Featured Students for Pre-Med and Patient Care

"My Capstone experience was focused on understanding and addressing disparate outcomes in health and education. With the help of my research mentor at Mayo Clinic, I created and conducted a research project that aimed to understand the disease burden of liver cancer in the Somali community."

"My Capstone experience was focused on understanding and addressing disparate outcomes in health and education. With the help of my research mentor at Mayo Clinic, I created and conducted a research project that aimed to understand the disease burden of liver cancer in the Somali community."

"I knew immediately during my tour that UMR was where I needed to be. The small class sizes, integrated curriculum with a focus on health sciences, JustASK center and having Mayo Clinic next door were just a few selling points for me. Knowing that the instructors knew me by name and we could sit down at any time to have a conversation about school or life made me realize that they are here for us and want to see us succeed."

"My Capstone experience truly shaped the way I practice medicine today by allowing me to work directly with a variety of practitioners and mold my current practice from the strengths I witnessed in each of them. It also allowed me to work alongside various allied health staff to better appreciate how their work affects overall patient outcomes."

“My Capstone experience pushed me to articulate why I wanted to pursue the physician role over others. It helped me tremendously during the medical school application and interview process.”

"UMR’s curriculum meant that I could significantly influence my own trajectory in regards to courses, volunteering, research, and more since I was encouraged to pursue and seek out opportunities that were important to me."

“Faculty and staff genuinely cared about the success and well-being of all students."

"I chose UMR because of the location. Being somewhat close to my hometown made it easy to have a good family balance while I navigated the excitement and rigors of UMR’s coursework. I also chose UMR because I knew I’d be pursuing medicine, and what better place to start that journey than right next door to one of the top hospitals in the country? Being so close to Mayo Clinic helped me find research opportunities and physician mentors who helped guide me to where I am today."

"I do feel that my Capstone experience made me more confident in traveling the world and therefore interested in that opportunity. In addition, my Capstone was an experience that made me stand out during the interview process for medical school."

“The challenging coursework at UMR made my transition into medical school smoother, helping me feel prepared and less overwhelmed by the course load."

"I also loved the smaller class sizes and close faculty and student connections. I always felt supported and encouraged to grow as a student and future provider."

"UMR’s chancellor at the time, Chancellor Lehmkuhle, ultimately confirmed my decision to attend UMR when he discussed the three R’s – rigor, relevance and relationships. These three pillars were everything that I was seeking in an undergraduate program and their importance cannot be overlooked."

"I chose UMR because of the unique opportunities available due to small class sizes, the JustASK desk and proximity to Mayo Clinic. I knew I wanted to attend a smaller school where I could build relationships with peers, have small class sizes and participate in unique research opportunities."

"My Capstone experience reaffirmed my passion and interest in serving patients at the end of life and their families, which I continue to do in clinical practice as a Registered Nurse. The UROP project really ignited my interest in conducting research to benefit patients and families more at a systems-level. That experience provided foundational research skills and knowledge that made me curious about potentially carving out a career that would enable me to both practice and do research, which is what I will be able to do as a Nurse Scientist upon completing my PhD."

"I chose UMR for the hands-on opportunities available within health care and research settings. Additionally, UMR allowed me to be surrounded by individuals who also have the hope to change the health care system to better support patients and/or progress the research field to better define cures, access and improve overall health of individuals."

"My Capstone gave me a chance to dip my toes into medicine at the intersection of human, animal and environmental health. I could never have guessed how valuable my time at UMR and my Capstone would be."

“Dr. Wacek was so knowledgeable and kind and I honestly would not have passed Organic Chemistry without Dr. Nelson."

"I chose to attend UMR because of the focus on the health field and the size of the school. I knew that I wanted to have smaller class sizes and I also liked the idea of JustASK hours."

"The BSHS program helped me learn more about health care careers in general which allowed me to discover the path that I wanted to pursue and how to get there."

“UMR pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect and helped me see what I’m capable of."

"I had a strong interest in health care, and valued the strong partnership that the University of Minnesota Rochester had with Mayo Clinic. I knew that I would give me quality experiences to determine the health care path that was right for me. "

“[These experiences] helped me face the challenges of this career in a supportive learning environment and prepared me to successfully pass the certification exam required."

“It’s an amazing chance to have intimate discussions with your peers and a great opportunity to grow connections with your professors. I thought overall it’d be a significant way to grow as a health care professional."

“This experience [being a PCA] not only helped me solidify my career path but also taught me valuable lifelong lessons and skills. I improved my ability to work effectively as part of a team, learned the importance of truly knowing my patients, and, most importantly, came to understand how essential each health care professional is in delivering quality care.”

"Due to the pandemic, I needed to adapt heavily to the ever changing world of being a student when you’re not allowed at school. It was difficult but my reflections throughout my Capstone highlighted my ability to adapt and accommodate, which I now know is vital in medical school."

“It was nice to know the faculty at UMR are cheering for you and want you to succeed."

“I knew that if I didn’t choose UMR, I would be missing out on experiences that couldn’t be replicated elsewhere."

“I was fortunate to gain introspective skills that have been greatly applied as I continue my education.”

"I grew as a student and a person, and I was much more prepared for graduate school because of my Capstone experience. I built strong relationships that helped me transition from being an undergraduate student to a graduate student in a doctoral program."