Alumni Spotlight

Jenna Sitenga graduated from UP in just three years with a BS in Biology. She then applied to only 5 medical schools that she was seriously interested in attending, and fell in love with the humanitarian values in medicine that Creighton possessed. She is now is in her last year of medical school at Creighton University School of Medicine and in the process of applying for a Dermatology residency. Good luck Jenna!

1. What is the best part of your current job/position?

The best part of medical school and healthcare, for me, is the amazing opportunity you have to see the full spectrum of the human condition through medicine. During medical school I have assisted on trauma surgeries, delivered babies, published treatment-altering research, and have witnessed so many moments with patients that have ultimately shaped who I am and who I hope to become. The experiences with patients that you gain in medical school are so unique that they become life altering, ultimately changing how you view yourself and the world. The capacity to grow as a physician and person in medicine is why I love where I am and why I would encourage many people to join healthcare.

2. How did your time at UP help you with your career path? 

My time at UP was instrumental in setting me on my current career path. The resources, mentoring opportunities, and personalized attention from faculty and upper classmen was essential for me as I discerned if medical school was right for me and then further on along the application path. The personal, one-on-one attention you receive as a student at UP is a rare commodity at other schools, where professors may not know your name in a classroom of a few hundred and you may be discouraged from applying because faculty are not willing to help advocate for you and write letters of recommendation.

3. What are your favorite memories of UP?

My favorite memories from UP surround my time with colleagues in biology and chemistry labs, and the hands-on experience obtained in anatomy and physiology lab along with the chemistry labs. Making the most of the interactions with your colleagues is something that never goes away through out medical school and residency, where your peers become more than friends; they become like family.

4. What advice would you give aspiring pre-health types?

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to be your own advocate on the healthcare trail. Those who are most successful in medicine are the ones that go above and beyond in advocating for themselves and their education. Make the most of your learning experiences at UP and attend office hours as often as you can, jump into research projects, and develop relationships with professors to strengthen letters of recommendation. Through out the medical school process, it is easy to fall through the cracks and to miss opportunities if you aren't active in your education. In medical school you must really work to make options available to yourself to make sure your goals come to fruition. Also, utilize the experience from upper classmen and constantly ask advice. Having really good peer mentors that can help you and guide you is a key component to success in medical school, but it is not an intuitive skill for most students.