MMA/UMN Medical Careers Program – Inspiring Fifth Graders in St. Cloud

November 5, 2026

The MMA and the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have partnered to create the MMA/UMN Medical Careers Program, which is a continuation of the MMA and the University of Minnesota Medical School’s commitment to diversifying Minnesota’s physician workforce.   

"I’m incredibly grateful to the Minnesota Medical Association, Lincoln Elementary, the St. Cloud School District, and our Regional Campus team at the University of Minnesota Medical School in St. Cloud for their leadership and commitment to this program," said Isaiah Nolan, M.A., associate director, CMAE, office of diversity, equity, and inclusion, University of Minnesota Medical School. "Our medical school faculty and staff were proud to provide Lincoln Elementary students with the chance to connect with practicing medical professionals and University of Minnesota medical students who share similar identities and experiences. For me, the best part of the program was watching the fifth graders interact with our medical students and see people who look like them pursuing careers in medicine."  

Fifth-graders from Lincoln Elementary School in St. Cloud learned about the world of healthcare on three separate days in October.

The goal of the MMA/UMN Medical Careers Program is to help facilitate exposure to careers in medicine for elementary, middle, and high school students in schools with a high proportion of students who are historically underrepresented in medicine.  

In 2026, the program focused on two fifth-grade classes at Lincoln Elementary School in St. Cloud, taking place on three different dates in October – providing both hands-on learning and classroom presentations.  

The program kicked off on October 5, with a field trip to the University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud, where students had a hands-on opportunity to learn about medicine within the setting of a medical school.   

At their “mini medical school” field trip, Kim Tjaden, MD, MPH, chair of the MMA Board of Trustees, shared this with the fifth-graders: “You don’t need to decide today what you want to be when you grow up. Today is simply about discovering what is possible. And who knows? For some of you, this may be the day that plants the seed for a future in medicine.” 

In the spirit of “career days” that have long been a component of primary and secondary education, the MMA and the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion developed a curriculum that brings medicine into the classroom via physician speakers who shared their career journeys, as well as shared what a typical day looks like in their medical practice.   

On October 12, Jacob Lyons, MD, a critical care physician at CentraCare, who also serves as the respiratory course director at the University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud, presented to two fifth-grade classes at Lincoln Elementary School.   

The final leg of the program took place on October 19, where the fifth-grade classes learned about primary care from Alfredmy Chessor, MD, a family medicine physician at Meeker Memorial Hospital & Clinics, and one of the clinical skills facilitators at the University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud. The students learned about how family medicine is a unique specialty providing comprehensive, lifelong healthcare to patients of all ages. 

The MMA thanks Jill Amsberry, DO, associate dean of undergraduate medical education at the University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus St Cloud for her support of the 2026 program.