School of Medicine & Health Sciences recognizes more than 200 graduating health sciences students

In addition to the dozens of new medical doctors who graduated from the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) on May 2, the School is recognizing more than 200 students from its health sciences programs who are graduating on Saturday, May 16.

One such student is soon-to-be Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Kyra Schwartz, who is one of 45 new OTDs coming out of the SMHS this spring. 

“When I was looking at colleges, UND stood out as a place where I could grow personally while also receiving a strong education,” said the Foxholm, N.D., native, who will soon be offering occupational therapy services at True North Integrative Clinic in Minot, N.D. “Graduating feels exciting, rewarding, and a little surreal. It’s bittersweet to close such an important chapter and move on from the people and experiences that have meant so much to me, but I feel a strong sense of gratitude, pride, and resilience as I move forward.”

Because, said Schwartz, UND is the reason she’s where she is today. 

“I’m leaving UND not only with the knowledge to begin practice, but with the mindset to keep learning and evolving throughout my career,” she said. “I am especially grateful to my family, friends, classmates, and the faculty and mentors at University of North Dakota and in the community for their encouragement, patience, and guidance. I couldn’t have made it through this program without their support, and I truly appreciate the role each of them played in helping me reach this milestone.” 

Occupational therapy notwithstanding, health science departments represented at UND’s Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement ceremonies this spring include not only five master and doctoral graduates of the School’s many biomedical and clinical and translational science programs, but students from programs in medical laboratory science (74), physical therapy (49), Master of Public Health (seven, plus another seven Public Health Certificate grads), athletic training (one), and physician assistant studies (29). 

Among those 29 new physician assistants (PA) is Tatjana Svjetlanovic, a Bismarck, N.D., native on the cusp of a career with the VA Health System. 

“I chose UND because I completed my undergraduate education here and truly loved the atmosphere, the faculty, and of course, UND hockey,” Svjetlanovic smiled. “I believe UND has prepared me exceptionally well for my career. I especially appreciated the program’s strong focus on primary care and rural rotations, which provided valuable hands-on experience and helped shape my clinical skills. UND’s PA program has some of the best faculty, who are genuinely invested in the success of their students.” 

Since its founding in 1905, the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences has graduated more than 10,300 professionals working in the health sciences in North Dakota and around the country. Several of the School’s programs, including the School’s world-first, medical college-based Department of Indigenous Health, will see additional graduates at UND’s Summer and Winter Commencements.

For her part, Hannah SnoBeck, who hails from Grand Forks, N.D., will be taking her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to MORGAiN Physical Therapy in Grand Forks.

“I had the chance to explore other states through my clinical rotations in the physical therapy program,” said SnoBeck, who was on the UND Hockey cheer team. “I truly enjoyed those experiences – and ultimately my heart led me back home when applying for jobs. You can’t beat North Dakota nice. The UND Physical Therapy program provides more than clinic-based skills mentorship: the faculty truly care about your success. I appreciated being on a first-name basis with the faculty because it showed the respect they have for us students and as future colleagues.”

David Relling, P.T., Ph.D., senior associate dean for health sciences at the SMHS and longtime physical therapist, couldn’t have said it better himself. 

“We want to extend congratulations to all of the graduates of our many health sciences programs,” added Relling. “They have completed rigorous educational programs and are well prepared to provide high quality, collaborative care in today’s complex healthcare environments.  Most of all, we want to recognize the substantial positive impact that health sciences graduates will have on the thousands of patients they will work with throughout their careers.”