) and Noah Yoshida (Omaha Central) showing their protein bracelets that they made in the Biomedical Research class.
Volume 1, Issue 1 | Fall 2013 page 5
UNMC High School Alliance Alumni — We want to stay connected with you! “Like” our page on Facebook. Email us your updated contact informa on. Tell us where you are a ending or planning to a end college. Let us know where you are applying for professional school or where you are working.
[email protected]
UNMC High School Alliance Alumni Arlington: Kimberlie Gaffney 2011 Bellevue East: Stephanie Dinogan 2011; Alyssa Meyer 2011; Chris ne Blair 2012; Jake Herbert 2012; Zach‐ ary Stovall 2012; Ellen Brightweiser 2013; Ziomara Jurado 2013; Colin Milos 2013; Madellyn Wilson 2013 Bellevue West: Alexander Clarke; 2011; Lauren Garcia 2011; Leah Whitney 2011; Kevin Hanna 2012; Max Lydia 2013; Rebecca Sis 2013; Aus n Stacey 2013; Jus n Thorstad 2013 Bennington: Ka e Schrum 2011; Ben Wichelt 2011; KyLee Mumma 2012; Sydney Salmon 2012; Mike Wilhelm 2013 Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln: Henry Black 2011; Kelcie Huebner 2012; Natasha Konfrst 2012; Sarah Trant 2012; Riley Barton 2013; Jeremy Vogel 2013 Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson: Miranda Ethen 2011; Brianne Moore 2011; Kelsie (Skow) Snow 2011; Sarah Ingwersen 2013 Douglas County West: Leigha Peter‐ son 2011; Katelyn Goeden 2012; Taylor Vencil 2013
Emily Kahlandt (DC West) and Cassidy Kepler (Millard South) prepare to suture bananas in pathology.
Gretna: Caleb Guern 2011; Emma Connelley 2012; Adrian Dammer‐ mann 2012; Elise Gahan 2013; Kris‐ ten Kuhn 2013; Sabrina Mon‐ temarano 2013 Louisville: Madalyn McFarland 2012
Fourth Year con
Millard North: Andrea Bierman 2012; Kim Duong 2012; Bailey Finn 2012; Jessica Powers 2012; Lynn Chi 2013; Athira Jayan 2013; Marisa Varghese 2013 Millard South: Aasia For er 2012 Millard West: Karina Marin 2012; Cameron Riecke 2012; Brianna Weber 2012; Mary Danielson 2013; Conner Hile 2013; Aus n Post 2013 Omaha Benson: Daisy Gonzales 2011; Luz Tapia 2011; Shannon Weeks 2011; KaShonda Williams 2011; Michaela Menard 2012; Char‐ lene Shambare 2012; Kylee Askew 2013; Emily Dennis 2013 Omaha Bryan: Ma Estabrook 2011; Mariah Bliss 2012; Daisy Gomez 2013 Omaha Burke: Keely Emmack 2011; Rachel Hilt 2011; Gregory Wilcock‐ son 2011; Damian Catlin 2012; Marcel Hallaert, Jr. 2012; Gary Liu 2012; LaRae Mo l 2012; Travis Craig 2013; Emma Nice 2013 Omaha Central: Fujehat Ara 2011; Marquise Lindsey 2011; Noam Margalit 2011; Melissa Su on 2012; Lauren Bandel 2013; Rema Idriss 2013; Brevan Jorgenson 2013; Lucas Meyer 2013; Serena Moore 2013; Sam Parr 2013; Megan Wolford 2013
Students can choose among courses such as Biomedical Research, Infec ous Dis‐ ease, Community Health, Art and Science of Decision Making, Pathology, Gene cs, Health Science Fundamentals: Pa ent Centered Care, or Anatomy. In the spring semester a part‐ me cer ‐ fied high school teacher will be added to the staff. The UNMC High School Alliance is con‐ stantly working to improve the program. While the current year is underway, we
Omaha South: Lucia Rodriguez 2011; Mauricio Davila 2012; Rosio Grana‐ dos 2012; Arelica Guerrero 2012; Kimberli Hernandez 2012; Salomon Ramirez 2012; Leslie Ramirez 2012; Dulce Rangel 2012; Isis Uribe 2012; Kathya Carvajal 2013; Paris Cross 2013; Bernice Gu errez 2013; Kevin Harkins 2013; Valeria Hernandez 2013; Laura Herrera 2013; Kyle Miles 2013; Yesenia Rodriguez 2013 Papillion LaVista: Courtney King 2011; Stephanie Schiffert 2013; Nathaniel Vaughan 2013 Papillion LaVista South: Natalie Strohmyer 2011; Elisabeth Baker 2012; Andrew Donovan 2012; Becca Mann 2012; Marcus McKenzie 2012; Flora Mondi 2013 Westside: Bikash Adhikari 2011; Josh Atwell 2011; Melissa Laughlin 2011; Laurene Yuskevich 2012; Kate Durst 2013; Angela Reynolds 2013; Joe Schanbacher 2013
Omaha North: MacKenzie Wya 2011; Ibukunoluwa Awodele 2012; Kenia Sanchez 2012; Naki Brizendine 2013
Infec ous con
nued from pg 1
The fourth year of the High School Alli‐ ance includes 55 students from Omaha Public Schools, Millard Public Schools, Bellevue Public Schools, Papillion LaVista Public Schools, Council Bluffs Community Schools, Westside Community Schools, Gretna Public School, and Douglas Coun‐ ty West Community Schools.
Omaha Northwest: Eduardo Gonza‐ lez 2012; Chris McElwain 2012; Gabriela Arellano 2013; Tania Lopez 2013; Adriana Romero 2013
con nue to develop new curriculum for 2014‐2015, recruit UNMC faculty and graduate students, and prepare for the admissions process for a new class of students who are passionate about health sciences. We are also developing new ways to evaluate the experiences that our stu‐ dents have throughout the program, new shadowing opportuni es, new ways to build camaraderie among the stu‐ dents, and teaching the students the value of the professional network that they have formed by being a part of this program. We will also con nue to hold annual alumni reunions. We are looking forward to a successful fourth year of the UNMC High School Alliance program!
nued from pg 1
The students are s ll the most intrigued by the ‘unknown’ given to them in the lab to test their skills in iden fying the organisms. The students are currently working on a research paper con‐ nected to an infec ous disease outbreak that made an impact on society in the past, and working in their small groups to write a script for a skit that involves the onset and care of an infec ous disease. They are also watching the news for current events that involve infec ous disease agents which they present to the whole class to keep everyone connected to the organisms that are in the community. The students have had the opportunity to tour the Clinical Microbiology Lab and are looking forward to the tour of the Biocontainment Unit. By: Jaynie Bird, Cer fied High School Teacher
Newsle er | 6
UNMC High School Alliance In Focus Once a month, the UNMC High School Alliance features a student in the on campus publica on called UNMC Today. The student for the month of September was Jesus Perez from Omaha South. The student for the month of October was Jessica Valdez from Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln. Below you will learn more about why these students chose to be a part of the High School Alliance. Jesus became involved in the pro‐ gram because he has always been drawn to the sciences. He knows that the program offers courses that mimic the caliber of introductory medical school courses and he want‐ ed to nurture his curiosity and find new ways to solve problems. Jesus plans to become a cardiologist.
Pathology con
nued from pg 1
The class observes pathologic organs in the hospital morgue a er learning about the pathologic mechanism of disease and interpre ng virtual histological sec ons. These observa ons allow the students to make authen c connec ons between what they are reading about and learning about in class to the physical effects the disease has on the human body. In class ac vi es have included blood typ‐ ing, performing injec ons on raw chicken thighs, and suturing bananas. The stu‐ dents are busy researching the disease they selected for their semester papers and presenta ons. A final comprehensive exam, a research paper, and a formal presenta on will mark the end of pathology in the month of December! By: Ashlie Nelson, Cer fied High School Teacher
Jessica ‘s personal experiences with her grandmother inspired her to begin volunteering at a local hospital which eventually lead her to apply for the UNMC High School Alliance program. Jessica wants to become a pediatric physical therapist. For Jessica, the best part about the UNMC High School Alliance is the courses that she can take. She says they are beyond anything she should experience at her home high school. For Jesus, the best part about the program has been working with the advanced microscopes and using the state‐of‐the‐art facili es at UNMC. Both students are enjoying their me on campus and embracing the op‐ portunity that they have been given.
Jessica Valdez, top photo and Jesus Perez, bo om photo were featured in The Alliance In Focus.
Dates to Remember October 28: Counselor Apprecia‐ on Day
January 30: Student Shadowing February 17: No School
October 28: Student Shadowing
February 26: Student Shadowing
November 7‐8: No School
March 6‐7: No School
November 19: Student Shadowing November 27‐29: No School December 20: Last Day of Fall Semester
March 10‐14: No School Spring Break April 7: Student Shadowing April 28: No School
January 7: First Day of Spring Semester
May 16: Seniors Last Day
January 13: Ice Ska ng
May 23: Juniors Last Day
January 20: No School
May 23: Recogni on Day
Volume 1, Issue 1 | Fall 2013 page 7
UNMC HIGH SCHOOL ALLIANCE A Health Sciences Enrichment Program 985330 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198‐5330 (402) 559‐3027
[email protected]
>> This publica on will be available online
