Melissa Soester, PhD, PA-C, CAQ-EM, recently joined the faculty in the Division of Physician Assistant Education. Here’s more about Dr. Soester in her own words:
I was born and raised in Nebraska City. Over the years, I had the opportunity to shadow and work with numerous PAs and other healthcare team members that were influential in my decision to practice medicine in a rural area. I attended Chadron State College through the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) and graduated from the UNMC PA program in 2005. I recently completed my PhD in Health Sciences from the University of South Dakota. My dissertation focused on RHOP and KHOP program outcomes and rural health workforce issues. I appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with Nicole Carritt in the UNMC Office of Rural Health Initiatives throughout my dissertation project.
My clinical practice history consists primarily of providing healthcare in rural and underserved areas. After graduating from PA school, I had the opportunity to work at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in eastern Colorado for a short time before returning to Nebraska. Our family moved to Seward in 2007, and I worked for Memorial Healthcare Systems, providing family practice and emergency department services for 11 years. My experience in Seward solidified my love for rural medicine while sparking my interest in teaching. I spent the past three years teaching here in Omaha while working clinically for Bryan Health in Lincoln.
My family recently relocated to Louisville in June. My husband, Cameron, is a middle and high school principal at Louisville Public Schools. We have two sons: Braden (14) and Brecken (10). My hobbies include hiking, biking, skiing, and kayaking.
I am excited to join the Physician Assistant faculty at UNMC and look forward to collaborating with the UNMC community.