A contingent of UNMC College of Medicine clinical chairs, associate deans, vice chairs and
educators last month traveled from Omaha to Kearney to mentor the inaugural class of
UNMC medical students based at the Kearney campus.
The visit gave UNMC leaders an opportunity to see the new Douglas A. Kristensen Rural
Health Education Complex in Kearney, meet local educators and share career guidance
with the medical students.
The $115 million complex expands UNMC’s academic footprint in Kearney and allows
UNMC to train students in medicine, pharmacy and public health programs while
expanding existing programs in allied health and nursing.
“The facilities and resources were very impressive, but the people were the highlight of the
visit,” said Michael Wadman, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Emergency Medicine.
Cordelia Harbison, medical student and class of 2030 president, said that the mentorship
activities with UNMC leaders left her feeling supported and excited for her future.
“It was encouraging to see how invested they are in our success and how committed they
are to improving access to healthcare in rural Nebraska,” Harbison said. “Any concerns we
had about the opportunities available to Kearney students compared to those at the
Omaha campus were put at ease.”
“We are incredibly grateful to be included in these important conversations and to learn
from leaders across so many specialties,” she said. “We look forward to continuing to
contribute to UNMC’s mission of strengthening rural healthcare in Nebraska while
exploring the specialties and career paths that will allow us to make a meaningful impact in
the communities we hope to serve.”
Robert Messbarger, MD, inaugural associate dean for the UNMC College of Medicine
Kearney campus, said the students who met with UNMC leadership loved the opportunity.
“The way the faculty connected with them on a personal level was just so impressive and
greatly appreciated. The visit reinforced the message they have heard loud and clear from
the UNMC faculty that the students on the Kearney campus are just as connected to the
resources of the College of Medicine as the students in Omaha,” Dr. Messbarger said.
The delegation was organized by Howard Liu, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of
Psychiatry, on behalf of the Clinical Chairs Council – the group of 18 clinical department
chairs in the UNMC College of Medicine.
“It takes courage from both students and faculty to be the pioneers when you are starting a
new program,” Dr. Liu said. “I want to acknowledge the inspiring leadership of Dr.
Messbarger, Dean (Bradley) Britigan, Dr. Geoffrey Talmon, Chancellor (H. Dele) Davies,
former Chancellor (Doug) Kristensen, Associate Vice Chancellor Kyle Meyer, and all of the
faculty and students who have set such a high standard in Kearney. These medical
students are going to transform healthcare across Nebraska.”
Dr. Messbarger hosted the visit with Kyle Meyer, PhD, in UNMC’s Office of Health Workforce
Initiatives.
“The students thoroughly enjoyed the time” Dr. Meyer said. “It was a strong reflection of the
commitment of the college to the UNMC Kearney campus. I had the pleasure of joining the
group and can attest to the fact that all were impressed with the educational facilities, and
even more so with the students.”
The UNMC College of Medicine leaders traveling to Kearney included:
- Ronald Krueger, MD, chair, ophthalmology;Dwight Jones, MD, chair, otolaryngology;
- Charles Enke, MD, chair, radiation/oncology;
- Joseph Khoury, MD, chair, pathology, microbiology and immunology;
- Howard Liu, MD, chair, psychiatry;
- Michael Wadman, MD, chair, emergency medicine;
- Dan Johnson, MD, executive vice-chair, anesthesiology;
- Shirley Delair, MD, PhD, senior associate dean, strategic initiatives; and
- Emily Hill Bowman, MD, director, primary care program at Brentwood Health