UNMC High School Alliance

The UNMC High School Alliance is a year-long health sciences program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for high school juniors and seniors from participating Omaha-area public school districts. Students take accredited, college-level classes taught by UNMC faculty, and these classes replace part of their regular high school schedule. Participants also observe and shadow doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, researchers and other health care professionals at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine. The program runs from August to May, with classes on the UNMC campus every weekday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Each student takes two courses in the fall and two in the spring, on topics such as human genetics, patient care, biomedical research, infectious disease, pathology, pharmacy and human anatomy. Fridays are required Focus Days for group work, guest speakers and field trips. The program has 65 spots each year, and about one-third of applicants are accepted. Students arrange their own transportation unless their district provides it. Students outside the participating districts can look into uBEATS, a related online program.

Open to juniors and seniors at participating Omaha-area public school districts (Omaha, Millard, Bellevue, Elkhorn, Council Bluffs, Westside, Gretna, Bennington, Ralston, Douglas County West, Springfield-Platteview and approved ESU #3 schools). Applicants must be at least 16 at the start of the school year, attend a participating public high school for the full year, be on track to graduate, and have earned a B or higher in Algebra 1, Biology, a physical science course and a third year of science. Parent or guardian permission and an in-person interview are required.