New med student credits faith for her motivation

Nicole Burns is a third year medical student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center currently on rotation at Chase County Community Hospital and Clinics.
Burns is keeping an open mind for now, but she said she is leaning toward a career in urology.
“Urology is of interest to me because it is a mixture between clinical medicine and surgery—and there aren’t enough women doctors in that field,” she said.
She said she chose a career in medicine because she wanted to be around people on a daily basis, and she has always been fascinated on how the human body works and its intricacies.
“I’m also good at math and science, so that was a plus,” she added.
Burns said she is the first person interested in medicine in her family, and the first to go to college.
“They support me a lot. I couldn’t do it without them,” said Burns.
She was born and raised in Omaha, but since being in Imperial, Burns said she is considering a future with a position where she could travel a couple of days a week from a larger city to a nearby smaller community.
“I like the intimacy I’ve found here and how well people know each other. I am so thankful to the community for their kindness and making me feel welcome,” Burns said.
“I also like the idea of working as a physician in a small town part of the time to meet unmet needs around me,” she added.
Burns’ parents and their spouses, one sister, five nieces and nephews and her grandmother, with whom she lived with from third grade on, all live in Omaha.
“All my family is in Omaha, and we are very close,” she said.
She shared she is also engaged to be married with a wedding date planned for a week before Christmas.
Her church community and her faith is of big importance to her.
“My faith is the foundation and motivating factor for how I live my life and what I do,” Burns said.
She also loves playing and watching sports, and particularly enjoys playing sand volleyball, basketball and softball, she said.
She said she is looking forward to the next few weeks with her last day July 21.